Brilliant Energy + Darkness and Living Equipment

[Vaern]

If a brilliant energy weapon's ability to ignore armor is due to the fact that it is composed of magical light, would this ability still function in an area of darkness strong enough to suppress that light?

Also, the weapon is able to ignore armor because the blade passes through non-living materials. If the armor was made from a living material, does it still grant its regular bonuses against a brilliant energy weapon?
For example, bondleaf wrap from the Arms and Equipment Guide is made of a leaf from a magical tree which grows into a character, drawing nutrients its host while acting as armor. The beetle buckler, from the same book, is a living scarab which latches onto the arm and acts as a shield. Since both of these pieces of equipment can be considered alive, would they function normally against a brilliant energy weapon?

[Necroticplague]

If a brilliant energy weapon's ability to ignore armor is due to the fact that it is composed of magical light, would this ability still function in an area of darkness strong enough to suppress that light? Yes, because it says nothing about being snuffed out or in any way prevented from working in areas of darkness.


Also, the weapon is able to ignore armor because the blade passes through non-living materials. If the armor was made from a living material, does it still grant its regular bonuses against a brilliant energy weapon? No, because the two relevant clauses are separate from each other. the fact that "Armor and shield bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor." is entirely seperate from the "a brilliant energy weapon ignored nonliving matter" clause.



For example, bondleaf wrap from the Arms and Equipment Guide is made of a leaf from a magical tree which grows into a character, drawing nutrients its host while acting as armor. The beetle buckler, from the same book, is a living scarab which latches onto the arm and acts as a shield. Since both of these pieces of equipment can be considered alive, would they function normally against a brilliant energy weapon?

Nope, see above. They're still armor and shields, so RAW, they don't provide their boni against a brilliant energy weapon.