Hi !
Do "Burst" weapons (Icy burst, Shocking burst...) continue to increase their power if the weapon multiplier goes over 4 ? I mean, if for some reason (like being a kensai), I manage to have my weapon doing x5 damage on a critical, what happens with my Icy burst property ?
1. x5 is not x3 or x4 and thus, +1d10 cold damage. (absolute RAW)
2. There's nothing over x4, so I get +3d10 and that's it.
3. The table continues and it's +4d10 for x5, +5d10 for x6... (good sense application)
What do you think ?
It seems like you understand that RAW is [silly but] clear on this (#1), and it's more of a question about "how would you run it?"
RAI is pretty clear that Weapon Mastery is intended to offer the benefits of the increased multiplier, including elemental bursts, but if there was ever a FAQ on this subject, I suspect it would be on the conservative side and continue to limit '> x4' to 3d10 (#2)
However, I'd be quite open to #3 given that multiplier increases are fairly difficult to come by, and weapons with x4 threaten much less frequently. I mean, you're already approaching the threshold of instagib on most things with x4 anyway.
Exactly my point, Archaeik. Absolute RAW is #1, Conservative FAQ would rule #2, Open FAQ #3. ^^ That's why I'm wondering.
Archaeik wrote: It seems like you understand that RAW is [silly but] clear on this (#1), and it's more of a question about "how would you run it?" Two things:
A.) Rules aren't written for corner cases. There weren't any x5 or x6 weapons when Icy Burst was written, so the RAW answer is that there is no RAW for weapons with those multipliers. Lack or RAW doesn't translate to "worst possible case."
B.) Do those abilities that increase crit damage actually change the weapon itself? Fighters' Weapon Mastery says "Any attacks made with that weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1..." That's a function of the attack, not the weapon. Kensai's Weapon Focus works similarily. Those work like Lead Blades: They don't change the fundamental qualities of the weapon, they just change the damage the weapon does, as opposed to Enlarge Person that fundamentally changes the weapon.
So, I would say the answer is #4: Icy Burst damage is based off the base critical multiplier of the weapon, not the modified multiplier of a class feature.
It actually was possible to get an x5 weapon from when Icy Burst was written. Fighter capstone.
kestral287 wrote: It actually was possible to get an x5 weapon from when Icy Burst was written. Fighter capstone. As Akerlof pointed out, that isn't a x5 crit weapon, it's x(4+1) crit weapon. It's an important distinction.
Though... for the kensai, the class ability called Perfect Strike says :
At 4th level, when a kensai hits with his chosen weapon, he can spend 1 point from his arcane pool in order to maximize his weapon damage. Don’t roll for damage—the weapon deals maximum damage. This affects only the weapon’s base damage dice, not additional damage from sneak attack, magical weapon properties, spellstrike, or critical hits.
If the kensai confirms a critical hit, he can instead spend 2 points from his arcane pool to increase his weapon’s critical multiplier by 1. This ability replaces spell recall.
And here, it's not the attack that has its multiplier increased, but the weapon. Contrary to the fighter capstone (which is, btw, also the kensai's).
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