Ask Jiro presents an assortment of kobold scribes and sages to clarify Tales of the Valiant RPG rules and confirm errata sleuthed out by the ToV community!
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This month’s queries are about sneaky weapon options, and mechanist clarifications.
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All the questions this month are from eagle-eyed Discord member, Grimicus! Take it away, Grimicus!
Grimicus asks:
Are characters with “extra damage” class features like a rogue’s Sneak Attack or a paladin’s Divine Smite, able to use those abilities in conjunction with weapon options that don’t deal normal weapon damage?
In a similar vein, would something like a flame tongue magic sword still deal 2d6 fire damage with a weapon option? The item’s wording says, “when the sword is ablaze, it deals an extra 2d6 fire damage to any target it hits.” And a weapon option requires you to hit with your weapon.
And finally, would spells like branding smite apply their damage to a weapon option attack that doesn’t deal normal damage?
ANSWER!
In short: Yes!
As far as the base rules are concerned, effects that trigger extra damage on a successful hit still work when you use a weapon option that requires you to make an attack roll and hit the target with the weapon.
Special effects that trigger only when you deal damage (rather than when you hit) do not trigger when you use a weapon option, as weapon options state the weapon “doesn’t deal normal weapon damage.”
Divine Smite gets a bit tricky since the text says “deal extra radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s normal damage.” If a weapon doesn’t deal normal weapon damage, then I could see an argument that this extra damage can’t be “in addition” to something that doesn’t exist. However, if a GM allows Sneak Attack to be applied to weapon options, then I strongly suggest that the GM also allow similar effects that trigger when a weapon attack roll hits, such as Divine Smite, the branding smite spell, and a flame tongue weapon, to apply to weapon options.
If a mechanist with the Metallurgist subclass uses a shield while using the Mystic Metal subclass feature, do they wield it as normal, or do they incorporate it into their Mystic Metal armor and retain the +2 bonus? If they incorporate it into their Mystic Metal armor, does that still require the use of their hand, or can they hold another item in that hand? Shields are listed on the armor table, so it seems reasonable that it could function that way.
ANSWER!
Mystic Metal states that you must use a nonmagical “suit” of armor. A shield is defined as handheld armor that is wielded instead of worn, and Mystic Metal’s features specifically work while the transformed armor is worn. So shields must be wielded normally, even with the Mystic Metal feature in play.
That said, a GM could fairly rule that you can use Mystic Metal on a shield OR a suit of armor, but not both at the same time. This could be a fun way of having a visual similar to the Infinity Gauntlet or Hellboy’s rocky arm. For GMs allowing Mystic Metal to apply to a shield, I suggest replacing the AC bullet point of the Mystic Metal feature with “While you wield your mystic metal shield, its bonus to your AC is 2 + half your INT modifier (minimum 1).” So go out there and ask your GMs if you can be Thanos! It won’t break anything, and it might feel super cool!
For the mechanist class, Is the Protean augment intended to work with ranged weapons that require ammunition? The text doesn’t specify weapon types, but the theming of the mechanist gives me the impression that augments work via a combination of magic and mechanics. So having a longbow augmented and the augment affect the ammunition instead of the weapon itself seems . . . odd.
ANSWER!
The Protean augment can affect any weapon. This means that an affected longbow could blunt, ignite, chill, or similarly change an arrow shot with it.
If it helps for flavor, imagine the mechanist puts some flint and steel or alchemical substance on the arrow rest, igniting the arrow as it flies through the bow, or the mechanist attaches some type of blunting stone to break or blunt the arrow’s tip as it’s fired.
If it helps for mechanics, magic bows give bonuses to attack and damage (or sometimes other effects like extra fire damage) even though the magic is on the bow, not the ammunition. The Protean augment allows augmented bows to operate similarly. The flavor assumption of those mechanics is that the bow’s magic imbues the arrow as the arrow is fired.
Got a question of your own? Head over to the Kobold Press official Discord server and ask your question there! Maybe you too can be featured in a future installment of Ask Jiro!