Explosive Runes on a weapon?

[Dancingdeath]

I was thinking about making a version that could be cast on a weapon that triggered on impact instead of being read. Or just make it an enchantment. May have to scale down the damage though and change it so it wouldn't harm the wielder as well.

[Inevitability]

I suggest riverine weaponry.

[chimaeraUndying]

I've been part of a similar discussion recently -- one of the other players in a game I'm in keeps bugging me to put explosive runes on a big pile of shurikens he's gotten ahold of, with the seeming belief that if he chucks them at an enemy, they'll look at the shuriken, causing the runes to proc.

This presented a pretty obvious issue with the distinction between "look at" and "read", but we were able to develop some work-arounds: either particularly buffed Spot checks (arguably) or clairvoyance would be able to set them off at a safe distance.

All that said, what you seem to be looking for is something a bit different from what explosive runes is, really. I'm sure there's a weapon enhancement or spell that adds force damage to attacks without making your sword blowing up in your face.

[Dancingdeath]

I was thinking about only making available on hammers. In the portion of the head that strikes the opponent. Useful in combat and breaking things like a boss.

[mastermisha1]

Well you could look at the Runecaster PrC. They get to engrave runes on weaponry that can be activated when said rune is passed over. A handbook on this site suggested putting fireball, or other offensive spell runes, on arrows and firing them past opponents thus triggering thd runes even when you miss.

[Goaty14]

Put it on a tower shield.
Make the area around the runes shine
Profit.

[Demonique]

Might be a little off-topic, but I've known players who use Fire Trap on clay spheres as grenades. just be careful carrying them if you are not the caster...

[barakaka]

You could go Geometer and use Glyph of Warding to put a fiery spell on the weapon. Kinda expensive though.

Also pretty expensive and maybe not DM approved:
Go with Alchemist Savant (Magic of Eberron) and create spellvials of like burning hands and Explosive Pack (alchemical item I think in Secrets of Sarlona).

[Swaoeaeieu]

I was thinking about only making available on hammers. In the portion of the head that strikes the opponent. Useful in combat and breaking things like a boss.

if you want boom hammer. Go for a warspikard (from an eberron book iirc) and get some +1 exploding ammo.

perfectly fine ruleswise. and enchanted ammo isnt that expensive, depending on your level ofcourse.

[StreamOfTheSky]

My old group used to use Explosive Runes offensively by intentionally failing to dispel it.

One time (DM only allowed it once), another player threw a wooden box filled with paper w/ explosive runes on them at a boss (well, his familiar lobbed it, I think) and dispelled.

Another time there was an army marching on a settlement that we wanted to protect, so we utilized the "Dispel Magic Canon." Wherein the other guy laid out the papers on the ground staggered in a long line, then I used Sculpt Spell on dispel magic to make it a line attack and wiped out ~1/4 of their forces in one shot.

[Barstro]

I was thinking about only making available on hammers. In the portion of the head that strikes the opponent. Useful in combat and breaking things like a boss.
RAW, it has to be read. But, nothing says the writing has to be all that verbose. Maybe the runes can spell "HI".


The object on which the runes were written also takes full damage (no saving throw)
I'm not versed in damaging objects. RAW, the hammer gets damaged. Also RAW, writing it on a piece of paper and sticking it to the hammer does not result in damage the hammer at all.

Interestingly, I see nothing to suggest that your "target" needs to do the reading.

1) You trace these mystic runes upon a book, map, scroll, or similar object bearing written information.
That seems to exclude "hammer", but include "paper attached to hammer".

2) The runes detonate when read,
Spell is silent as to who gets to read it. Maybe someone with good vision from across the room gets to read it.

3) Anyone next to the runes (close enough to read them) takes the full damage with no saving throw;
I assume "anyone" means "creature". I assume "next to" means "melee range" (5 feet).

4) any other creature within 10 feet of the runes is entitled to a Reflex save for half damage.
Gives credence to "5 feet".

5)The object on which the runes were written also takes full damage (no saving throw).
But not an object attached to that object. Which means my thought experiment of attaching rune-paper to mountains in order to dig tunnels is not going to work.

6) You and any characters you specifically instruct can read the protected writing without triggering the runes.
"Can", not "shall" or "must". The wielder can trigger the runes.

But, I cannot find a way to make the wielder immune to force.

Intelligent returning hammer that can read the rune paper that's stuck to it?

[Dancingdeath]

Okay, so not Explosive Runes then. Maybe make an enchantment that functions in a similar fashion to Explosive Runes using that spell as a chassis for the enchantment.

So-This weapon deals 6d6 points of concussive force damage upon striking an opponent. The wielder is immune to the explosion by the weapon but all creatures and objects within 10 feet are susceptible to this damage.

How's that sound?

[Barstro]

So-This weapon deals 6d6 points of concussive force damage upon striking an opponent. The wielder is immune to the explosion by the weapon but all creatures and objects within 10 feet are susceptible to this damage.

How's that sound?

Expensive. You are looking at the equivalent of 6 +1 abilities, but with the better "force" instead of "flaming", etc. Even if you look at it as a Burst type of weapon, it's two of those, but always on instead of only criticals. On top of that, you want it to affect everything in a radius except the wielder and the weapon.

[AnimeTheCat]

I've had a character in the past who would have the party wizard cast explosive runes on strips of parchment during all the downtime the party had and roll them up into neat little scrolls. My character (A scout) would tie the little scrolls to arrows and sneak around camps shooting the arrows into tents and whatnot while the enemy camp slept (not targeting people or things that can be loud). Then, presumably, the enemies would find the arrows with little messages, open them and cause chaos in the camp, taking out structures, people, and resources throughout the next morning while they were preparing.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I've had a character in the past who would have the party wizard cast explosive runes on strips of parchment during all the downtime the party had and roll them up into neat little scrolls. My character (A scout) would tie the little scrolls to arrows and sneak around camps shooting the arrows into tents and whatnot while the enemy camp slept (not targeting people or things that can be loud). Then, presumably, the enemies would find the arrows with little messages, open them and cause chaos in the camp, taking out structures, people, and resources throughout the next morning while they were preparing.

After the first one or 2 explosions, why would the enemies keep reading what was on the papers attached to the arrows?

[Dancingdeath]

Make it only trigger on crits then. Seems less broken anyway.

[Inevitability]

Make I only trigger on crits then. Seems less broken anyway.

Let's say one in five successful attacks is a crit, which may be on the high side but fits the reality that people are going to want to use this enchantment on weapons with wide crit ranges. That's an average of (6d6/5)=4.2 extra force damage on each attack. Compare this to a weapon with two energy enchantments, which deals 2d6, averaging 7, extra damage of varying types on each successful attack.

Now, the exploding runeweapon may affect multiple creatures, but some of these might very well be allies, and the random nature of the blasts makes it hard to base tactics around it. In my opinion making the enchantment worth +2 is fine.

[Barstro]

That's an average of (6d6/5)=4.2 extra force damage on each attack. Compare this to a weapon with two energy enchantments, which deals 2d6, averaging 7, extra damage of varying types on each successful attack.
Good point. I like the rest of your logic as well.

[Dancingdeath]

Let's say one in five successful attacks is a crit, which may be on the high side but fits the reality that people are going to want to use this enchantment on weapons with wide crit ranges. That's an average of (6d6/5)=4.2 extra force damage on each attack. Compare this to a weapon with two energy enchantments, which deals 2d6, averaging 7, extra damage of varying types on each successful attack.

Now, the exploding runeweapon may affect multiple creatures, but some of these might very well be allies, and the random nature of the blasts makes it hard to base tactics around it. In my opinion making the enchantment worth +2 is fine.

If the exploding enchantment is the only enchantment on there then yes, your comparison holds. It most likely won't be though.

[Deophaun]

This presented a pretty obvious issue with the distinction between "look at" and "read", but we were able to develop some work-arounds: either particularly buffed Spot checks (arguably) or clairvoyance would be able to set them off at a safe distance.
Unfortunately, the spell specifies that you need to be within 5' to actually read the runes. It doesn't matter how good your eyes or how big the runes are; if you ain't within five, they're illegible.

After the first one or 2 explosions, why would the enemies keep reading what was on the papers attached to the arrows?
I would assume they would be in separate tents and the people reading them wouldn't survive, so no one would be able to know what was causing the explosions

[Barstro]

Unfortunately, the spell specifies that you need to be within 5' to actually read the runes. It doesn't matter how good your eyes or how big the runes are; if you ain't within five, they're illegible.
Do you have a cite for that? What I read only (really really strongly) implies that you have to be within five feet to read the runes. Sure, it makes sense; but I think it is a slightly gray area.

[AnimeTheCat]

After the first one or 2 explosions, why would the enemies keep reading what was on the papers attached to the arrows?


Unfortunately, the spell specifies that you need to be within 5' to actually read the runes. It doesn't matter how good your eyes or how big the runes are; if you ain't within five, they're illegible.

I would assume they would be in separate tents and the people reading them wouldn't survive, so no one would be able to know what was causing the explosions

What @Deophaun said. They weren't all in the same tent, they were scattered around in lots of various different tents or left open on the quartermaster's desk or dipped in perfume to smell like it came from a lady. There were lots of different methods of delivery. A couple of them were slipped in to pants pockets of uniforms so that when they were found later they would be read and explode. Since it's a small piece of parchment, there was never any evidence of where the explosions were coming from.