A few questions about Brilliant Energy

[UltimaGabe]

A brilliant energy weapon has its significant portion- such as its blade, axe head, or arrowhead- transformed into light, although this ability does not modify the item's weight. It always gives off light as a torch (20-foot radius). A brilliant energy weapon ignores nonliving matter. Armor bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor. (Dexterity, deflection, dodge, natural armor, and other such bonuses still apply.) A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm undead, constructs, and objects. This property can only be applied to melee weapons, thrown weapons, and ammunition.
Strong Transmutation; CL 16th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, gaseous form, continual flame; Price +4 bonus.

I've got a few questions regarding the Brilliant Energy ability in the DMG.

1. Can a Brilliant Energy weapon be turned off? Meaning, can you choose to have the weapon revert back to its non-Brilliant and non-Energy self, foregoing the ability to negate armor bonuses and other nonliving matter? Let's say you're playing a Paladin with a +3 Dragonbane Holy Brilliant Energy Longsword, and you've spent the last couple adventures hunting down and killing evil dragons. Then, at one point in your adventuring, the Fighter clumsily sets off a trap that summons a bunch of undead soldiers. Or a Rast, immediately prior to being Disintegrated by the party's Sorcerer, animates several chairs and they attack. Or the party encounters a couple incorporeal outsiders. Or something like that. Is the Paladin's UberWeapon utterly useless against these foes? Can he turn it off and attack them normally, or does he have to sit out and tell his friends, "Sorry, I can't join in because of this 128,000 gp I spent on my weapon a couple levels ago"? Because if it's a one-time decision, that could be more of a drawback than a bonus in many cases- and considering it's got such a hefty cost, you'd think there'd be some way to keep it from screwing the group over in addition to eating up all your money.

For balance purposes I'd rule that it could be turned off, but there's no such statement in its description. Even the Merciful special ability (+1d6 points of damage, all damage is subdual) can be turned off so it isn't useless against undead and constructs, and that only costs a +1 bonus. Any official rules?

2. Brilliant Energy weapons ignore nonliving matter, and thus armor (and shields, I'm assuming) don't apply to the target's AC. Although this can be quite useful in some situations (such as against a Fighter in Platemail and a Heavy Steel Shield), in other situations it wouldn't be so useful (a rogue in Leather Armor) and in lots of situations it wouldn't provide any bonus at all (a monk, or, more importantly, any creature that isn't humanoid and wearing armor). Against a Dragon it wouldn't provide any bonus. Against a Lycanthrope it wouldn't provide any bonus. One could even rule that against a Druid in Wildshape with Wild armor it wouldn't provide any bonus. Against a Fighter in Full Plate, it's amazing, but that's quite a limited factor for something to take effect. I understand that other enhancements are limited by their situational uses (Alignment-based weapons, and anything with a Bane ability) but those are +2 and +1 bonuses, respectively. Brilliant Energy is a +4 bonus, and isn't useful at all against the majority of the monsters in the Monster Manual (and against some, such as undead, it's useless).

I'm not particularly sure that I think it's worth a +4 bonus the way it is. Would it be too unbalanced to allow a Brilliant Energy weapon to bypass Natural Armor as well? After all, I've heard it argued that natural armor isn't any more alive than plate mail (since scales and whatnot are long-dead hardened skin cells or chitin) and thus the description of the Brilliant Energy ability isn't completely scientifically accurate. Allowing it to bypass natural armor would simplify things (it's easier to ask for someone's Touch AC than to ask for their AC without Armor or enhancements but plus their Natural Armor) and it would make it useful in more situations. Since I don't see many people (or anyone, for that matter) rushing to grab Brilliant Energy weapons as it is, I'm sure the +4 bonus will still deter many people from getting it, even if it IS just a touch attack. Thoughts?

3. Does a Brilliant Energy weapon bypass Mage Armor or Bracers of Armor? They both provide an Armor Bonus, but neither is nonliving matter (considering it's armor made of pure magical force). If a Brilliant Energy weapon can bypass Mage Armor or Bracers of Armor, can it bypass a Wall of Force?

4. The description of the Brilliant Energy ability states that it can only be placed on melee weapons, thrown weapons, and ammunition. The notable point is that you have to place it on your arrows, not your bow. While this makes sense, is it necessary? After all, the Flaming ability can be placed on a bow, and it grants the Flaming ability to its ammunition. Why can't this be the same way? Is there something unbalanced about the bow turning its arrows to energy, rather than the arrows needing to be energy to begin with? As it is, it's fine and dandy to make a melee weapon into a Brilliant Energy melee weapon, I don't think anyone in their right mind would make Brilliant Energy arrows or other Brilliant Energy ammunition. As it is, the cheapest you could make is 50 +1 Brilliant Energy arrows, costing 50,000 gp. That's right. 1,000 gp per shot, just to have your arrows bypass physical armor and shields. Would it be too unbalancing to allow someone to make a Brilliant Energy Crossbow, which bestows the Brilliant Energy property onto its Bolts? Considering it's a +4 bonus, I'd expect it to be in keeping with all of the other similar abilities.

Any information (official rulings, ad-hoc rulings made by actual DMs, or even educated suggestions) would be most appreciated.

 

[Epametheus]

Brilliant Energy is a pretty crappy enchantment, but it seems designed to bypass all shield and armor bonuses. So it should work against mage armor, shield, and bracers of armor.

It can be worth +21 to hit or more against sword-and-board fighters, but it's vastly less effective against most other characters. Brilliant Energy is better for a BBEG weapon than for a PC weapon, I suspect. Or arena matches; can't forget those.

My impression from the text is that it's a permanent change to the weapon, not an ability that's turned on and off.

 

[RuminDange]

I'll give a few IMO answers since I don't recall any official rulings or clarifications.

1: I think this is one of those up to the DM things. I have run Brilliant Energy two ways depending on what I wanted the weapon theme to be. One the weapon has no blade until grasped. Since the significant portion is transformed into light. However; I have also have 2-bladed sword designed in my world that is brilliant energy, but still possess the blades in the light, therefore the weapon works against all opponents, as it should. The reason for this is the sword is actually versatile (as in Arms and Equipment before that book came out). That is the two-bladed sword is actually two shortswords that can be used separately as highly enchanted swords but no brilliant energy. When you combine them together to create the two-bladed sword with a third piece they gain the brilliant energy quality but maintain the physical blade as well and takes the best of the effect when fighting something. So I would say it depends on how you or the DM wants to run it. I would say it can be turned off.

2: I think the 3.0 version ignored natural armor, and that is version I still use. I think it makes it worth the +4, if it has to go against natural armor then I would make it +2 or +3 at most.

3: No it cannot bypass a wall of force or any other force effect, therefore mage armor and bracers of armor protect the wearer from brilliant energy.

4:I would allow brilliant energy to be placed on a bow or crossbow and bestow the effect on the ammunition. But I also would allow ammunition to be made with that enchantment as well if someone wants to do that. I think the problem most people have with bows/crossbows becoming brilliant energy is the way the effect is worded about the significant portion becoming light. Again I think this is DM call on how they want it run in the game.

All in IMHO of course and YMMV.


RD

 

[Felix]

1) No, it does not come with a light-switch.

2) Meh, allowing it to pass through Natural Armor wouldn't break it... it is worth a bloody +4 after all.

3) Well, it ignores non-living matter, but then [Force] effects arn't matter. I'd say that Mage Armor, Bracers of Armor, and Walls of Force work just fine vs Brilliant Energy.

4) Again, the rules say no, but I don't see it breaking anything too badly.

 

[sledged]

1) Dispel Magic, Antimagic Field, and possibly Break Enchantment might suppress the Brilliant Energy ability, but other than those or similar means, no, it can't be turned off. Weapon abilities that can be turned off are explicitly stated in their descriptions.

2 & 3) It seems you can't go buy the "ignores living matter" part of it's description, because shield bonuses still apply, and as you said many forms of natural armor are made up of dead cells. To keep thing simple, I'd just go by the "Armor bonuses do not count against it" and leave it at that. So no passing through force effects except those that provide an armor bonus to AC. If that's too simple, you can house rule a couple of other bonus types, as well (i.e. shield and natural armor). Change it all together if you feel like it. Perhaps make it so that it ignores inorganic matter. Then you can attack undead with it, but wooden shields and leather/hide armor would still apply.

4) Perhaps they did indeed think it was unbalencing. I wouldn't put up an argument if my DM house-ruled it otherwise, though.

Here's another brilliant energy question: If it ignore nonliving matter, does nonliving matter ignore it? Can it be sundered by manufactured weapons?

 

[UltimaGabe]

Here's another brilliant energy question: If it ignore nonliving matter, does nonliving matter ignore it? Can it be sundered by manufactured weapons?

Wow. That's a REALLY good question.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, guys, and keep the info comin'.

In case you're wondering why I asked, I'm currently playing a 6th-level Human Artificer in an Eberron campaign at the moment. A few months ago (back when I was level 2 or 3 or something) I found a recent Dragon magazine with the stats on Firearms- and I thought they were awesome. I really liked the idea of Firearms- except, not just firearms that are mass-produced and everyone's got one and they can be found everywhere and blah blah blah. I've played a few video games- namely, Wild Arms, Final Fantasy Tactics, and a couple others- where Firearms existed, but they were ancient, long-lost, and mysterious technology that only a few people knew about. I didn't want a Firearm in D&D just so I could have a powerful weapon- the damage and such, although important, wasn't my main concern. I wanted a Firearm so that my character (being a tinkerer and a builder) could have some piece of strange, ancient technology that people have only heard legends about. I talked it over with my DM, told him I'd gladly spend a couple feats on it, and he decided to let me have one eventually. A few levels later, on an expedition to Xen'drik, my character found this odd device in the possession of this old Sahuagin Druid who undoubtedly looted it off someone else, and I began to learn how to use it.

Anyway, I remember in Final Fantasy Tactics, one of the characters owns a gun when you first meet him. He mentions that he found it in the ruins under his city, and he's head legends of them from ages ago- legends of magical guns that fired spells rather than bullets, and so on. Going by this idea, I wanted to eventually make my pistol into one of those "spell-firing guns"- which, in the game, when found, used the Fire1/2/3, Ice1/2/3, or Bolt1/2/3 spells when used- and in order to make a more concretely-based "spell-shooter", I had the idea to just make a gun that just fired Brilliant Energy bullets rather than normal bullets. I figured I could just make the gun Brilliant Energy to bestow the property upon its ammunition, but according to the description, that isn't possible. Even then, the more I read it, the less I liked it- it simply didn't seem worth a +4 bonus at all. So, I figured I'd ask.

 

[Scion]

Brilliant energy does seem very weak for its enhancement equivalent. Last time I brought up changing it to ignore natural armor as well my head was practically bitten off by people whose campaigns apparently only have humanoids in full plate as the effective combatants at higher levels..

Paying +4 to ignore a few points of ac but being unable to effect a large list of creatures just doesnt seem like a good trade. Which would someone rather have? +1, brilliant energy or +5? The +5 is just plain better in so many situations it isnt even funny. Going to the other extreme +6 of various things and brilliant vs +10 of various things I would still not take the brilliant energy..

In this way it is a lot like dancing. There are situations where it is useful, but they are so few and far between it just isnt worth the price tag associated with it.

but for your specific problem having a brilliant energy weapon that only fires brilliant energy rounds sounds very interesting.. working with the dm to come up with a price that is actually workable seems to be the way to go.

Also, take a look at spell storing, as that seems to be right up the alley here.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Brilliant energy does seem very weak for its enhancement equivalent. Last time I brought up changing it to ignore natural armor as well my head was practically bitten off by people whose campaigns apparently only have humanoids in full plate as the effective combatants at higher levels..

Paying +4 to ignore a few points of ac but being unable to effect a large list of creatures just doesnt seem like a good trade. Which would someone rather have? +1, brilliant energy or +5? The +5 is just plain better in so many situations it isnt even funny. Going to the other extreme +6 of various things and brilliant vs +10 of various things I would still not take the brilliant energy..

In this way it is a lot like dancing. There are situations where it is useful, but they are so few and far between it just isnt worth the price tag associated with it.

but for your specific problem having a brilliant energy weapon that only fires brilliant energy rounds sounds very interesting.. working with the dm to come up with a price that is actually workable seems to be the way to go.

Also, take a look at spell storing, as that seems to be right up the alley here.

I know exactly what you mean. I posted this on the WotC boards, and boy do I wish I didn't. It seems like 80% of the people there either encounter fighters with +5 Fullplate and a +5 Tower Shield or place said NPCs into their adventures on regular occasions, because the majorty of the people that have replied so far all agree that "the results are staggering". One personally actually said, "its many drawbacks are the reason it's so cheap".

Anyway, I'll definitely talk it over with my DM as soon as I can. Thanks.

I'm so glad that the people here are such decent, thought-oriented people who don't enounter fighters with +5 Fullplate and +5 Tower Shields every day. Cuz otherwise, I'd be screwed.

 

[Scion]

Good thing none of those decked out fighter types are undead.. or polymorphed into something that is immune to its effects.. or who knows what else

Because we all know that high level threats dont take precautions against such things.

The biggest complaint I saw against my proposed change was that it would make dragons easier to hit. But then, considering their skewed CR most of the time, wouldnt that be a 'benefit' of the change?

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't think anyone in their right mind would make Brilliant Energy arrows or other Brilliant Energy ammunition.

I can actually see it being quite cool in combination with a Ring of X-Ray Vision. It would work with brilliant energy shuriken, but it would work even better with brilliant energy bullets in a Modern campaign.

Approach the building. Look through the wall. See someone you don't like? Shoot them.

If you could get the Ring to work at long range, instead of 20 feet, it would be fantastic for a police sniper. None of this waiting for the target to conveniently stand in front of a window. Just shoot him through the solid concrete wall.

-Hyp.