Specific Weapons & Their Abilities

[Adjudicator]

I have a player in our group who has expressed an interest in purchasing aspects of the "Sun Blade".

Sun Blade: This sword is the size of a bastard sword. However, its enchantment enables the sun blade to be weilded as if it were a short sword with respect to weight and ease of use. (In other words, the weapon appears to all viewers to be a bastard sword, and deals bastard sword damage, but the wielder feels and reacts as if the weapon were a short sword.) Any individual able to use either a bastard sword or a short sword with proficiency is proficient in the use of a sun blade. Likewise, Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization in short sword and bastard sword apply equally.

In normal combat, the glowing golden blade of the weapon is equal to a +2 bastard sword. Against evil creatures, its enhancement bonus is +4. Against Negative Energy Plane creatures or undead creatures, the sword deals double damage (and x3 on a critical hit instead of the usual x2).

Furthermore, the blade has a special sunbeam power. Once per day, the ielder can swing the blade vigorously above her head while speaking a command word. The sunblade then sheds a bright yellow radiance that is like full daylight. The radius begins shining in a 10-foot radius around the sword wielder and spreads outward at 5 feet per round for 10 rounds thereafter, to create a globe of light with a 60-foot radius. When the wielder stops swinging, the radiance fades to a dim glow that persists for another minute before disappearing entirely. All sun blades are of good alignment, and any evil creature attempting to wield one gains one negative level. The negative level remains as long as the sword is in hand and disappears when the sword is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual level loss, but is cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the sword is wielded.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, continual light, creator must be good; Market Price: 50,335 gp; Cost to Create: 25,335 gp + 2,000 XP

The player has Weapon Finesse, Focus, and Specialization in Short Sword. He is interested in purchasing the Sun Blade with the following properties: +2 Bastard Sword, & short sword enabling enchantment.

Is this possible to do with Specific Weapons? He says that this should be the equivelant of a +3 weapon, does that sound correct?

 

[kreynolds]

He says that this should be the equivelant of a +3 weapon, does that sound correct?

That sounds about right. The cost of a +3 enhancement is 18,000 gp alone so that should cover the funky shortsword/bastard sword part. Although it's a bit difficult to tell without completely breaking down the weapon, but it sounds about right. However, something to keep in mind is that the sunblade gets a massive discount in price because it only functions for specific alignments. This reduces its cost by 30%. For a sunblade that anyone can use, the cost would be roughly 65,435 gp.

However, given that the damage increase over a shortsword is only 4 points (1d6 19-20x2, 1d10, 19-20x2), +3 or +4 looks right, though I lean towards +3.

You could also charge for a static amount of gp like some of the enhancements from Oriental Adventures. Take this for example. This is an enhancement that I've been playing around with, but have not yet used cause I'm still messing with it.

Bladeshifting: A bladeshifting weapon is capable of altering itself to resemble and function identically to any other weapon of the same type and size. Thus, a bladeshifting longsword can shift into any sword of medium size. Activating this power is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, polymorph other; Market Price: +56,000 gp.

Well, there it is. Keep in mind that I'm still playing with it and it's nowhere near finished. Hope this helps.

 

[Archer]

I concur that the +2 average damage for a bastard sword over a short sword is worth a +1 enhancement cost.

 

[kreynolds]

I concur that the +2 average damage for a bastard sword over a short sword is worth a +1 enhancement cost.

Archer, who are you concuring with? We were thinking +3 or +4.