magic weapons: special materials after the fact

[Davelozzi]

What do you guys think about adding special materials to weapons after the fact? Should someone who has an existing magical weapon that they don't want to get rid of be able to add an outer layer of cold iron, alchemical silver, or some other special material to the blade?

I'm pretty sure that this isn't explicity spelled out in the rules so it's more of an opinion question. Thanks!

 

[Plane Sailing]

My opinion is no - I wouldn't allow it in my campaign. I'd rule that the material properties are at the most fundamental level of the weapon, and couldn't be layered on afterwards.

Cheers

 

[alsih2o]

whilst i agree with PS's logic i let it happen for flavor reasons.

heck, in one game i have a barbarian who keeps advancing the powers of his greatclub. just a nasty hunk of wood with "earthshaker" carved into it.

i like weapons gaining power with the character.

 

[kengar]

I like weapons gaining power with the character.

While I like that -in thory- too and allow it sometimes, in the case of materials, I would think that if the weapon weren't made that way to start, then you can't change it later.

 

[alsih2o]

While I like that -in thory- too and allow it sometimes, in the case of materials, I would think that if the weapon weren't made that way to start, then you can't change it later.

so, there is no plating in your world? or are all the smoths just drinkards?

 

[kengar]

so, there is no plating in your world? or are all the smoths just drinkards?

Nope, no plating. Of course, there's no item creation either since I dropped d20 like yesterday's fish-wrapper months ago.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

so, there is no plating in your world? or are all the smoths just drinkards?

My rule is, plating isn't enough to grant the material bonus.

I'd allow a weapon to be "made" into a different material, but it'd be a magical/alchemical process costing several times the difference between the current weapon and how much the weapon would cost if made of the new material (so that the adamantine enchantment penalty still applies).

 

[alsih2o]

Nope, no plating. Of course, there's no item creation either since I dropped d20 like yesterday's fish-wrapper months ago.

do you allow plating of yesterdays fish wrapper?

 

[diaglo]

do you allow plating of yesterdays fish wrapper?

you plate newspaper?

what do you do for the chips and mushy peas?

 

[Czhorat]

so, there is no plating in your world? or are all the smoths just drinkards?

The second edition rules explicitly stated that a silver weapon, for example, had to be pure silver -- not plated bronze or iron or steel. I'd keep this rule even if it isn't already an explicit part of 3rd edition, or 3.5, or 3.5a, or whatever number we're up to by the time I finish this post.

If you really WANT to allow plating that's OK, but a cruel DM might rule that it keeps getting worn off if used in battle and needs replacing.