(no subject)

[kingandy]

Last night's D&D: Fun.  Though I was quite drunk.  Lizardmen almost murdered my doggy, which means I've used my Rage for the day.  myki ruled in his new role as ORBITAL DEATH CANNON.  Then he set off disarmed loads of traps (in the army camp that he'd just detonated) using some sort of flaming sphere, which just rolled over them casually, and they were all EL9-10 traps, which meant the whole pary gained about 7000XP.  Huzzah!

Hmm ... looking through the SRD for the bit about activating a frost sword taking a Move action.  Here's the part that seems relevant:

Activation: Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by 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).

Cock.  I was rather hoping there had been some confusion between "activating a magic item" (ie, a scroll or wand) and "turning on your lightsaber".  I can't see that shouting a word is equivalent to an attack, after all you're allowed to talk to other people as a free action.  Maybe "uttering a command word" is a more involved process that involves posing while the coruscating energies sweep across you.  THUNDERCATS - HO!  BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!  etc.

Interested by this bit under Icy Burst:  "Even if the frost ability is not active, the weapon still deals its extra cold damage on a successful critical hit."  Think we missed that... so, mixed blessings then.  Now, must get that Keen in there too and we're sorted.

Comments

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

Aye. Mind you, errata points out that you and your equipment are immune to the energy damage from an energy weapon, so you can in theory activate it and leave it activated. However, I'm a bit dubious about this rule. At the very least, I make sure that active energy weapons are unsubtle and tend to attract attention - it's fair enough given that the extra damage soon mounts up and gets round DR and that.

I always envision the activation as a dramatic "power of Grayskull" style thing that takes a bit of posing and effort, but there you go.

Icy Burst weapons are ace, simply because of the aforementioned "extra damage on critical" stuff, especially when put on scythes (x4 critical is 3d10 extra energy damage, plus 8d4 weapon damage plus at least another +4 for the enhancement bonus, plus six times strength modifier at the very least). Works on picks as well.

The keen edge spell works just as well as the keen ability, if you can get access to it somehow from a friendly arcane spellcaster. Mind you the Improved Critical feat is worth a look as well, if only so it stops you becoming utterly reliant on a single uber-weapon. If you're not evil, then "holy" is quite a useful ability to have in a weapon (+2 to hit, +2d6 extra damage against evil), much more so than bane is.

Mind you, I ran with a guy with a keen icy burst bastard sword once and it was shocking how the damage mounted up.

I dunno if you're aware, but the extra energy from a burst weapon affects creatures immune to critical hits as well - you roll to confirm, but only for purposes of activating the bonus damage (even against constructs, plants and undead).

Sad

[arwel.livejournal.com]

"If you're not evil, then "holy" is quite a useful ability to have in a weapon (+2 to hit, +2d6 extra damage against evil), much more so than bane is."

It doesn't give you a +2 to hit like a bane weapon, though it does count as good for the purpose of DR.

Re: Sad

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

Mea culpa. That'll be a change from 3 to 3.5 to take into account the changes to the way DR is worked out. I'll have to remember that. Should I be using any unholy weapons against the Jellspammer muppets tonight.

[kingandy]

Improved Critical does sound like a plan with no flaws, however Nook has said the campaign may be drawing to a close soon so it seems unlikely that Woodrun will reach level 15. (He's 13 now.) That said, I could take a level of Fighter for the bonus feat and suffer the XP penalty for multiclassing too far apart, which wouldn't matter if I wasn't going to level anyway ... but that is metagaming and I'd rather be a barbarian anyway.

As far as the extra damage not harming you - I too am dubious, particularly when it comes to putting the sword away in its sheath (even though it's still notionally yours, does the sword know that? You're not actively wielding it or even holding the handle...).

I am pleased to know that about the Icy Burst damage, since we will likely be going up against the Dracolich again soon ... though I'm not keen to take it on in single combat. Hmm - what are the rules for a Halfling climbing up a dragon's tail and sitting on its back? Can they attack you there? I suspect so, since they have such very long and flexible necks, but it's perhaps worth thinking about.

[rich-bull.livejournal.com]

Aren't undead immune to cold damage?

[kingandy]

If so, it's not immediately obvious in the SRD.

Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—No Constitution score.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
—Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
—Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
—Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
—Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
—Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
—Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
—Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

[kingandy]

Ah, Liches on the other hand, they're immune to cold. Which means Dracoliches probably are too. Oh well. :)

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

And skeletons.

[kingandy]

I'm sure they are. I didn't look them up, only the standard "Undead" features and Liches specifically. Dracoliches aren't in the SRD, they're probably specific to FR and thus not covered by the OGL...

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

Meh. Small people standing on large people isn't really covered by rules so I use the old "case by case" to resolve it. However, as long as the Dragon is at least Huge size (if I remember the rule correctly) you can occupy it's space freely, but I think you provoke AOO for moving into the area.