Magic Weapons
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Creating Magic Weapons
To create magic armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop. There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire. There must be a strong anvil and high-quality tools of many, many kinds. There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables. Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle. In no case is any workspace ever portable.
Only a masterwork weapon can become a magic weapon, and the masterwork cost is added to the total cost to determine final market value. If a character has the appropriate Craft:Skill, they can create their own masterwork weapons but it is usually faster to simply buy a masterwork weapon from an NPC. Additional magic supplies costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic weapon—half the base price of the item based upon the item's total effective bonus.
Creating a magic weapon has a special prerequisite: The creator's caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the weapon. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met. A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any melee or ranged special weapon abilities.
If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the armor, the creator must have either 1) Prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), 2) Purchased scrolls of the spells, 3) Have the spells otherwise available such as in a wand, or 4) Have worked out with the GM in advance any allowed substitutions (a jug of red dragon blood from a dragon of the proper challenge rating to substitute for a meteor swarm spell, for example) and must provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the armor triggers the prepared spells, or integrates any allowed substitutes. The spells are not available to cast, and the substitutes are consumed in making the item. (Those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)
At the time of creation, the creator must decide if the weapon glows or not as a side-effect of the magic imbued within it. This decision does not affect the price or the creation time, but once the item is finished, the decision is binding. Note that many properties emit light as well, and you cannot choose to NOT emit light if you take that property.
Creating magic double-headed weapons is treated as creating two weapons when determining cost, time, and special abilities.
Creating some weapons may entail other prerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting. See the individual descriptions for details.
- Time Required: Crafting magic armor requires one day for each CL of the item, minimum of 7 days.
- Feat(s) Required: Creator.
- Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft
A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more accurately and deliver more damage. Magic weapons have three types of improvements that may be applied to them:
- Enhancements
Magical enhancements range from +1 to +9. As a firm rule, the maximum enhancement a weapon may have is equal to one quarter of the campaign level, round up. This maximum Enhancement Bonus cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. Any attempt to wield a weapon more magically enchanted than this results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the weapon, with the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the weapon). At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
While a weapon's enhancement bonus is nearly always used to increase the weapon's to-hit and damage, some weapons contain innate properties from special materials, which may also be increased via the enhancement bonus. An example of this is an adamantine weapon's ability to ignore hardness. Players may dedicate enhancement bonuses to increasing these innate properties instead of the weapon's to-hit and damage. However, the weapon's total enhancement bonus is always the sum of any of these, and no weapon may ever have an enhancement bonus greater than +9. For details on special material innate properties, and the effects of using enhancement bonuses to increase them, see the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. Enhancement bonuses may never be used to apply a property that the weapon does not already have innately from its special materials.
- Properties
Magic Item Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects the magic weapon grants or performs on top of the normal functionality of that weapon. A weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus before any magic weapon properties may be added to it. The limit to the total value of all weapon properties that may be added to a weapon is one quarter of the campaign level, rounded up. This maximum Magical Properties cap must not be exceeded at normal play levels to maintain balance. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford. No item may ever have the same property twice.
- Absolute Bonus
By adding together the plus values of the Enhancement Bonus and Magical Properties of a weapon, you determine the weapon's Absolute Bonus. For example, a +2 Keen Longsword has a +3 Absolute Bonus, since the Keen property has a +1 cost associated with it. The Absolute Bonus plus the special material costs (if any) determine the total magic item cost of the item. The maximum possible Absolute Bonus of any magic weapon, armor or shield is +18, though the maximum allowed in a given campaign varies by the campaign's current player level (See the tables below for details). At level 36, all restrictions are lifted, and weapons, armors and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
- Materials
Mundane weapons are assumed to be made of forged iron. Fragile weapons are usually made of crude iron, bronze, or bone. Masterwork weapons are assumed to be made of good quality steel, similar to historical Damascus or Wootz (forging good steel was often a happy accident before the chemistry was fully understood). Weapons made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine. A list of special materials and their properties can be found on the Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials page. In all cases, only ONE material may be used in the construction of a single weapon, even after the Apotheosis. Unless the referee allows it, of course.
Table: Magic Weapon Enhancement Limitations
| Campaign Level | Max Enhancement Bonus | Max Magic Properties | Absolute Bonus | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 4 | +1 | no properties | +1 | 2,000 |
| +1 worth of properties | +2 | 8,000 | ||
| 5 - 8 | +2 | no properties | +2 | 8,000 |
| +1 worth of properties | +3 | 18,000 | ||
| +2 worth of properties | +4 | 32,000 | ||
| 9 - 12 | +3 | no properties | +3 | 18,000 |
| +1 worth of properties | +4 | 32,000 | ||
| +2 worth of properties | +5 | 50,000 | ||
| +3 worth of properties | +6 | 72,000 | ||
| 13 - 16 | +4 | no properties | +4 | 32,000 |
| +1 worth of properties | +5 | 50,000 | ||
| +2 worth of properties | +6 | 72,000 | ||
| +3 worth of properties | +7 | 98,000 | ||
| +4 worth of properties | +8 | 128,000 | ||
| 17 - 20 | +5 | no properties | +5 | 50,000 |
| +1 worth of properties | +6 | 72,000 | ||
| +2 worth of properties | +7 | 98,000 | ||
| +3 worth of properties | +8 | 128,000 | ||
| +4 worth of properties | +9 | 162,000 | ||
| +5 worth of properties | +10 | 200,000 |
Table: Epic Magic Weapon Enhancement Limitations
| Campaign Level | Max Enhancement Bonus | Max Magic Properties (Note: +5 is the minimum allowed for Epic) | Absolute Bonus | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 - 24 | +6 | +5 worth of properties | +11 | 400,000 |
| +6 worth of properties | +12 | 800,000 | ||
| 25 - 28 | +7 | +5 worth of properties | +12 | 800,000 |
| +6 worth of properties | +13 | 1,600,000 | ||
| +7 worth of properties | +14 | 3,000,000 | ||
| 29 - 32 | +8 | +5 worth of properties | +13 | 1,600,000 |
| +6 worth of properties | +14 | 3,000,000 | ||
| +7 worth of properties | +15 | 5,000,000 | ||
| +8 worth of properties | +16 | 9,000,000 | ||
| 33 - 35 | +9 | +5 worth of properties | +14 | 3,000,000 |
| +6 worth of properties | +15 | 5,000,000 | ||
| +7 worth of properties | +16 | 9,000,000 | ||
| +8 worth of properties | +17 | 15,000,000 | ||
| +9 worth of properties | +18 | 23,000,000 | ||
| Apotheosis! | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | impossibly expensive |
- Caster Level Required To Make Weapons
The caster level required to make a weapon with a weapon property is given in the description of the property. If a weapon has more than one weapon property, the caster level required to place the weapon properties is the highest of all the properties plus 2. For a weapon with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level or effective caster level required to make the weapon is three times the enhancement bonus. Thus, it requires a third level creator to make a +1 weapon, sixth level to make a +2, etc. If a weapon has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the caster level requirements must be met. As always, caster level can either be a character's 'native' caster level if they actually cast spells, or their Effective Caster Level they gain from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft. Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.
- Additional Bonus Damage Dice
Some magic weapons deal additional bonus dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are considered bonuses and are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit. In all cases, refer to the description of the weapon to see if there are specific rules for handling the bonus damage. If there are no rules in the weapon description, then these rules apply.
- Additional Base Damage Dice
Some magic weapons gain improved or additional base damage dice. These dice DO improve with level as normal base damage dice do, and ARE multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit. Increases to base weapon damage can be found in the form of additional dice, and as adders. In all cases, additions to the base weapon damage are multiplied by high level effects and are multiplied on crits. As a result, these effects are powerful and rare.
- Ranged Weapons and Ammunition
The enhancement bonus from a ranged weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus from ammunition. Only the higher of the two enhancement bonuses applies. Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon. Weapon properties of a ranged weapon do not stack with weapon properties of ammunition. If a character is using a ranged weapon with properties and has ammunition with properties, they may choose which properties to use with each shot as a free action. As always, no weapon may ever have the same property twice. If ammunition and a ranged weapon have the same weapon properties, only count the property once.
- Magic Thrown Weapons
Weapons designed for throwing, such as the throwing axe or the careen (but not weapons with the ammunition property, such as skiprocks), gain the Lesser Returning property for free if they have an enhancement bonus or magic property worth an enhancement bonus of at least +1. If they have an enhancement bonus of +2 or greater (or magic properties equivalent to +2 enhancement or greater), thrown weapons gain the Greater Returning magic property for free. These properties cost nothing extra, and never increase the overall cost of additional upgrades, but they do count against the maximum possible enchantments the weapon can have.
- Magic Ammunition and Breakage
Magical ammunition follows the standard rules for recovering expended ammunition. If the attack hits, the arrow, bolt or bullet is expended and not recoverable. If the attack misses, there is a 50% chance that the piece of ammunition is recoverable.
- Light Generation
30% of randomly generated magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell. These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can't be concealed when drawn, nor can their light be shut off, and they usually make Stealth rolls more difficult by imposing a penalty to stealth rolls. If a weapon is specially crafted by a player or as a commission from an NPC, whether or not it gives off light is chosen by the player. Some magic weapon properties cause the weapons to always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions, and this cannot by changed by the player's desire at item creation.
- Hardness and Hit Points
Each +1 of a magic weapon’s enhancement bonus adds +2 to its hardness and +10 to its hit points. See also Table: Weapon, Armor, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points. Weapon properties usually have no effect on hardness or hit points, but some do, so refer to these specific rules for the effects of each property. Special materials almost always have an effect on a weapon's hardness and hit points. See the tables below and on the Dweomermetals page for details.
Table: Weapon, Armor and Shield Hardness and Hit Points
| Weapon or Shield | Hardness 1 4 | Hit Points 2 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Light blade | 10 | 2 |
| One-handed blade | 10 | 5 |
| Two-handed blade | 10 | 10 |
| Light metal-hafted weapon | 10 | 10 |
| One-handed metal-hafted weapon | 10 | 20 |
| Light hafted weapon | 5 | 2 |
| One-handed hafted weapon | 5 | 5 |
| Two-handed hafted weapon | 5 | 10 |
| Projectile weapon | 5 | 5 |
| Armor | special4 | armor bonus × 5 |
| Buckler | 10 | 5 |
| Light wooden shield | 5 | 7 |
| Heavy wooden shield | 5 | 15 |
| Light steel shield | 10 | 10 |
| Heavy steel shield | 10 | 20 |
| Tower shield | 5 | 20 |
- 1 Add +2 for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items.
- 2 Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.
- 3 Add 10 hp for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items
- 4 Varies by material. See below and Dweomermetals for details.
Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points
| Substance | Hardness | Hit Points |
|---|---|---|
| Glass | 1 | 1/in. of thickness |
| Paper or cloth | 0 | 2/in. of thickness |
| Rope | 0 | 2/in. of thickness |
| Ice | 0 | 3/in. of thickness |
| Leather or hide | 2 | 5/in. of thickness |
| Wood | 5 | 10/in. of thickness |
| Stone | 8 | 15/in. of thickness |
| Iron or steel | 10 | 30/in. of thickness |
| Argent | 15 | 40/in. of thickness |
| Ambergold | 18 | 30/in. of thickness |
| Bloodgold | 5 | 25/in. of thickness |
| Bloodsilver | 20 | 40/in. of thickness |
| Cuprium | adds +3 to base | adds +9 to base |
| Mithral | 15 | 30/in. of thickness |
| Peacemetal | 15 | 35/in. of thickness |
| Puremetal | 12 | 30/in. of thickness |
| Adamantine | 20 | 40/in. of thickness |
| Dolemetal | 25 | 50/in. of thickness |
| Truemetal | 30 | 50/in. of thickness |
| Paramount | 40 | 60/in. of thickness |
| Glassteel | 10 | 30/in. of thickness |
- Activation
Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by wielding (attacking with) it. If a weapon has a weapon property that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter a command word (a standard action). A character can activate the special abilities of up to 50 pieces of ammunition at the same time, assuming each piece has identical abilities.
- Magic Weapons and Critical Hits
Some weapon properties and some specific weapons have an extra effect on a critical hit. This special effect overcomes immunity to critical bits. Critical hits rolled with these weapons function against creatures not normally subject to critical hits, but only for the weapon property's effect. In such instances, on a successful critical roll, apply the magic weapon's special effect, but otherwise resolve damage as though it were a normal hit.
- Weapons for Unusually Sized Creatures
The cost of weapons for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium varies (see Equipment). The cost of the masterwork quality is also affected to the same degree. IE, if a weapon costs four times as much because it is size large, it costs 4 times as much to make it masterwork. The cost to enchant a size large weapon is unchanged, however, nor does the weapon's size increase the time required for enchantment.