Defending weapon question

[DumbPaladin]

This is likely a very simple question, but I just acquired a +3 defending, holy, mighty smiting longsword and I'd like to know ... if I move all 3 enhancement points to my AC, is my sword now a masterwork holy mighty smiting longsword for the rest of that round?

Thanks in advance,
D.P.

 

[orion90000]

nope, it's still a +3 defending holy mighty smiting longsword. You just don't get the +3 to attack and damage if you convert it to AC. Also it's still considered magic for overcoming damage reduction.

 

[Magesmiley]

Orion is right that the weapon doesn't actually change what it is when you apply the points.

However, I think what he's really asking is whether he gets the +1 to hit for the weapon being masterwork when he pushes the entire enhancement bonus into AC. That's an interesting question actually.

A couple of relevant passages from the SRD:

Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. All magic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonus on attack rolls does not stack with their enhancement bonus on attack rolls.

Defending: A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn.

I'd say from the description from the defending ability that it turns the weapon's magic enhancement bonus into an untyped bonus to AC while in effect. So if you move the entire amount into AC for the round that the magic isn't providing an enhancement bonus on to hit rolls, but the +1 attack roll bonus for a masterwork weapon still is in effect.

Others might disagree, but I think that you'd get to keep a +1 on attack rolls in this case.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

That is very interesting, never thought of that before. I agree with you, sounds like you would get the masterwork bonus to hit, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Others might disagree...

Me, for instance.

Is it going to "break" anything to let the weapon keep its masterwork enhancement bonus? No. But it's cheesy.

 

[Dandu]

The +1 a masterwork sword gets to attack rolls is an enhancement bonus, isn't it?

 

[Gavinfoxx]

There's no reason to put your main weapon as a defending weapon, really.

Seeing as how you can get +1 defending armor spikes, +1 defending shield spikes, +1 defending gauntlets, +1 defending braid blade, +1 defending dueling cloak, +1 defending poison ring (as many as you want really), +1 defending boot blades, knee blades, sleeve blades, etc. and cast greater magic weapon on one or more of them, and put the (now higher) enhancement bonus from all of those to AC every single round as a free action, and that AC bonus stacks for all forms of AC... and you just attack with your main weapon as normal...

 

[Jhaelen]

There's no reason to put your main weapon as a defending weapon, really.

Seeing as how you can get +1 defending armor spikes, +1 defending shield spikes, +1 defending gauntlets, +1 defending braid blade, +1 defending dueling cloak, +1 defending poison ring (as many as you want really), +1 defending boot blades, knee blades, sleeve blades, etc. and cast greater magic weapon on one or more of them, and put the (now higher) enhancement bonus from all of those to AC every single round as a free action, and that AC bonus stacks for all forms of AC... and you just attack with your main weapon as normal...

Actually, there's one reason to not do what you suggest:
You may want to avoid pissing off your DM. Believe me, nothing is worth pissing off your DM

 

[Dandu]

Don't you actually have to use the weapon for it to qualify?

 

[DumbPaladin]

However, I think what he's really asking is whether he gets the +1 to hit for the weapon being masterwork when he pushes the entire enhancement bonus into AC. That's an interesting question actually.

I thought so too! And it was beyond my level of D&D expertise, so I created the question. But I'm glad it was actually an interesting one to ask ... and thank you for your response. You too, Orion.

Dandu is right that the +1 masterwork bonus is, in fact, an enhancement bonus ... so I'll leave it up to my DM to determine whether defending strips this enhancement bonus as well, or if it is, in fact, a completely separate enhancement bonus from the +3 enhancement bonus and thus remains.