Implements empowerment wrote: The power of your implement can also be turned to the more common task of combat, its power adding to and amplifying the effects of runes and other magical empowerments. When you Strike, you can trace mystic patterns with an implement you're holding to empower the Strike, causing it to deal 2 additional damage per weapon damage die. Channeling the power requires full use of your hands. You don't gain the benefit of implement's empowerment if you are holding anything in either hand other than a single one-handed weapon, other implements, or esoterica, and you must be holding at least one implement to gain the benefit. I was just reading this,and it occurred to me to consider how it might apply to alchemical bombs. I'd be curious to hear feedback Here's what I've got.
- An alchemica bomb is a one-handed weapon that you can make strikes with, so it does at least work. The question is what it does. If you hit someone with the bomb itself, it's pretty obviously doing the standard damage, plus two per die. Cool. The splash damage, though? What does it do to the splash damage? On the one side, the weapon does have damage dice, and static damage adders do apply to the splash damage (though they dont' stack with themselves for the primary damage). So there's a suggestion that the splash damage would also benefit from the empowerment. On the other side, the bits that are being splashed don't have damage dice. So...?
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
I'd say splash is unaffected. It's a secondary effect. The initial strike and target is what you would count for the bonus.
The damage is based on weapon damage die. Splash and Persistent damage is additional damage that has no interaction with weapon damage die, so they would be unaffected.
Cordell Kintner wrote: The damage is based on weapon damage die. Splash and Persistent damage is additional damage that has no interaction with weapon damage die, so they would be unaffected. Well, persistent damage is a completely different damage source, so it wouldn't benefit even if it did somehow have dice involved... but if the damage bonus were a straightforward "+4" or something, then (to my understanding) it totally would affect the splash damage.
Isn't it still an outstanding question - does bonuses to damage apply to splash damage?
If that has been answered in some official manner, I would love to have that resolved for my Fervor Witch.
Actually, on re-read... I'm pretty sure I was wrong. In particular, reading the general rules section on damage, all bonuses to damage are described as applying to a "damage roll" - something that splash damage very much isn't... so it goes well beyond just thaumaturges
Also, raging thrower dragon barb with alchemical bombs seems like it's a bit too far on the "too good to be true" side if they get to add their damage bonuses to the splash damage... especially since the splash damage lands on anything but a critical miss.
That said, I accept that there's some debate on the matter still.
I think the more interesting situation for thaum + bombs is whether or not mortal weakness would apply to splash damage. Since it's still part of your strike. I'd go for a dragon mouth pistol for this concept though.
aobst128 wrote: I think the more interesting situation for thaum + bombs is whether or not mortal weakness would apply to splash damage. Since it's still part of your strike. I'd go for a dragon mouth pistol for this concept though. Scatter gun splash doesn't apply on a miss, so you'd only really benefit from this on crowd control. The scenario feels niche enough to where I'd probably allow it. If splash damage triggering weaknesses on crowds was overpowered no one would complain about alchemists.
Captain Morgan wrote: aobst128 wrote: I think the more interesting situation for thaum + bombs is whether or not mortal weakness would apply to splash damage. Since it's still part of your strike. I'd go for a dragon mouth pistol for this concept though. Scatter gun splash doesn't apply on a miss, so you'd only really benefit from this on crowd control. The scenario feels niche enough to where I'd probably allow it. If splash damage triggering weaknesses on crowds was overpowered no one would complain about alchemists. I'm aware of that. I just like the aesthetic of the gun thaumaturge better than the bomb one. Just place your esoterica in the barrel, point and shoot. Plus, scatter scales similarly to empowerment so it's like a +3 per die. Grab ranger for gravity weapon and start blasting.
Probably gunslinger actually. Risky reload is too good.
aobst128 wrote: Probably gunslinger actually. Risky reload is too good. Is it really? I can't see a scenario where you'd use it more than once every other turn at most.
Bigdaddyjug wrote: aobst128 wrote: Probably gunslinger actually. Risky reload is too good. Is it really? I can't see a scenario where you'd use it more than once every other turn at most. If you break it down, it will either save you an action or you will break even with clearing the jam if you fail. It's always a good bet to use when you can. You could also invest in gunner's bandoliers to swap to a new gun if one jams so you will always save that action as long as you have a loaded gun in your bandoliers. Removing reload actions does wonders for your efficiency.
aobst128 wrote: Bigdaddyjug wrote: aobst128 wrote: Probably gunslinger actually. Risky reload is too good. Is it really? I can't see a scenario where you'd use it more than once every other turn at most. If you break it down, it will either save you an action or you will break even with clearing the jam if you fail. It's always a good bet to use when you can. You could also invest in gunner's bandoliers to swap to a new gun if one jams so you will always save that action as long as you have a loaded gun in your bandoliers. Removing reload actions does wonders for your efficiency. Eh I don't see it.
Bigdaddyjug wrote: aobst128 wrote: Bigdaddyjug wrote: aobst128 wrote: Probably gunslinger actually. Risky reload is too good. Is it really? I can't see a scenario where you'd use it more than once every other turn at most. If you break it down, it will either save you an action or you will break even with clearing the jam if you fail. It's always a good bet to use when you can. You could also invest in gunner's bandoliers to swap to a new gun if one jams so you will always save that action as long as you have a loaded gun in your bandoliers. Removing reload actions does wonders for your efficiency. Eh I don't see it. You understand how reload works I assume. Risky reload saves you the action needed. If you fail the attack roll, you need to pay the action back by clearing the jam. You break even. You see? Bandoliers save you from paying the action back, making it even better.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Implement's empowerment damage is "additional" in the same way that splash damage is: both are added to the primary damage instance of the weapon. Implement's empowerment damage doesn't get separately added to both anymore than it would to both the weapon damage and rage damage.
Recent threads in Rules Discussion
|
