Magic Weapon Question

[Khelvan]

Got a question to Magic Weapons perhaps someone can telll me what happens here.
If one has an Longsword +1 defender and the friendliy cleric casts greater Magical
Weapon on it so that it becomes + 4 Longsword.
The quesition now is does the defending Ability works with the + 1 or the + 4 bonus.

Thanks

Khelvan.

 

[3d6]

+4 bonus.

 

[Starglim]

A defending weapon allocates part of the weapon's enhancement bonus to AC. Greater magic weapon cast by a 16th level cleric gives the weapon a +4 enhancement bonus. There's nothing in the Defending description to say that only permanent enhancement bonuses can be reallocated, so it would be up to +4.

 

[glass]

can of worms

A defending weapon allocates part of the weapon's enhancement bonus to AC. Greater magic weapon cast by a 16th level cleric gives the weapon a +4 enhancement bonus. There's nothing in the Defending description to say that only permanent enhancement bonuses can be reallocated, so it would be up to +4.

The interesting question is; if you allocate +4 bonus to defence, does it still have a +1 bonus to attack damage as well. It previously had two overlapping bonusses, and you have only transfered on of them (or have you?).


glass.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Now, the interesting question.

The longsword now has two enhancement bonuses that do not stack; one permanent, and one from the spell. "The weapon's enhancement bonus" effectively comes from two sources.

So given that the Defending ability allows the wielder to transfer "some or all" of the weapon's enhancement bonus, can he choose the "some" of the enhancement bonus that comes from the spell, while excluding the "other some" of the enhancement bonus that comes from the Craft feat?

In other words, can he transfer +4 to AC, leaving +1 not transferred?

Edit - Ha! Glass beat me to the same interesting question!

-Hyp.

 

[Bront]

I would guess it would allow you to use up to the +4. Just make sure you don't let the bonus's stack (It would use the higher one).

I could see a GM ruling that the defending atribute did not apply at all to the +4, but I don't see any specific ruling on stacking GMW with an already enchanted item other than the bonuses don't stack.

 

[Bront]

The answer to the interesting question would be no, either you have it or you don't.

However, I can see the situation of allowing the user to still defend with the +1 while attacking with the +4.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Now, the interesting question.

The longsword now has two enhancement bonuses that do not stack; one permanent, and one from the spell. "The weapon's enhancement bonus" effectively comes from two sources.

Actually, this question arises even before the GMW spell is cast.

All +1 weapons are also masterwork weapons. So if you transfer the magical +1 enhancement bonus to your AC, does the masterwork enhancement bonus still apply to your attack rolls?

I say no, but the question remains.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Actually, this question arises even before the GMW spell is cast.

Indeed. And I'd say yes - the masterwork enhancement bonus can still apply (This was less debatable in 3E, where the +1 granted by the masterwork quality was not an enhancement bonus, and therefore could not be interpreted to be affected by the transfer. But in 3.5, I'd still argue that the 'some or all' clause provides for transferring the magical bonus while leaving the masterwork bonus in place.)

Of course, there's one other Defending question we haven't revisited in this thread.

If you transfer all of the weapon's enhancement bonus away, it is temporarily not 'a weapon with at least a +1 enhancement bonus', and so it is no longer eligible to possess the Defending special ability.

This would mean that transferring all of the enhancement bonus would result in the weapon temporarily becoming a non-Defending weapon, which would result in the enhancement bonus returning, which would result in it becoming once again a Defending weapon... but since it's no longer 'the start of the round', you can't reallocate it.

To actually gain an AC benefit, you would of necessity leave at least one 'plus' untransferred, so the masterwork issue would never actually arise.

-Hyp.

 

[kjenks]

Read the Defending ability again then ask your self, "Am I transferring some of the enhancement bonus or all of it?"

If you're transferring all of it to AC, well, all means all, including that +1 enhancement bonus from masterwork.

All means all.