Adamantine Defending Sword.

[iwatt]

The cleric I play just finsished crafting an admanatine bastard sword (d10 damage dice implies a +2 enhancement bonus), to which he added +2 enhancement bonus as well as the defending ability. In the description of adamantine it says:

Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural
enhancement bonus to attack and damage. These
bonuses do not stack with any other enhancement bonuses.

First, what I understand from this description is that I can apply the full +2 magic enhancement bonus to my AC using the defending proerty, while the weapon remains +2 to hit and damage because of it's adamantine nature. Is this correct?

Second, used in this fasion, does the +2 from adamantine penetrate DR (using 3.0 rules), or ccan I only pentretae DR XX/+2 when not using this weapon in a defending fashion.

Finally, please help me name this weapon. My character is from the FR, a cleric of Tempus, whose entering a home-brew prestige class for war deities. One of the pre-requisites was building a weapon to which he'll be bonded to. My cleric's father was a Cormyrian purple Dragon knight, while his mother was the daughter of an Erakan (The Ride) chieftain. Looking at random generators, I came up with the name Urandrakhur, and I felt it had a barabric feeling to it which I liked. I'm going to say that Urandakhur means something in Erakish (an?). Here's were you guys come into play, by giving me some good ideas to help me name it.


By the way, I don't know what other powers to add to it. We're currently facing lot's of devils, so I was thinking either adding Chaotic, lesserbane evil outsiders, or some elemental damage. Anyways, the prestige class has a lot of cool benniues tied to the particular bonded weapon, so any recommendations on special qualities to make it even more durable will be appreciated as well

 

[Nifft]

Holy is a very cool property, which works against all sorts of bad things.

As to your question, the +2 Natural Enhancement bonus and the +2 Magical Enhancement bonus overlap normally, so when you remove the latter (via an anti-magic field OR by using it to Defend you), the former is "exposed", and still applies.

In other words, yes, you can use your +2 Magic bonus to defend yourself, and keep your +2 to attack & damage -- because it's a different +2!

-- Nifft

 

[CrimsonTemplar]

First, what I understand from this description is that I can apply the full +2 magic enhancement bonus to my AC using the defending proerty, while the weapon remains +2 to hit and damage because of it's adamantine nature. Is this correct?

I'd say no. If an Admantine weapon is enchanted the magical bonus overrides it's inherent bonuses to damage & attack, they do not stack. Just because you gave it defending & use the magical bonus to that end doesn't mean that the magical bonus goes away. Once enchanted the Admantine property only has two game effects:

1) In an Anti-Magic field it will still function as a +2 attack & damage weapon

2) It will allow you to overcome DR in 3.5 for Stoneskin and creatures which have X/Admantine

Second, used in this fasion, does the +2 from adamantine penetrate DR (using 3.0 rules), or can I only pentrate DR XX/+2 when not using this weapon in a defending fashion.

I'd say it will over come the XX/+2 DR in 3.0. Whether or not it's bonus is used for the attack roll, it's still a +2 magical weapon. The Admantine nature of it doesn't enter into it.

By the way, I don't know what other powers to add to it. We're currently facing lot's of devils, so I was thinking either adding Chaotic, lesserbane evil outsiders, or some elemental damage. Anyways, the prestige class has a lot of cool benniues tied to the particular bonded weapon, so any recommendations on special qualities to make it even more durable will be appreciated as well

Holy would be a good choice in my mind. Elemental damage would come in a good second. I'd shy away from Chaotic since it would only take a bit of tweaking on your DM's part to suddenly have you facing Chaotic outsiders instead of Lawful outsiders.

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: Adamantine Defending Sword.

Whether or not it's bonus is used for the attack roll, it's still a +2 magical weapon. The Admantine nature of it doesn't enter into it.

Oh boy.

 

[iwatt]

Crimson Templar

All of the mechanic's of the game have similar effects when overlapping occurs. I don't recall any case in which an effect is overridden. I realize that this combination of material and properties results in gaining the defending benefits without taking a hit to attack and damage rolls. But it's not free, considering a masterwork bastard sword made from adamantium costs 9,335 gp. By the way, I hadn't thought this through exactly when I crafted the weapon. My primary concerns were to increase the durability of the sword (extra hps and hardness) because of My Character's vulnerabilty to the weapon been destroyed. That is why I chose to build this weapon from the hardest stuff around. The weapon was always going to be magical because you can always use the enhancement . Finally, my character is a defensively obsessed Dex 11 cleric, who does all he can to raise his AC to the upper 20's at level 10. So I decided that the most appropriate choice for a special quality would be defending.

About Holy, I know it's agreat power, specifically when most of the time you're dealing with evil (we're 90% Good in this party, and keep getting nailed with Unholy Blights). But I need someone with the Good Domain to cast the spells. I'd rather limit myslef to abilities that a Tempus (CN) Cleric with Chaotic good alignment, who has a level 10 Invoker hanging around with the usual assortment of spells. Available sources are the Core books, plus al FR stuff and the WOTC splat books.

 

[Caliban]

Re: Re: Adamantine Defending Sword.

I'd say no. If an Admantine weapon is enchanted the magical bonus overrides it's inherent bonuses to damage & attack, they do not stack. Just because you gave it defending & use the magical bonus to that end doesn't mean that the magical bonus goes away.

If I remember correctly, that's the way the Sage ruled it in the FAQ.

 

[DanMcS]

All of the mechanic's of the game have similar effects when overlapping occurs. I don't recall any case in which an effect is overridden.

No, I wouldn't allow this. When the enhancement bonus gets transferred away for defending, do you normally get to keep the +1 masterwork bonus to hit (since all magic weapons are masterwork)? No, because the weapon is still enhanced, and the masterwork bonus doesn't stack with enhancement- it is overridden. Same with the adamantite 'enhancement' bonus.

 

[green slime]

Re: Re: Re: Adamantine Defending Sword.

If I remember correctly, that's the way the Sage ruled it in the FAQ.

That is one poor ruling.

Just the weapon cost 9,315 gp before throwing on the cost for +3 effective enhancement (+2 magic +1 defending).

27,315 gp ought to get you a reasonably efficient weapon. It costs almost as much as a +4 weapon for goodness sake (32,315 gp).

 

[CrimsonTemplar]

Crimson Templar

All of the mechanic's of the game have similar effects when overlapping occurs. I don't recall any case in which an effect is overridden. I realize that this combination of material and properties results in gaining the defending benefits without taking a hit to attack and damage rolls. But it's not free, considering a masterwork bastard sword made from adamantium costs 9,335 gp. By the way, I hadn't thought this through exactly when I crafted the weapon. My primary concerns were to increase the durability of the sword (extra hps and hardness) because of My Character's vulnerabilty to the weapon been destroyed. That is why I chose to build this weapon from the hardest stuff around. The weapon was always going to be magical because you can always use the enhancement . Finally, my character is a defensively obsessed Dex 11 cleric, who does all he can to raise his AC to the upper 20's at level 10. So I decided that the most appropriate choice for a special quality would be defending.

I'd say that the Extra HP's, Hardness & the attack and damage bonuses in an Anti-Magic Field are what you get when you pay for an Admantine weapon. I can appreciate your desire for a defending weapon (I play an AC deficient Ranger), but by taking the AC bonus from Defending you're supposed to take a hit on attacks and damage.

About Holy, I know it's agreat power, specifically when most of the time you're dealing with evil (we're 90% Good in this party, and keep getting nailed with Unholy Blights). But I need someone with the Good Domain to cast the spells. I'd rather limit myself to abilities that a Tempus (CN) Cleric with Chaotic Good alignment, who has a level 10 Invoker hanging around with the usual assortment of spells. Available sources are the Core books, plus all FR stuff and the WOTC splat books.

My suggestions were just that...suggestions. You more than anyone else should know what your PC needs & can do. I appreciate your desire to stay within your character concept (it's admirable).

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: Re: Adamantine Defending Sword.

If I remember correctly, that's the way the Sage ruled it in the FAQ.

I don't know if it's in the FAQ, but here it is from an old reply...

No, if you allocate all a defending weapon's bonus to defense, you have no bonus left over for attacks; the same would hold true if you were wielding an adamantine defending weapon. (The bonus you've allocated to defense is still there, and it still doesn't stack with any other bonus the weapon might have.)