Fireball Burst Weapons

[Shackled Terror]

I'm wondering what a reasonable price and caster level to create for a weapon with the following special ability would be:

A fireball burst weapon functions as a flaming weapon that also creates a Fireball (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm), centered on the wielder, on a successful critical hit. All targets in the area of effect, including the wielder, take 5d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 15 for half). Only melee weapons may have this property.

Even if the flaming ability is not active, the weapon still creates a fireball on a successful critical hit.

[Mongoose87]

That's somewhat suicidal.

[Shackled Terror]

Sure, that's half the fun! No, but I think a tank with a lot of HP, someone with access to fire resistance/immunity, or someone with evasion could get a good bit of mileage out of it.

[Trodon]

I'm wondering what a reasonable price and caster level to create for a weapon with the following special ability would be:

A fireball burst weapon functions as a flaming weapon that also creates a Fireball (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm), centered on the wielder, on a successful critical hit. All targets in the area of effect, including the wielder, take 5d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 15 for half). Only melee weapons may have this property.

Even if the flaming ability is not active, the weapon still creates a fireball on a successful critical hit.

I would probably put it at +3, but then again I just compared it to flaming burst didn't do a whole lot of thinking on it.

[Knaight]

That's comparable to speed in bonus, which can be a lot of damage. Its below brilliant energy, which lets you stab people through walls, and is even nastier on ranged weapons. +3 sounds about right. After all, Flaming Burst sucks terribly, there are some +2 bonuses that are a lot better.

[Cieyrin]

Sounds to me like an improvement on the Explosive weapon special ability, from Complete Warrior, pg. 134. Every hit does 2d4 in a 5 foot burst, Ref DC 15 for half, including the original target. It's +2 on melee weapons, +3 on ranged.

Following that progression, it would seem to me to be +3.

[The Neoclassic]

I'm going to jump on the +3 bandwagon here.

As for whomever said it sounded suicidal: Just wear a ring of elemental protection (fire) and you're all set. :smallcool:

[Lvl45DM!]

It's MEANT to be suicidal
its like that sword in Baldurs gate 2, harbinger
i just gave it to Minsc hasted him, made him beserk and had him charge whilst my other charcters spelled and arrowed
love it

[Mulletmanalive]

Well, on basic maths, it's a 50% activation effect on a use activated device.

use activation is 1,800 x spell x caster level, and we'll decrease the value to 75% for the 'only on crits' bit...

That's 1,200 x 3 x 5, which comes to a whopping total of +18,000gp.

If you specifically want it to be a +X weapon quality, +18,000 is the equivilent of a +3 weapon but falls below the limits of +3 on account of the cost being somewhat below the value of a +3 weapon once the mandatory enhancement bonus is taken into account. I'd call it a +2 because its crit triggered, +3 once you have the flaming component.

On a side note, the same effect [or lightning bolt or something simlar] with Shape Spell applied to it can be used quite nicely to represent Getsuga Tensho or the like for

1,800 x 4 x 7, which is +50, 400gp [activate as an attack action] :smallbiggrin: