Electrifying (Melee Weapon Magic Property)

Electrifying (Melee Weapon Magic Property)

Enchant Cost: +5

The wielder of this weapon may activate this property with a swift action, causing the weapon to hum with a potent energy, sparking and crackling occasionally, dealing 3d6+15 points of bonus Lightning (energy, common) damage on a successful hit. The lightning does not harm the wielder. The property's effect remains active until another swift action is expended to turn it off, the weapon is sheathed, or until the wielder takes a full night's rest, whichever occurs first.

As an additional swift action, if the wielder wishes, they may declare that all of the weapon's damage is dealt as lightning damage. This effect persists for as long as the lightning effect is active, or until another swift action is spent to return the weapon's damage back to normal.

The lightning damage granted by this property is bonus damage, which is not increased by a critical hit. However, upon a successful critical hit, the wielder inflicts the Nervous condition on the target, in addition to the weapon's normal critical damage. When inflicted by this property, this condition is NOT considered a fear effect. The condition persists until the end of the target's next turn, or can be ended as described on the condition page.

Up to once per round while the property is active, an attack made with this weapon can blast a 1x2 square area (5 feet x 10 feet), where the first square of the effect is adjacent to an edge or corner of the wielder's space (i.e., it can attack diagonally) and the second square of the blast must continue in a straight line away from you (i.e. there are only 8 possible configurations for this effect for a sized-medium wielder). All attacks must include at least one target within this area of affect that is within the wielder's normal melee reach (that is, this blast effect cannot be used to gain additional reach; it can only be used if it is started from an attack against a foe within reach).

The wielder rolls to hit all targets within the area of effect. All struck targets take the full weapon damage (including the bonus damage from this property). Damage is only rolled once, and that result is applied to all successfully struck targets. Successfully struck targets only take damage once, no matter how many of their squares are included in the area of the blast effect (i.e. you can't hit a large creature twice just because both squares of the effect fall within two squares of its 4-square space).

This blast effect is optional, and the wielder can decide whether they are using it or not with each attack. Note that this blast effect is indiscriminate — it will hit both friend and foe alike, and it cannot be used with selective effects such as the Selective Spell feat. Aim carefully!

If the weapon has more reach than the length of the base area of effect, then the area of effect lengthens (but does not widen) until it equals the length of the reach. For example, if you somehow apply this property to a weapon that has a reach of five squares (e.g. a Cavalry Whip with the Shadowy property), the area of effect of this property would expand out to a 1x5 square space.

If the blast effect is used with a single attack that targets multiple creatures as part of a single attack action (such as Cleave, Whirlwind Attack, or a Monk's Echoing Strike), the bonus damage applies to all creatures struck, but the blast effect can only be used once during the attack (not once for each target).

While the property is active, the weapon subtly enervates the nervous system of the wielder. As a result, using the Movement skill while this property is active suffers a -2 penalty (note that this also affects initiative, if the weapon is active prior to an encounter).

Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 43), a bright remnant (tier 3), and an item symbolic of the enchantment.