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Unless I'm mistaken, rules say activating your flaming weapon is a standard action (which is very s~+!ty)...
If my Spell Warrior decides to provide a +1 enhancement bonus and the flaming enchantment when she starts singing, do each party member accepting her song has to spend a standard action activating its weapon... or would they burst into flame right away? (which is way more stylish...and useful :D)
To be entirely honest, the "standard action to activate" rule is almost always ignored. I have literally never once seen it used.
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I don't know why people can't wrap their head around use activated items.
Use Activated: This type of item simply has to be used in order to activate it. A character has to drink a potion, swing a sword, interpose a shield to deflect a blow in combat, look through a lens, sprinkle dust, wear a ring, or don a hat. Use activation is generally straightforward and self-explanatory.
Sure, flaming specifically says "on command" but it doesn't say it doesn't follow the basic rules of magic items.
Activation: Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by wielding (attacking with) it. If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter a command word (a standard action). A character can activate the special abilities of 50 pieces of ammunition at the same time, assuming each piece has identical abilities.
The rule is there. It's just that nobody uses it (that I've ever experienced).
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Thematically, I think all the party weapons bursting into flames with a fiery ballad would be awesome and frightening to the enemies. The ability does not give the starting state, so the GM should be free to make the call. Going the way of turned off would be kind of harsh I think, because a standard action make everyone waste a turn. I personally would let the ability have them start out on fire
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I would like to hear from someone that actually makes their PCs use an action to turn it on.
I use it.
If the PCs aren't getting ambushed, they pretty much just turn the weapons on prior.Plus some of the command words they use are great.
I would like to hear from someone that actually makes their PCs use an action to turn it on.I use it.
If the PCs aren't getting ambushed, they pretty much just turn the weapons on prior.Plus some of the command words they use are great.
For a weapon that is permanently enchanted, I agree. But if a Magus in your group wants to use Arcane Pool to add flaming and shocking to his weapon would he have to use a swift action to activate the pool and then two standard actions to activate the abilities? Or would you just have the swift action take care of everything?
For a weapon that is permanently enchanted, I agree. But if a Magus in your group wants to use Arcane Pool to add flaming and shocking to his weapon would he have to use a swift action to activate the pool and then two standard actions to activate the abilities? Or would you just have the swift action take care of everything?I would like to hear from someone that actually makes their PCs use an action to turn it on.I use it.
If the PCs aren't getting ambushed, they pretty much just turn the weapons on prior.Plus some of the command words they use are great.
It would be one Standard because you choose the command word with Arcane pool (since you created the effect). You choose the same effect so it happens in one standard action.
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For a weapon that is permanently enchanted, I agree. But if a Magus in your group wants to use Arcane Pool to add flaming and shocking to his weapon would he have to use a swift action to activate the pool and then two standard actions to activate the abilities? Or would you just have the swift action take care of everything?
A better question is about a warpriest. Their weapon buffs only last for one round. Would you (generic you, not you you) make a warpriest, after he's used his swift action to grant his sword flaming, make him then use his standard action to activate it, giving him only a move left and not let him attack that turn before his weapon buff expires? If you're going to enforce temporary flaming buffs have to be activated then you're basically saying warpriests' sacred weapon can't use about 2/3 of their sacred weapon buffs.
Yes, I know that it can be extended, but for a warpriest it's a very limited resource on an already extremely limited resource (their swift action) so let's pretend they only have one round left for that day when they do this. Or rather, please explain why you feel it necessary for them to use one round to activate it and do nothing and force them to extend it for a round (using two rounds instead of one) to attack the following round.
It would be one Standard because you choose the command word with Arcane pool (since you created the effect). You choose the same effect so it happens in one standard action.
I understand what you're doing. But it takes an action to activate a magic item with a command word. Otherwise your PCs will do stupid stuff like create 30 on use fireballs and have all of the command words be the same. Or create 100 slotless on use bobby pins that each restore 1hp with the same command word.
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A good rule to play by is thus; If a rules element makes a class feature non functional, then the rules element is being applied improperly.
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My (personal) take.
The skald power (and other similar powers) turns the weapon into a flaming (or other attribute) weapon in the on state. To change the state, you would have to use a command word to turn it off.
So, for example, the party is fighting a collection of creatures with DR 50/magic, some are vulnerable to fire, some are healed by fire (yeah, I know, the GM is a jerk, whatever.) One of your allies does not have a magic weapon. So you fire up Weapon song +1 flaming. It comes on flaming, If someone wants to turn off flaming (so he doesn't heal a creature) but keep the +1, he would have to take a standard to turn it off. (If he doesn't care about the +1, he can just wait till the beginning of the next round and not accept the song that round.)
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A better question is about a warpriest. Their weapon buffs only last for one round.
Actually most warpriest buffs last one flat minute, clerics have the one round buffs. I wish there were a feats or trait to make these swift of free actions on yourself (cough cough, hint hint , paizo) But for the warpriest having a minute makes up for the standard action used
I guess the believe is that you are support and spending the action to buff up the hitters and damage deals so they do not have to spend any other actions than just fighting. But when it comes down to it we all want to fight so we try to buff our self and waste rounds doing so
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A better question is about a warpriest. Their weapon buffs only last for one round.Actually most warpriest buffs last one flat minute, clerics have the one round buffs. I wish there were a feats or trait to make these swift of free actions on yourself (cough cough, hint hint , paizo) But for the warpriest having a minute makes up for the standard action used
I guess the believe is that you are support and spending the action to buff up the hitters and damage deals so they do not have to spend any other actions than just fighting. But when it comes down to it we all want to fight so we try to buff our self and waste rounds doing so
Sacred Weapon (Su): At 1st level, weapons wielded by a warpriest are charged with the power of his faith. In addition to the favored weapon of his deity, the warpriest can designate a weapon as a sacred weapon by selecting that weapon with the Weapon Focus feat; if he has multiple Weapon Focus feats, this ability applies to all of them. Whenever the warpriest hits with his sacred weapon, the weapon damage is based on his level and not the weapon type. The damage for Medium warpriests is given on the table above; see the table below for Small and Large warpriests. The warpriest can decide to use the weapon's base damage instead of the sacred weapon damage—this decision must be declared before the attack roll is made. (If the weapon's base damage exceeds the sacred weapon damage, its damage is unchanged.) This increase in damage does not affect any other aspect of the weapon, and doesn't apply to alchemical items, bombs, or other weapons that deal only energy damage.
At 4th level, the warpriest gains the ability to enhance one of his sacred weapons with divine power as a swift action. This ability grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every 4 levels beyond 4th, this bonus increases by 1 (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). If the warpriest has more than one sacred weapon, he can enhance another on the following round by using another swift action. The warpriest can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to his warpriest level, but these rounds don't need to be consecutive.
I won't argue that if by most you mean Blessings and Sacred Armor then you're right. But Sacred Weapon lasts for one round at a time, as I said above.
Everyone knows that the weapons only burst into flame after the end of the first verse, when the chorus starts ....
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Whatever is the most metal. Clearly, the skald's song causing the weap ok ns to spontaneously ignite is more metal by far.
Well, sure - definitely heavy metal. But at the first chorus, not right away.
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If the Skald is playing his rendition of 'Godzilla,' and those weapons don't immediately catch fire, something is Wrong.
Flaming (+1):
"The fire does not harm the wielder. The effect remains until another command is given."
Just keep it in "On"-Mode permanetly. No need to waste your ability to attack for a round to get +1d6 elemental damage.
So it already is on fire when you draw it from its sheath.
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Flaming (+1):
"The fire does not harm the wielder. The effect remains until another command is given."Just keep it in "On"-Mode permanetly. No need to waste your ability to attack for a round to get +1d6 elemental damage.
So it already is on fire when you draw it from its sheath.
That's not the question. The question is "do you follow the rule that you have to activate it via a standard action when it's a temporary weapon buff and not a permanently enchanted flaming sword?"
It would be one Standard because you choose the command word with Arcane pool (since you created the effect). You choose the same effect so it happens in one standard action.I understand what you're doing. But it takes an action to activate a magic item with a command word. Otherwise your PCs will do stupid stuff like create 30 on use fireballs and have all of the command words be the same. Or create 100 slotless on use bobby pins that each restore 1hp with the same command word.
THat was how it worked in 3.5, it was answered in 3.5 FAQ. I doubt Pathfinder is so anal retentive as to change it.
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THat was how it worked in 3.5, it was answered in 3.5 FAQ. I doubt Pathfinder is so anal retentive as to change it.
It would be one Standard because you choose the command word with Arcane pool (since you created the effect). You choose the same effect so it happens in one standard action.I understand what you're doing. But it takes an action to activate a magic item with a command word. Otherwise your PCs will do stupid stuff like create 30 on use fireballs and have all of the command words be the same. Or create 100 slotless on use bobby pins that each restore 1hp with the same command word.
I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or rebutting my post..
My (personal) take.
The skald power (and other similar powers) turns the weapon into a flaming (or other attribute) weapon in the on state. To change the state, you would have to use a command word to turn it off.
So, for example, the party is fighting a collection of creatures with DR 50/magic, some are vulnerable to fire, some are healed by fire (yeah, I know, the GM is a jerk, whatever.) One of your allies does not have a magic weapon. So you fire up Weapon song +1 flaming. It comes on flaming, If someone wants to turn off flaming (so he doesn't heal a creature) but keep the +1, he would have to take a standard to turn it off. (If he doesn't care about the +1, he can just wait till the beginning of the next round and not accept the song that round.)
That's the way I've always played it and seen it played. If a Magus, Acane Duelist, Paladin, Skald, Occultist, Arcane Archer, etc. adds flaming, shocking, etc. to a weapon, then that special ability starts in the active state. Until this thread it never even occurred to me that a separate activation might be required. Now I'm not sure if I've been playing correctly.
Now I'm not sure if I've been playing correctly.
Welcome to the rules forum, where we take your perfectly functioning interpretation of the rules and rules lawyer them until it's playable ;)
My advice: If it works for you and your players, keep running it that way.
Now I'm not sure if I've been playing correctly.Welcome to the rules forum, where we take your perfectly functioning interpretation of the rules and rules lawyer them until it's playable ;)
My advice: If it works for you and your players, keep running it that way.
Well, with my characters I'm kind of a stickler for following the Paizo rules as closely as I can even if the GM and other players are using houserules. I'm just not sure if these class abilities were ever intended to require a separate activation.
Arcane Archers, for example, enhance arrows (as they nock them) rather than their bows. They can't activate the flaming ability ahead of time. So they nock an arrow, spend a standard action to activate it, and then wait until next round to fire? I just can't imagine that the designers had that in mind or that anyone has ever played it that way.
Curse my autocorrect, I meant to say unplayable!
That is a good way to interpret the rules. If one interpretation makes an ability completely unable to function, 99% of the time it is an incorrect interpretation.