Did anyone else know 30% of magic weapons glow


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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I just noticed that and wondered does anyone rolls to see if there weapons are glowing, because I never noticed it in 3.5 either


Yes.


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I think that gets ignored pretty much of the time.


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magic weapons would kill the darkness spell and darkness would become the red-headed stepchild of spells. LOL

Grand Lodge

It's a cantrip level effect. It does not happen often.
Most DMs ignore it.


LOL. Never noticed that... Where is that written?

The Exchange Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Magic weapons have always glowed. It's way old school.


yea I saw the radius and was thinking Daylight, but it's just the light spell. Yea I still never noticed that they glow with light. Although I would still continue to ignore that little tid-bit I've been for the last 12 years after all. I was just more wondering if anyone actually rolls 30% everytime a magic weapon drops.


Indeed. Note that some (such as a frost brand) only glowed under certain conditions. Others, (like the flame tongue) shed light whenever drawn. But even plain old +1 swords and maces have always had a chance of providing a source of illumination.

8 Red Wizards: I always roll when the party finds a new magic weapon. A 1, 2, or 3 on a d10 means they glow.

MA


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Note that this is only for randomly generated loot. Crafters get to decide whether their stuff glows or not. Anyway, it's listed under Special Qualities in the magic weapons section.


I always thought magic weapons glowing was just a common trope. Something often used to indicate the weapon's magic properties, like describing Frost weapons as shedding tiny ice crystals.

I've never imagined there was an actual rule for that, and I've been gaming since I was 10.

Hahaha, living and learning, I guess.

I gotta make sure to roll that d10 next time, just for giggles...


I knew it, but I just ignore it, just like I ignore the rule saying that on a nat 1 magic items get damage for AoE spells.

Scarab Sages

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I'm actually creating a campaign where one of the city states bases prestige and social standing off of how many magicly glowing items one can afford and I'm ruling that the specific powers of the item effects how it glows. Therefore your standing and worth in society can be determined by exactly how one glows.

Grand Lodge

So, there are people casting Daylight on their items?

Scarab Sages

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blackbloodtroll wrote:
So, there are people casting Daylight on their items?

They can always try, but if they're caught they'll be tossed in jail for forgery just like any counterfeiter.

Developmental stages still. I'll probably end up posting the full idea in the appropriate sub-forum for feedback before letting my players in.

Grand Lodge

Wand of Daylight combined with the Weaponwand spell.

Also, intelligent items casting Daylight.

Scarab Sages

None of those effects are actually identical to the light cast by a glowing weapon, right? Especially taking into factor the house-rule I mentioned at first that different effects glow differently in the world. Therefore the spell daylight would look very different than a +1 flaming weapon.
Also, wouldn't detect magic determine the source of the glow (spell or innate magic glow)?

And I'm completely derailing the thread here. Sorry guys. I'll post my full social theory over in home brew soon.


I would think most people ( gm's ) ignore it... or else they get players asking every 2 mins , or whenever they find ANYTHING, "Does it glow?"


I have ran games where I have ignored this and others where I have rolled for it. Truth is, players and myself often forget anyway.

But yes, magic and lowing have been in the game for a very long time.


We have always ignored it, sadly. I think its been in the rules from 1st ediion.

Grand Lodge

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For most items, I, as a player would hate getting a glowing item.

Especially weapons and armor.


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Grollub wrote:
I would think most people ( gm's ) ignore it... or else they get players asking every 2 mins , or whenever they find ANYTHING, "Does it glow?"

That's why you tell them "stop asking, if it glows I will tell you that it glows".


wraithstrike wrote:
I knew it, but I just ignore it, just like I ignore the rule saying that on a nat 1 magic items get damage for AoE spells.

Where is this at I don't think I've seen this one or it could be something I glossed over and said that's stupid and just never used it.


Grollub wrote:
I would think most people ( gm's ) ignore it... or else they get players asking every 2 mins , or whenever they find ANYTHING, "Does it glow?"

? if every 2 mins the gm drops a magic item he has more problems to worry about than giving a simple yes or no.


blackbloodtroll wrote:

For most items, I, as a player would hate getting a glowing item.

Especially weapons and armor.

Aye the beauty of a light spell or a torch is that it provides illumination in a controlled condition at any point you can quash that light source .

Good luck sneaking up on that ogre with your glowing kukri.


Can't you just sheathe the weapon if it's really that big of a deal?

Grand Lodge

Not everyone has quickdraw. Also, who sheaths shields and gauntlets?


I'm a fan of glowing weapons. If mine don't, I usually have continual flame cast on them. It's economy of carrying junk. I don't need a sun rod or torch that way. PLUS it just looks spiffy.

I do only put it on weapons that can be sheathed tho so just in case I want to go Stealthy...

Sovereign Court

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My magic weapons often glow, often they glow with different colours or intensities depending upon who wields them. Sometimes they make weirds noises, sometimes everyone can here those noises but sometimes only the wielders can.

Magic shields are just cooler if they have a lion-head insignia and every so often, the lion winks...

Mine also often have names and minor spell effects connected. Sometimes they fill a room with a particular scent or make it so that the trees in the wielders dreams are always full of blossom.

Magic is cooler when it is weird.

Scarab Sages

8 Red Wizards wrote:
I just noticed that and wondered does anyone rolls to see if there weapons are glowing, because I never noticed it in 3.5 either

I knew, and always specify which category weapon I craft are in.


earlier editions (1st and 2nd) glowing weapons were more common and the non-glowing kind were less common. In MERP (Iron Crown) they liked to link the glow with detection spells, the dagger glows blue if a goblinoid is within 60' sort of thing.


Lemmy wrote:

I always thought magic weapons glowing was just a common trope. Something often used to indicate the weapon's magic properties, like describing Frost weapons as shedding tiny ice crystals.

I've never imagined there was an actual rule for that, and I've been gaming since I was 10.

Hahaha, living and learning, I guess.

I gotta make sure to roll that d10 next time, just for giggles...

This! Been gaming with 3.5 pretty much since its inception, and I NEVER bothered to actually look at that table, and realize what it meant.

What's even more astounding to me is that 1/3 of all dropped magical items will have an inscription or other marking that give's a clue as to what their function is.

A Mistmail drop might actually have an inscription that says, "shadow fog" or something. That's cool. I also think that would provide a pretty substantial bonus to the Spellcraft check to identifying said magical item's properties.

Is that pile of debris glowing?


Yep, been glowing for a long time.

Some players that play in the rainbow six style don't like it, because it can give away your fighter/rogue's position.

Dark Archive

Yeah. I knew about the glowing. It's been around at least since the days of AD&D 1E. I also knew they kept it in Pathfinder.

Silver Crusade

CRB wrote:-

''Light Generation: Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell. These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can't be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions.''

Creating Magic Weapons wrote:-

''At the time of creation, the creator must decide if the weapon glows or not as a side-effect of the magic imbued within it. This decision does not affect the price or the creation time, but once the item is finished, the decision is binding.''

Upshot? Only magic weapons get to glow for free in this way. Your enchanted shield won't glow, unless you paid for it to be enchanted as a weapon. Your magic armour, including the gauntlets, won't glow, unless you've enchanted the gauntlets as weapons.

If you have a weapon enchanted for you, you can instruct the enchanter to either make it glow, or not, as you prefer. You never know when you might need to sneak up to the Orc at night.

Darkness spells are safe. Glowing weapons are the equivalent of a 0-level spell and Darkness is 2nd level and is unaffected by light spells of less than 3rd level.


If a crafter actually wanted to make their shield or armor glow (in the same way a weapon can) I would probably allow it. Seeing as armor can't be sheathed, it'd probably start to get annoying pretty fast. (Anything that could be turned on and off would probably require a proper enchantment using light.)

Liberty's Edge

Sting (Frodo's sword) is the basis for this trope of magic weapons in DnD/PFRPG. It shines in the presence of those it was designed to kill (Orcs IIRC)


I know the rule, but in my group we have always ignored it.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Evil Genius Prime wrote:
Yeah. I knew about the glowing. It's been around at least since the days of AD&D 1E. I also knew they kept it in Pathfinder.

The default in PFS though I believe is that weapons and items don't glow unless specifically stated so.

I'd think there really would be no point in having a glowing Assasin's dagger. :)


Yes, I know it. As with all arbitrary rules things like this, I pretty much just decide myself if a magic weapon glows or not. In some cases I've had them glow like Sting or Glamdring, providing a warning for certain threats, etc.

If a magic weapon glows, it is introduced to the party as a glowing weapon.

Darkness suppresses magical weapon glows in my campaigns.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

It depends also on the flavor of the world, If I'm going for more wuxia and anime feel than weapons will glow more often than not. IF I'm looking for a more Greyhawk/Eberron feel they won't, unless there is a specific exception.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32

LazarX wrote:
I'd think there really would be no point in having a glowing Assasin's dagger. :)

Well, since you can't sneak attack someone in the dark unless you have darkvision or a certain feat, a glowing dagger you draw just as you reach the target you want to stab in the spleen could be quite handy.

Silver Crusade

When I had my paladin's falchion enchanted I chose to have it glow naturally. Even so, I often forget that it produces light, and have bought an ioun torch. I probably forget as I've never had a GM or anything in an adventure path specifically mention that a looted magic weapon glowed.


8 Red Wizards wrote:
I just noticed that and wondered does anyone rolls to see if there weapons are glowing, because I never noticed it in 3.5 either

Random magic weapons: Glowing 30% of the time since the original DMG and still going strong!


Yes I knew about it. Yes I use it. Yes my players find them.


I want a bow that does this to its ammunition.

IF your magic weapon is glowing because you have a heigtened continual flame spell cast on it then it will take out darkness spells but that is a corner case.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

If I remember correctly, some older editions could have variable light, and somewhere they could also be "adjusted" by thier owner/wielder.
Those were the ones we used to use for a while.

Haven't bothered with them once they removed the control.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32

doctor_wu wrote:
I want a bow that does this to its ammunition.

That would be pretty swanky. :)


8 Red Wizards wrote:
I just noticed that and wondered does anyone rolls to see if there weapons are glowing, because I never noticed it in 3.5 either

Yarp. Make me angry cuz one gladius glow othr do not. so go in wit only one attack on poncy drow and then hav to draw other weppin after hit. still tear out poncy drow kidney on first strike but still...

Scarab Sages

8 Red Wizards wrote:
I just noticed that and wondered does anyone rolls to see if there weapons are glowing, because I never noticed it in 3.5 either

Nd they are not all the corect size either. Its like 20% small and like10% large.

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