Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rykler 08-01-07, 02:19 PM	So, If a weapon has the magical bonus of brilliant energy, is it possible to sheathe? Also, if you cannot sheathe it, how does the weapon not hurt you when it is stowed away?
Kouk 08-01-07, 02:41 PM	It's not important hehe, just sheathe it. If you really want to get complex, you can have a sheathe that sort of straps over the flat of the blade, and extends the length so you don't cut yourself. Or, to be more risky, just use a loop of leather and carefully thread the sword through. The leather will stop the hilt from going further, but the blade is kind of dangling. Otherwise it automatically comes with a complimentary "Brilliant-energy" sheath, or a sheath that is alive (or undead).
tarkin 08-01-07, 02:45 PM	You are making a bad assumption. A brilliant sword does NOT look like a a jedi light saber. It is NOT a handle with a light thingy attached to it. Only the 'working part' is transformed into light. The working part is not the entire blade, it is the tip of a piercing blade and the edge of a slashing blade. A reasonable interpretation is probably about 1/3 the blade, with even a strip of solid metal going up the center till almost the end if it is a slashing weapon. A GENEROUS interpretion has 2/3 of the blade being brilliant, with a strip of metal down the middle center. Under no reasonable interpreation will there not be at least a solid couple of inches to hold the weapon into the sheath.
Pentar 08-01-07, 02:54 PM	Of course, if you want to be really cinematic, you could make it look/act like a lightsabre... including the ability to dismiss the blade as well. Same way you can activate or deactivate energy-effects on weapons as a free action. BBBVVZZRROMMMM!!
lukelightning 08-01-07, 02:57 PM	You can sunder brilliant energy weapons, and brilliant energy weapons do not pass through cover, so they have to have substantial amounts of regular matter in them.
Kouk 08-01-07, 03:04 PM	You are making a bad assumption. A brilliant sword does NOT look like a a jedi light saber. It is NOT a handle with a light thingy attached to it. Only the 'working part' is transformed into light. The working part is not the entire blade, it is the tip of a piercing blade and the edge of a slashing blade. A reasonable interpretation is probably about 1/3 the blade, with even a strip of solid metal going up the center till almost the end if it is a slashing weapon. A GENEROUS interpretion has 2/3 of the blade being brilliant, with a strip of metal down the middle center. Under no reasonable interpreation will there not be at least a solid couple of inches to hold the weapon into the sheath. Me? I'm aware it is only the edge of the blade. Perhaps I am making a poor assumption about how sheathes work, but doesn't the sword edge touch the walls of it a bit, depending on if you put weight on the pommel or just move around? That would cut it up. If you have a long enough "non sharp" part to the blade, right above the hilt, I guess you could make a sheath that just holds onto that part and doesn't allow any "wiggling". It would have to be a very solid sheath. If you want to go through several normal ones, that's fine by me.
Rykler 08-01-07, 03:47 PM	ok so most of blade is metal and the edge is brilliant energy...so only so much of the blade could bypass the armor. Therefore, it would almost be safe to say that over 2/3 to all of the dagger blade would be cover in brilliant energy due to its sheer size...right?
Platstud 08-01-07, 04:06 PM	I think the best answer(if you feel you truly need one) would be that the brilliant energy "turns off" when the weapon is sheathed.
Gilfalas_Elaandrin 08-01-07, 04:31 PM	A) Part of a brilliant energy weapon is matter. B) People making sheathes for magic weapons in a world where magic is the basis of all for eons are used to it. C) The person who makes the sheathe makes it so that it is bigger than the total energy effect of the weapon (much like a normal sheath is bigger than the weapon inside it) and puts mounting frames inside it so that the top middle and bottom parts of the weapon fit snugly and the weapon does not 'slosh around' in the sheath. OR It is freaking magic and the brilliant energy only works when swung in battle at an enemy to harm him/her/it/whatthehellisthat. The rest of the time it is pretty sparklies and maybe warm and sharp but if handled carefully (like any other weapon) works just fine for all other purposes. Since the BE description never mentions any special handling instructions none are required. Or at worst you can assume it works similar to elemental effect weapons where you can turn on and off BE as needed.
mvincent 08-01-07, 04:38 PM	You are making a bad assumption. A brilliant sword does NOT look like a a jedi light saber. It is NOT a handle with a light thingy attached to it. Only the 'working part' is transformed into light. The working part is not the entire blade, it is the tip of a piercing blade and the edge of a slashing blade.That is your interpretation, but every picture published by TSR/WotC of a brilliant energy weapon has had the entire blade looking brilliant. Gilfalas' response looks suitable though.
ShinAkuma2 08-01-07, 04:51 PM	It might look Brilliant, but that doesn't mean the entire blade acts as the Brilliant enhancement.
Pentar 08-01-07, 04:56 PM	OMG PEOPLE It is a +4 enhancement to a weapon. It is expensive. It is supposed to be worthwhile. One imagines that the craftsmen creating these weapons would ensure that their design would not lop off the legs of their clients! Can we just assume that you can either turn them off and thus hang a "stick" or a "hilt" at your belt, and activate it onyl when called upon? Or perhaps the actual weapon is real when the brilliant energy is turned off (like a normal looking sword or axe) and it transmutes into energy when the effect is activated? Is this so hard to imagine?!?
Rykler 08-01-07, 05:01 PM	No need to be so flustered Pentar... I was just wondering, its not like my entire campaign is at a standstill because I am hung up on the thought of how does my brilliant energy sword not hurt me when sheathed. I was just wondering if there was some specific way it was sheathed or if it acted like a lightsabre. Thanks for all the posts guys and gals
mvincent 08-01-07, 05:37 PM	It might look Brilliant, but that doesn't mean the entire blade acts as the Brilliant enhancement.That's still an interpretation, but even that concession is enough to refute tarkin's statement of "A brilliant sword does NOT look like a jedi light saber".
ShinAkuma2 08-01-07, 09:11 PM	That's still an interpretation, but even that concession is enough to refute tarkin's statement of "A brilliant sword does NOT look like a jedi light saber". This would be valid if art were rules text.
mvincent 08-01-07, 11:22 PM	This would be valid if art were rules text.What do you think the original authors had in mind: 1) The blade portion being composed entirely of brilliant energy (and weren't really concerned about trivial matters like what type of sheath would be required). Or 2) Only part of the blade portion being composed of brilliant energy (as tarkin described)? I'd be willing to wage geek points on the former. You? Tell you what, if we ask them and you turn out to be correct, I will profess your greatness in this forum... if you agree to the same. Deal?
unfortunate_crow 08-01-07, 11:54 PM	I imagine a solid blade that "ignites" into brilliant energy as it is removed from the sheath.
runestar 08-01-07, 11:59 PM	Does it really matter? The purpose of the brilliant property was simply to let you ignore a foe's armour and shield bonuses. Misc issues, like sheathing, should be worked out with your DM. At the end of the day, it should not interfere with how your PC is run. For example, he should not have to worry about his manhood being cut off every 5 seconds or something.:P