+Magic Armor Rules -Help?

[Rhun]

Chances are your DM will just houserule it any way, even if one of us finds something to prove it to him.

 

[Dandu]

Okay, so I have the aforementioned +1 Longsword of Speed and Brilliant Energy. Total is +8.

I cast Greater Magic Weapon on it, bumping its attack bonus to +4 or +5.

I'm now holding a weapon which is effectively a +11 or +12 total.

Is that legal?

Yes.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Yes.

I thought the rules said a max of +10? if so, the +11 or more is not legal.

 

[Rhun]

Technically, a weapon can't have an enhancement bonus of more than +5 per the SRD, so casting a +4 Magic Weapon spell on a +2 weapon is still gonna be capped at +5.

 

[Dandu]

I thought the rules said a max of +10? if so, the +11 or more is not legal.

The weapon itself does not have more than +10. The spell effect you tack on to it does.

 

[Rhun]

The weapon itself does not have more than +10. The spell effect you tack on to it does.

Of course now that I look at it, enhancement bonuses don't stack anyway:

"An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the sturdiness and/or effectiveness of armor or natural armor, or the effectiveness of a weapon, or a general bonus to an ability score. Multiple enhancement bonuses on the same object (in the case of armor and weapons), creature (in the case of natural armor), or ability score do not stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies. Since enhancement bonuses to armor or natural armor effectively increase the armor or natural armor's bonus to AC, they don't apply against touch attacks. "

 

[Dandu]

Yes, but if I read the question correctly, I think it was about whether a +1 sword with +9 worth of enchantments would benefit from GMW?

 

[Rhun]

Yes, but if I read the question correctly, I think it was about whether a +1 sword with +9 worth of enchantments would benefit from GMW?

Yes, that was the OP's question. I haven't found anything that refutes his assertion. On the flip side, I haven't found any examples that back it up either.

 

[Sorrowdusk]

Well...really GMW was never apart of the equation. It was whether you could have a +1 weapon with +9 in special abilities, which again, nothing against, but as someone noted, very little evidence for (as NPCs tend to have that +X To Hit/Dmg bonus more than a lot of specials) outside of a straight forward reading of the rules.

But on someone elses question about GMW, well, IMC I would allow it namely because its a spell doing it. The rules only say a weapon created with Craft Arms/Armor feat cant be made that way, but in the case of GMW its a spell.

 

[Dross]

My new GM is insiting that the Enhancement bonus for Armor AND Special abilities are BOTH capped at +5. So they are saying you could have +5 to AC and a +5 Property, BUT NOT +1 to AC and +9 in Properties. Likewise with weapons.

Everything I can find including the SRD ONLY explicitly states that Enhancement Bonuses (which stack with regular armor bonuses) are capped at +5 and the modified enhancement bonus is capped at +10.They are pretty adamant about this despite the evidence.

I never interpreted the rules the way your DM does, I run/play in games where it is a total +10.

You could always ask nicely for a rules clarification by asking where the rules state this cap. Then you can thrash out the English used.
If it is a house rule, then tough luck , but it should be stated as a house rule if that is the case.

I'd also note that not everything in the core books are in the SRD, although in this case the rule should be.

However after a bit of searching I found these tidbits in the DMG:
Armour:

• (pg216, 2nd sentence): Magic armor bonuses are enhancement bonuses, never rise above +5,....
• (pg219, last 2 sentences of the 2nd paragraph): A suit of armor cannot have an effective bonus (enhancement plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A suit of armor with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Weapons:

• (pg221, 2nd & 3rd sentences): Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat.
• (pg221, last couple of sentences in the 3rd paragraph): A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

I can see why the DM's has the +5 caps now.