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I'm currently playing a Brujah on Vampire: The Masquerade that specializes in melee combat with knives and swords in this campaign, he is a human who was just embraced less than 2 months ago and after seeing the effect of fire on vampires for numerous times (he passed on every courage roll involving fire so far) he decided that it would be an interesting idea to kill other vampires with a flaming sword.

My character is quite stupid (1 dot in intelligence), so he wouldn't be able to make a flaming sword by himself, he does however know of a shop that could make such a sword, my DM only ruled that I should come up with how the sword works.

After thinking a little I came up with the idea that the sword would be coated in a flammable material and there would be a magnesium flint on the scabbard that could be pressed against the blade when drawing the sword and that would produce sparks that would lit the flammable material.

I just don't know of any good flammable material that could coat the blade. My DM said that liquids like gasoline/kerosene/alcohol would just spill on my hand so I need something gooey that would stick to the blade and catch fire with sparks. If such a thing is impossible then how could I make this sword work? The fire needs only to last about 30 seconds, a minute or so at most.

I saw videos of people wrapping swords on some materials and dripping it with flammable liquids but that would make the sword blunt, I need the sword to still have a cutting edge.

TL/DR: I need a gooey material that can catch fire with sparks or another method to make a flaming sword.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it comes under the discussion that took place in this meta. \$\endgroup\$
    – Miniman
    Apr 25, 2017 at 5:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ My question doesn't has any hystorical context to fit that meta and there are not a whole lot of places where I can ask how to make a sword catch fire without looking crazy. I just thought that this being a place about roleplaying situations someone might have an idea how to answer my quite narrowed question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Manner
    Apr 25, 2017 at 5:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Manner, I think that your question belongs on the worldbuilding SE. In fact, they already have a question on the uses of a flaming sword there... \$\endgroup\$
    – Icyfire
    Apr 25, 2017 at 5:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ icyfire I did saw that topic, but they mostly talk about the efficiency of such sword, not so much about how to build one. @daze413 I do know about the mechanics, the question is solely about how to build the sword. I do know it's more of a chemistry/camping mix of question but I did think it would fit here. \$\endgroup\$
    – Manner
    Apr 25, 2017 at 5:30
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Manner, I mean that you can ask your question there instead of here; the presence of that question means that it's likely on-topic there. \$\endgroup\$
    – Icyfire
    Apr 25, 2017 at 16:14

2 Answers 2

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"Sticky and burn-ey" sounds like napalm.

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what it sounds like to me, or to anyone on RPG.SE. As posed, you will only get your flaming sword if you convince your MC that whatever BS you come up with is plausible. Reality is irrelevant here.

So, with that in mind, here's a short list of things which might scratch that itch, with some likely reasons for them getting accepted/rejected:

  • Napalm: sticks to the blade and burns. Pro: it works like you suggest. Con: it works like jello, and slides off the blade.
  • Pitch: exactly as Napalm.
  • Propane: piping running through the blade. Can have a reservoir in the hilt or a line to a tank. Pro: Fallout did it; maybe he'll buy that it's realistic. Con: waving it around puts it out. Higher chance of explosions.
  • Thermite molded into blade. Pro: everyone loves thermite; easy to quote thermite recipe. Cons: impossible to light; he won't let you refresh it easily; he says the sword is destroyed too.
  • Elemental sodium/lithium in the blade. Pro: can find cool videos to show. Con: would likely explode if rained on; hard to refresh.
  • Dragon Breath shells in the hilt; trigger them on hit. Pro: looks cool, actually plausible; many people think guns are magic. Con: many people think guns are magic.
  • Electric heating element in blade. Not exactly flaming, but get it hot enough and the difference is semantics. Pro: electricity works that way; many people think electricity is magic. Con: electricity works that way, but heating up that much would take way more power than you can easily carry; many people think electricity is magic.

Good luck.

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The problem with a flaming sword is not building it but preventing that the fire destroys your sword's hardening, making the edge too soft to hold sharpness.

Because of that I suggest going with a different kind of melee weapon.

A mace, for example, would be much easier to turn into a flaming weapon by taking a hollow head with holes in it. This can be stuffed with it with fireproof cloth soaked with various kinds of fuel. Add to that an igniter with a button on the handle and you're good.

Using fuels like sterno makes it saver to handle because it is less prone to drip.

If you want to stick with the sword I would take a one edged blade (also known as messer)* and have a wick that can be soaked with fuel fixed to the back, away from the edge. Again, I would light it using an igniter. That way the actual flames stay away from the edge and are less likely to ruin it. By having a scabbard partly filled with fuel you could re-soak the wick after use but care should be taken that now parts are still burning lest it result in an explosion.

*To be exact this is, again, no sword but it is close enough.

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