Is this worth using beyond the beginning of the game?  Proc for AOE fire damage seems pretty good in theory, but I don't want to waste resources upgrading it and find out that the numbers don't work out.

It is a really good sabre and worth keeping - if you want to spend the resources to upgrade it. 

Besides the normal sabre stats it is accurate (+5) which is great. And the best thing is not even listed under the list of echantments (or "Additional Effects") :


This is a 20% burning lash. Lashes are mutiplicative dmg bonuses and therefore pretty good. This sabre works as if you'd have a "passive" Baby-Flames of Devotion: +ACC and a burning lash. It doesn't have the usual sabre "sharpness" which is +10% dmg. But that's only an additive dmg modifier and a lot weaker than the +20% burning lash. 
On top comes the 20% chance to deal some additional burn damage that is not connected to the initial weapon hit (has its own base dmg) and which you can upgrade to an AoE.

This makes it one of the rel. few melee weapons with an AoE effect. This effect can happen on any hit roll. So for example if you use Heart of Fury, Whirling Strikes or Whispers of the Wind it can proc multiple times. 

And it emits light! Yay! 😄 

Edit: I forgot - the burn AoE which can happen 20% of times targets Reflex instead of Deflection, also has its own base dmg (something around 8 or so I think?) but gets all the bonuses a normal weapon attack would get: weapon quality (fine, exceptional etc.), Might, Sneak Attack, Accuracy buffs (even the +5 from the sabre itself) and so on.

Edited April 12, 20214 yr by Boeroer