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Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:15 am
by Shurijo
Do Flame Burst/Flaming items produce normal fire effects?
Or are the fires magical and not work as usual flames?

Does it produce heat? Could you keep warm by it?
Does it produce light? Could you use it as a torch?
Does it produce flames that could catch something else on fire?

This question could also be asked about Shock/Shocking Burst items, etc.

The DMG section on magical effects doesn't go into these details, so would this be per DM?

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:05 am
by TetNak
Good question for Var, as Shamad has a Flaming Tulwar..

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:28 pm
by Bitom
I would say no, yes, and yes.

It does produce heat, but I wouldn't say you could keep warm by it in the winter... or you could, bt you'd look pretty silly standing theer with your sword. Most of the flaming weapons I've read about go out when you let them go. And it would be hard to have a team of adventurers huddling around a drawn sword for warmpth.

The other two are just replacing really minor non-magical items (Torches and flint+steel) so why the hell not?

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:30 pm
by Vardaen
They most certainly produce light and there are rules for light given by a weapon (any magical weapon has a chance to produce light). It would work as a torch at the minium I would think.

The weilder of the weapon doesn't take dmg from the weapon, so he doesn't suffer from the heat/fire of it, so I would say no, you can't use it to stay warm.

However if it sets people on fire, it can start your campfire.

That my take on it.

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:01 pm
by Trogdor
Vardaen wrote:However if it sets people on fire, it can start your campfire.
How can you argue with logic like that?

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:43 pm
by od
Well technically it doesn't set people on fire. Things that set people on fire actually burn over multiple rounds until you spend a move action extinguishing it. A fire elementals burn is a good example.

It should be able to ignite easily combustible items (straw, cloth, etc.) like flameblade...the lowest level spell that can be used to bestow the fiery enchantment. Fiery weapons should not be lighting logs on fire though.

Also, for light, I never realyl see them as putting off much light...maybe as much as a butane torch, which in the dark is nothing special.

Heat wise, yes...but again, like a butane torch, very concentrated but nothing significant enough to keep you warm.

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:54 pm
by Trogdor
I'd argue that doing a certain amount of fire damage to things sets them on fire. For tinder, it's probably just one point. For a log - a lot more. So a flaming weapon that does 1d6 fire damage would always set tinder in fire, but would likely never set a log on fire.

In the end, as Bitom said, it's taking the place of flint and steel (which won't be setting any logs on fire either).

I'm a big fan of giving magic items very minor useful abilities just to give them flavor. It makes the world richer and gives the items character, rather than making them just a pile of combat statistics.

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:05 pm
by Vardaen
As per the DMG

"Light Generation
Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can't be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions. "

I think its safe for a DM to assume the flaming weapon meets that 30%.

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:07 pm
by od
See, I assume the 30% is a flat d100 roll for all magic weapons, since that is part of the random item generation section.

Specific weapons referring to the specific entries like luck blade, holy avenger, etc.

Re: Equipment: Flaming items

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:14 pm
by Vardaen
Really it comes down to DM preference, but you can assume in my games if you weapon is a burning 3 length of steal that can burn through flesh, that it gives off light.

However I could see a Black Flame that gives off no light, etc. Really all up to the flavor of the setting I guess.