Greater Magic Weapon and the Bane property?

[Venator]

Quick question:

If I have a +1 Undead Bane Longsword that has Greater Magic Weapon cast on it (CL20) is it treated as a grating +7 to hit and damage (on top of the extra 2d6) against Undead or does the GMW cancle out the bonus from the Bane propery?

Basically, the Bane property says:

...its effective enhancement bonus is +2 better than its normal enhancement bonus.

GMW (or MW) says:

This spell functions like magic weapon, except that it gives a weapon an enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5).

Does that change its "normall" bonus, or not?

Thanks.

 

[UltimaGabe]

If it works for a +5 Bane weapon (which it does), then it works for a +1 Bane weapon with Greater Magic Weapon cast on it.

Of course, whether it can overcome /Epic DR is an argument in and of itself....

 

[Rhun]

If I have a +1 Undead Bane Longsword that has Greater Magic Weapon cast on it (CL20) is it treated as a grating +7 to hit and damage (on top of the extra 2d6) or does the GMW cancle out the bonus from the Bane propery?

The spell would give you a +6 Undead Bane Longsword (so +8 vrs Undead), since a CL20 GMW adds a +5 enhancement bonus tot he weapon. I read the (maximum +5) as meaning that +5 is the maximum cap that the spell can add to a weapon (so a 24th level caster can still only add a +5 bonus to the weapon). I'm sure it is open to interpretation.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It would give you a +5 Undead Bane longsword (so, effectively +7 against undead).

The sword would actually have two enhancement bonuses on it: a +1 (from being magical) and a +5 (from the spell). These do not stack.

 

[kreynolds]

What Patryn said.

 

[UltimaGabe]

The spell would give you a +6 Undead Bane Longsword (so +8 vrs Undead), since a CL20 GMW adds a +5 enhancement bonus tot he weapon. I read the (maximum +5) as meaning that +5 is the maximum cap that the spell can add to a weapon (so a 24th level caster can still only add a +5 bonus to the weapon). I'm sure it is open to interpretation.

As Patryn said, it doesn't add +5 to the enhancement- it gives it a +5 enhancement bonus. It already had a +1 enhancement bonus, which wouldn't stack with the +1, and therefore would create a +5. It's not really open to interperetation, as the rules are quite clear. (That's what you can't just cast the 1st-level Magic Weapon spell 5 times to make a +5 weapon.)

 

[Patlin]

You all seem a lot more sure than I am that the bane property increases the +5 to +7 and not the +1 to +3, which doesn't stack with the +5.

 

[green slime]

It would give you a +5 Undead Bane longsword (so, effectively +7 against undead).

The sword would actually have two enhancement bonuses on it: a +1 (from being magical) and a +5 (from the spell). These do not stack.

Agreed.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

You all seem a lot more sure than I am that the bane property increases the +5 to +7 and not the +1 to +3, which doesn't stack with the +5.

Actually, it does both.

You now have a sword with a +3 and a +7 enhancement bonus, which don't stack.

 

[Patlin]

Actually, it does both.

You now have a sword with a +3 and a +7 enhancement bonus, which don't stack.

Fair enough. I've looked at that particular rule with doubt for a long time. Glad to have an answer!