Stacking Flaming and Shocking?

[Xarlen]

The full attack action is always a full round action in 3rd edition, and it also allows a 5-foot step. Haste only grants a partial action. You can perform anything in a partial action that you can normally perform in a standard action. The difference between the partial action and the standard action is that a standard action and a move or move-equivalent action can be performed in the same round. However, a partial action only, and usually, allows a 5-foot step as well.

For example, two of the times that partial actions come into play are 1) when you are hasted, you get an additional partial action per round, and 2) when you are slowed, you are restricted to one partial action per round. These are not the only two situations in which you will see this happen, but they're probably the most common.

You do actually play 3rd edition, right? Just pokin'. Hope that helps though.

Okay. If Slow allows you to take only one partial action, which is either Move or Attack, cast a spell, whatever, then why is it that Haste doesn't allow you to take an extra step? I know that people houserule that it *does*, but according to the Sage and Rules, it doesn't.

So when you use all of your BAB attacks, it's a FRA, but if you use a single attack, it's just a partial action. So, basicly, 5th level, a fighter's attack is a partial, since he only recieves One attack. But when he reaches 6th, using all of his attacks is a FRA.

Right?

I feel a little dumb, overlooking something this easy. :/

 

[Gromm]

Okay. If Slow allows you to take only one partial action, which is either Move or Attack, cast a spell, whatever, then why is it that Haste doesn't allow you to take an extra step? I know that people houserule that it *does*, but according to the Sage and Rules, it doesn't.

So when you use all of your BAB attacks, it's a FRA, but if you use a single attack, it's just a partial action. So, basicly, 5th level, a fighter's attack is a partial, since he only recieves One attack. But when he reaches 6th, using all of his attacks is a FRA.

Right?

I feel a little dumb, overlooking something this easy. :/

Haste doesn't allow an extra step because you only get a single 5' step per round, and then only if you don't move at all otherwise. Once you took the 2nd 5' step, you've moved 10'. Its not a step anymore if you will.

As far as the FRA/Partial. You can take a full round action to attack at lower than 6th level as a fighter, odds are you wont get much out of it though, so its almost never done in practice (unless your a two weapon fighter). Once you get to 6th level and get +6/+1 you can either take a FRA and get all of your attacks, or you can use a partial to get a single attack at +6.

The requirements don't change. If you have mutliple attacks, whether from extra limbs, claw/bite routines, or two weapons, the only way you get all of your attacks is with a FRA, no matter what the level. For a low level fighter with a single attack available it just seems like theres no difference.

 

[Xarlen]

Gotcha.

 

[0-hr]

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid this fate. If a characters clothes
or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out

Something that is "on fire" takes d6 damage per round.

Wood has a hardness of 5 and, being suceptible to fire, takes a full d6 per round when burning (DM discretion here). So ,by the rules, a wooden thing on fire will take a point of damage roughly ever 6th round.

Iron, on the other hand, has a hardness of 10, and is not suceptible to fire. It will not burn and will not (barrig house rules) ever be damaged by the fires of a flaming weapon.

One possible way to twist the written rules would be to note the following and try to apply something similar to the sheath situation:

Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into the crater of an active volcano), which deals 20d6 points of damage per round.

Maybe someone or somthing "totally immersed in" (or tightly containing) an elemental effect should take 10 times damage? I guess that is what I would go with to handle the sheath thing.

 

[Marshall]

Sure they should, as command word activated items use a standard action,

Nope.

A. Weapons are not command word activated

B. Sure it says they must be 'activated', but the that activation could be a free action, a standard action, a full-round action or MOST LIKELY 'not-an-action' Since the description states zip about what it is, its not Rule 0 for a DM to assign what he feels it should be.

If you should decide to make it more than a not-an or free action, you are needlessly penalizing your players for what is really a weak enhancement.

 

[knight_isa]

Of course, if you're going to be snippy and cheap and not buy one, then why not do this: Know you're going to get into a fight soon? Have your cleric or wizard cast Resist Elements or Endure Elements on your scabbard for as many energy types as you need, then turn it on, and there. Now, do that every day.

That'd be great, except the target for Endure/Resist Elements is creature touched. Now if you had a living scabbard...

 

[knight_isa]

Nope.

A. Weapons are not command word activated

B. Sure it says they must be 'activated', but the that activation could be a free action, a standard action, a full-round action or MOST LIKELY 'not-an-action' Since the description states zip about what it is, its not Rule 0 for a DM to assign what he feels it should be.

If you should decide to make it more than a not-an or free action, you are needlessly penalizing your players for what is really a weak enhancement.

From the SRD:

Activation

If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).


Flaming

Upon command, a flaming weapon is sheathed in fire.

 

[kreynolds]

Nope.

Nope to your nope.

A. Weapons are not command word activated

This is true. I should have merely stated that they are activated "upon commmand", exactly like the weapon enhancements state. Activating a magic item is a standard action unless stated otherwise, and the rules state this, as knight_isa already pointed out.

B. Sure it says they must be 'activated', but the that activation could be a free action

No.

a standard action

Yes.

a full-round action

No.

or MOST LIKELY 'not-an-action'

No.

Since the description states zip about what it is

The description does state what it is. It states that it functions upon command. Activating a weapon is a standard action.

its not Rule 0 for a DM to assign what he feels it should be.

Yes it is. Rule 0 isn't necessarily wrong, but it's still Rule 0.

If you should decide to make it more than a not-an or free action, you are needlessly penalizing your players for what is really a weak enhancement.

Really? +1d6 to +4d6 points of elemental damage every single hit isn't that weak in my book. It's not strong, but it ain't weak either. Whether or not I'm "needlessly penalizing my players" is a matter of opinion, of which I don't share your opinion. Besides, you don't play in my games, so don't worry about it.

The rules are clear. To use the flaming, or shocking, etc, weapon ehancements, they must be activated, which requires a standard action. Makes sense.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

If you should decide to make it more than a not-an or free action, you are needlessly penalizing your players for what is really a weak enhancement.

Let's see here. For the same price you can choose either (1)another +1 to hit and +1 damage, or (2) +d6 damage (average 3.5).

For most grunts #2 is a much better choice; they hit most of the time anyway.

The story is complicated by DR and weapon breakage in favor of the standard +1 bonus. OTOH higher level characters can easily use GMW on top of a multiple elemental damaging sword.

As far as the "there are no rules for frying/damaging scabbards" argument, there are no rules for handling lanterns foolishly either. But everyone knows that you can burn your fingers or your tent if you are reckless.

 

[Marshall]

From the SRD:

Activation

If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).

Left out of the SRD is the reference to the Sunblade that goes with this quote. There is a huge difference between a flaming enhancement and a special ability like the sunblade or various intelligent swords or Holy Avengers or ...

Oh and if it is command word activation, how do you handle Burst weapons? Do they get their bonus damage if you havent activated the base enhancement? It doesnt say anything about activating any Burst weapons or a Thundering weapon.

What about bows? Do they need to be activated? Do they ever need to be de-activated? For that matter, If its a standard action to activate Flaming it will take a looooonnnnnggggg time to go thru those +1 Flaming Arrows. Heck one arrow every two rounds make the Bow of True Strike almost look good.

Nope that "Upon command" is there just so those nitpicky DMs cant go thru all the above crap about how to store your energy weapon.