Brilliant Energy weapons [Archive] - Wizards Community

Brilliant Energy weapons [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ChrisGN1
04-21-05, 03:12 PM Can brilliant energy be turned on and off? With flaming weapons it says you have to speak a special command word to turn it on, but it doesn't say that for brilliant energy. Does that mean if you have a brilliant energy your screwed if you run into a single undead creature?
Elessara
04-21-05, 03:17 PM Yes, you are screwed if you run into an undead creature - or a construct for that matter.

Brilliant energy means that the metal part of the weapon ... i.e. blade, arrowhead, etc. has actually been turned into light. So now it is a weapon made out of light that ignores non-living matter. If you could turn it off then you wouldn't have a weapon anymore.

Ele~
Kaboth
04-21-05, 03:19 PM Can brilliant energy be turned on and off? With flaming weapons it says you have to speak a special command word to turn it on, but it doesn't say that for brilliant energy. Does that mean if you have a brilliant energy your screwed if you run into a single undead creature?

No

Yes
tarkin
04-21-05, 03:45 PM Brilliant Energy is great for:

1) People that fight using Two Weapons/a double weapon.

2) Ranged attackers (get some, not all of your arrows made brilliant for example.

3) DM's to give to undead characters in the middle of an adventure. Nice, expensive, totally useless treasure.
unusualsuspect
04-21-05, 09:34 PM The best use I can think of for a brilliant energy weapon would be for a cgaracter that did not rely on strength for the majority of its damage... yeah, you guessed it, rogues. The loss of maybe +2 or +3 damage on your attack means nothing when your attacks are up to, say, 50% more likely to hit your target. And their restriction against undead is mostly meaningless... Most of a rogue's damage against those is restricted anyway. The only problem I can see is the glow the weapon gives off... which is less important if you keep the weapon sheathed and have the Quickdraw feat.
NeueRegel
04-21-05, 10:13 PM unusualsuspect sayeth:

... which is less important if you keep the weapon sheathed and have the Quickdraw feat.

To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe

NeueRegel
smrtgmp
04-21-05, 10:34 PM As I see it, the main problem with the 3.5 brilliant energy is that it no longer bypasses natural armor. That means its really only good against those who rely on heavy armor and a shield for their protection. Depending on the campaign you are playing in, that could be a tiny minority of the foes you face.
Kaboth
04-21-05, 11:17 PM unusualsuspect sayeth:

To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe

NeueRegel

Well the entire blade is not energy just a significant portion of the blade which means there still some left of the original blade left, not just a lot of it.
Nuntius128
04-22-05, 02:27 AM To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe

NeueRegel

The answer: magic.
The answer stated more appropriately: ITS MAGIC!!!!!!!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ChrisGN1 04-21-05, 03:12 PM	Can brilliant energy be turned on and off? With flaming weapons it says you have to speak a special command word to turn it on, but it doesn't say that for brilliant energy. Does that mean if you have a brilliant energy your screwed if you run into a single undead creature?
Elessara 04-21-05, 03:17 PM	Yes, you are screwed if you run into an undead creature - or a construct for that matter. Brilliant energy means that the metal part of the weapon ... i.e. blade, arrowhead, etc. has actually been turned into light. So now it is a weapon made out of light that ignores non-living matter. If you could turn it off then you wouldn't have a weapon anymore. Ele~
Kaboth 04-21-05, 03:19 PM	Can brilliant energy be turned on and off? With flaming weapons it says you have to speak a special command word to turn it on, but it doesn't say that for brilliant energy. Does that mean if you have a brilliant energy your screwed if you run into a single undead creature? No Yes
tarkin 04-21-05, 03:45 PM	Brilliant Energy is great for: 1) People that fight using Two Weapons/a double weapon. 2) Ranged attackers (get some, not all of your arrows made brilliant for example. 3) DM's to give to undead characters in the middle of an adventure. Nice, expensive, totally useless treasure.
unusualsuspect 04-21-05, 09:34 PM	The best use I can think of for a brilliant energy weapon would be for a cgaracter that did not rely on strength for the majority of its damage... yeah, you guessed it, rogues. The loss of maybe +2 or +3 damage on your attack means nothing when your attacks are up to, say, 50% more likely to hit your target. And their restriction against undead is mostly meaningless... Most of a rogue's damage against those is restricted anyway. The only problem I can see is the glow the weapon gives off... which is less important if you keep the weapon sheathed and have the Quickdraw feat.
NeueRegel 04-21-05, 10:13 PM	unusualsuspect sayeth: ... which is less important if you keep the weapon sheathed and have the Quickdraw feat. To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe NeueRegel
smrtgmp 04-21-05, 10:34 PM	As I see it, the main problem with the 3.5 brilliant energy is that it no longer bypasses natural armor. That means its really only good against those who rely on heavy armor and a shield for their protection. Depending on the campaign you are playing in, that could be a tiny minority of the foes you face.
Kaboth 04-21-05, 11:17 PM	unusualsuspect sayeth: To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe NeueRegel Well the entire blade is not energy just a significant portion of the blade which means there still some left of the original blade left, not just a lot of it.
Nuntius128 04-22-05, 02:27 AM	To which, I've always wondered... if the blade ignores non-living material, how does it stay in it's scabbard? Ever try balancing a bladeless hilt on a stick? hehehe NeueRegel The answer: magic. The answer stated more appropriately: ITS MAGIC!!!!!!!