Is Flame Blade a weapon?

[Catharsis]

It’s a spell, obviously, but the spell’s effect is not damage, it’s to manifest a lightsaber that you then «wield like a scimitar».

Does is profit from bonuses to «weapon damage», as from Bardic Performance?

Does it crit like a scimitar? Does it profit from Weapon Focus and Specialisation?

I’m assuming Power Attack is out of the question, since there’s no Str bonus either. But Deadly Aim works with the touch attacks from firearms and energy weapons, so it’s not entirely obvious.

Sorry if this has been asked before; Google didn’t find anything useful.

[Jared Walter 356]

Personally, I read the section wielded like a scimitar to mean that weapon focus [Scimitar] and weapon specialization [scimitar] apply, and since you are still making a melee touch attack, I would allow bardic performance as well.

My first impulse was to have threaten crits like it was a scimitar as well. After reading the mythic version, I'm less sure, but would probably still threaten crits as normal.

Source: http://www.aonprd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Flame%20Blade

[Volkard Abendroth]

Yes, the flame blade is a weapon.

FAQ

Power Attack and Deadly Aim do not work with touch attacks, they cannot be applied to flame blade or rays.

[Catharsis]

Thanks! :)

As for touch attacks: Sure, but laser guns get to use Deadly Aim even though they make touch attacks, presumably because they’re weapon-like rather than spell-like. I was wondering whether a similar logic might apply to Flame Blade. I guess not, though; it sounds like the blade doesn’t have enough inertia to profit from force application.

[willuwontu]

I know firearm rules have a special language saying their touch attacks don't count as touch attacks for things such as deadly aim. I'm unsure if technological items have a similar line in their rules.

[Volkard Abendroth]

Catharsis wrote:

Thanks! :)

As for touch attacks: Sure, but laser guns get to use Deadly Aim even though they make touch attacks, presumably because they’re weapon-like rather than spell-like. I was wondering whether a similar logic might apply to Flame Blade. I guess not, though; it sounds like the blade doesn’t have enough inertia to profit from force application.

Laser Pistols do not benefit from Deadly aim.

Power Attack and Deadly Aim both contain language stating that they do not work on touch attacks. Unless the touch attack has specific language to the contrary, they will not work. It has nothing to do with spells.

Laser pistols and Laser Rifles do not have specific language regarding Deadly Aim.

[Catharsis]

Tech guns do profit from Deadly Aim:

https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rv38?Can-you-use-Deadly-Aim-with-technologica l

[Xenocrat]

Catharsis wrote:

Tech guns do profit from Deadly Aim:

https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rv38?Can-you-use-Deadly-Aim-with-technologica l

Link

Note that this is the writer/developer of the tech guide writing that he intended for Deadly Aim to work with tech guns, and developed the Iron Gods AP under the assumption that he had, but it's not the actual published rule.