Is a brilliant energy ranged weapon (like a bow) affected by strong winds?
Brilliant Energy
Price +4 bonus
Aura strong transmutation; CL 16th; Weight —DESCRIPTION
A brilliant energy weapon has its significant portion transformed into light, although this does not modify the item's weight. It always gives off light as a torch (20-foot radius). A brilliant energy weapon ignores nonliving matter. Armor and shield bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor. (Dexterity, deflection, dodge, natural armor, and other such bonuses still apply.) A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm undead, constructs, or objects.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, gaseous form, continual flame; Cost +4 bonus
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Winds
The wind can create a stinging spray of sand or dust, fan a large fire, keel over a small boat, and blow gases or vapors away. If powerful enough, it can even knock characters down (see Table: Wind Effects), interfere with ranged attacks, or impose penalties on some skill checks.
Light Wind: A gentle breeze, having little or no game effect.
Moderate Wind: A steady wind with a 50% chance of extinguishing small, unprotected flames, such as candles.
Strong Wind: Gusts that automatically extinguish unprotected flames (candles, torches, and the like). Such gusts impose a –2 penalty on ranged attack rolls and on Perception checks.
Severe Wind: In addition to automatically extinguishing any unprotected flames, winds of this magnitude cause protected flames (such as those of lanterns) to dance wildly and have a 50% chance of extinguishing these lights. Ranged weapon attacks and Perception checks are at a –4 penalty. This is the velocity of wind produced by a gust of wind spell.
Windstorm: Powerful enough to bring down branches if not whole trees, windstorms automatically extinguish unprotected flames and have a 75% chance of blowing out protected flames, such as those of lanterns. Ranged weapon attacks are impossible, and even siege weapons have a –4 penalty on attack rolls. Perception checks that rely on sound are at a –8 penalty due to the howling of the wind.
Hurricane-Force Wind: All flames are extinguished. Ranged attacks are impossible (except with siege weapons, which have a –8 penalty on attack rolls). Perception checks based on sound are impossible: all characters can hear is the roaring of the wind. Hurricane-force winds often fell trees.
Tornado (CR 10): All flames are extinguished. All ranged attacks are impossible (even with siege weapons), as are sound-based Perception checks. Instead of being blown away (see Table: Wind Effects), characters in close proximity to a tornado who fail their Fortitude saves are sucked toward the tornado. Those who come in contact with the actual funnel cloud are picked up and whirled around for 1d10 rounds, taking 6d6 points of damage per round, before being violently expelled (falling damage might apply). While a tornado's rotational speed can be as great as 300 mph, the funnel itself moves forward at an average of 30 mph (roughly 250 feet per round). A tornado uproots trees, destroys buildings, and causes similar forms of major destruction.
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By RAW, yes. Wind applies an untyped attack penalty, so we have no idea if it is from non living matter or not.
Edit: More importantly, the effects of a brilliant weapon are pretty clear in that it only ignores armor and shield bonuses. Any other penalties would still apply anyways.
Unless you home GM makes a special exception, Brilliant Energy does nothing more or less than exactly what is says in the weapon ability.
Or, RAW, the answer to your question is yes, brilliant energy ranged weapons are affected by strong winds like any normal projectile or ranged weapon.
Rule 0 allows your GM to add anything he wants to the ability for your home game that your group may feel is appropriate based on the description of the power.
The "ignores nonliving matter" seems to open it up to a lot of interpretations without applying Rule 0.
I think wind would still affect it. But the fact that it goes through a shield, coupled with the "ignore" line means it probably goes through doors too.
sorry for the thread resurrection but short and sweet, along a similar vein...
brilliant energy arrows vs a wind wall/fickle winds spell?
small debate during game last night, I ruled in favour of Fickle Winds.
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Let me point out a somewhat different way of looking at the issue.
Brilliant Energy projectiles ignore "non-living matter".
Air is matter.
So would a Brilliant Energy projectile ignore the air, and by extension, it's effects (like the wind)?
That said - I still think it's a DM decision and as long as the DM is consistent, all is well.
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Mechanically it just ignores armor and shield penalties.
It doesn't ignore cover or negate any other penalties.
(Only the 'significant portion' is transformed in light anyway)
air is filled with living matter
It is? Yuk.
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That's logical, but as people up thread mentioned then you run into problems like the bowstring not being able to touch the arrow, or the arrow not stabilizing in flight because the fletching and shaft don't interact with the air. So to me the most reasonable way to run it is that enough of the arrow is still physical enough to be blown off-course by a strong wind.Let me point out a somewhat different way of looking at the issue.
Brilliant Energy projectiles ignore "non-living matter".
Air is matter.
So would a Brilliant Energy projectile ignore the air, and by extension, it's effects (like the wind)?
That said - I still think it's a DM decision and as long as the DM is consistent, all is well.
Read the description. You fire a regular arrow and the bow confers Brilliant Energy on the arrow. I don't think this is a problem.
"Projectile weapons with this ability bestow this power upon their ammunition."
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Well considering air is filled with living matter I would say yes it is effected by air weather its air from nature or from a spell.
I'll assume you're just trying to be silly. Otherwise, it would be a silly argument. You wouldn't be able to cut through shields or armor as they are probably covered in bacteria. Swinging you weapon would be like fighting underwater, and so on.
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Mechanically it just ignores armor and shield penalties.
It doesn't ignore cover or negate any other penalties.
(Only the 'significant portion' is transformed in light anyway)
"Mechanically"? Read the description: "A brilliant energy weapon ignores nonliving matter." The next sentence then gives an example of ignoring armor and shields. I don't see the original language as being "fluff". It's embedded right there is the middle of the "Mechanics" section of the enchantment.
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I have a few questions that was sparked by this conversation.
Are brilliant energy weapons affected by cover? If an enemy peaking at me through the window or arrow slit, could I shoot him with a brilliant energy weapon as though he wasn't benefiting from cover?
Do wooden doors or wall count as living matter? If an enemy spots me, runs through a doorway and then slams the door shut (wooden door), is he safe from brilliant energy weapons?
Are character wearing armor made through the use of the iron wood spell getting protected by their armor?
Cover, probably not, unless the cover is living material (like hiding behind a tree). BUT remember that the target still has concealment.
As for Ironwood, I don't see why that would stop a Brilliant Energy weapon... it's no different than a wooden shield. Ironwood is "wood", not a living tree.
I think there are one or two special materials that are "living", but I don't have time to look them up (nor am I 100% sure they exist). Those might be effective?
An arrow needs to interact with air or it does not work. The fletching helps stabilize in flight. If they are not able to interact with air the arrow will not fly straight. Also the fact that the weight of the weapon does not change indicates the weapon is at least partially solid. The wind can interact with that portion of the weapon.