my new magical weapon special abilities - balanced?

[atom crash]

Would the following magical weapon special abilities for melee weapons be balanced at a +1 cost?

Ability 1: Once per day, resolve a melee weapon attack as a melee touch attack.
Ability 2: Once per day, gain 5' reach (or add 5' reach) with this weapon for one round.

I'd also appreciate help in coming up with a name and fluff text for each of these abilities.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[darthkilmor]

Would the following magical weapon special abilities for melee weapons be balanced at a +1 cost?

Ability 1: Once per day, resolve a melee weapon attack as a melee touch attack.
Ability 2: Once per day, gain 5' reach (or add 5' reach) with this weapon for one round.

I'd also appreciate help in coming up with a name and fluff text for each of these abilities.

Thanks in advance for the help.

They seem fine as +1 abilities, even a bit weak I think.
Ability 1: (Seems kinda similar to if as if it was a Brilliant Energy weapon)
Ability 2: (Not sure how this would Actually Work, would a longsword get longer/bigger? Does the wielder get bigger? Does the wielder kind of displace/phase around to reach the opponent?)

 

[atom crash]

They seem fine as +1 abilities, even a bit weak I think.

If that's so, what would be better? Twice per day? Three times per day? Once per encounter?

Ability 1: (Seems kinda similar to if as if it was a Brilliant Energy weapon)

That's what I'm going for: a limited use brilliant energy weapon. Or a weapon with an integrated Heartseeker Amulet (Magic Item Compendium).

Ability 2: (Not sure how this would Actually Work, would a longsword get longer/bigger? Does the wielder get bigger? Does the wielder kind of displace/phase around to reach the opponent?)

Neither the wielder nor the weapon should change size; that would open up more room for headaches than I want with this ability. I was going for something similar to the function of the Greatreach Bracers (Magic Item Compendium) integrated into the weapon.

 

[SlagMortar]

I would make it a flat cost of something like 1.5x or 2x the cost of the items you are emulating. This would be similar to making the item you are emulating a slotless item.

 

[atom crash]

While I considered that approach, what I'd really like to do is balance it as a +1 weapon special ability for ease of use.

The ability to re-roll one attack per day [lucky] or adding 1d6 fire damage to every attack [flaming] or doubling the threat range of every attack [keen] is a +1 weapon ability. So in comparison, what's the relative value of being able to bypass armor or extend your reach [x] number of times per day? What value of [x] balances the equation?

 

[darthkilmor]

While I considered that approach, what I'd really like to do is balance it as a +1 weapon special ability for ease of use.

The ability to re-roll one attack per day [lucky] or adding 1d6 fire damage to every attack [flaming] or doubling the threat range of every attack [keen] is a +1 weapon ability. So in comparison, what's the relative value of being able to bypass armor or extend your reach [x] number of times per day? What value of [x] balances the equation?

What about instead of x times per day, make it a percentile. Something like:
1/6 chance for any attack, that the weapon functions as a brilliant energy weapon. More dice to roll / stuff to keep track of though. You could describe it as randomly flaring up with light, kind of like when Goku goes supersaiyan ^_^.

 

[Infiniti2000]

A few general comments.

1. You'll need to specify if the action require to activate these functions is a standard action (the default) or a swift action, or part of the use of the weapon.

2. Ability one seems weak for a single attack. Making it last one round would be much better, but balance that with the added bonus that the attacker will have none of the drawbacks of increasing size (minuses to hit and AC). 1/day for 1 round as a swift action might be suitable for +1 equivalent.

3. Ability two is more alike to wraithstrike than brilliant energy. Use wraithstrike as an example, but be warned that a lot of people ban wraithstrike. Personally, this ability is just too . . . non-standard for a lot of people to fully appreciate. It would allow someone to do a full attack with probably full power attack and still hit. Calculate out how many additional hit points that is for two-handed and you'll see how crazy it can be. I really don't like the idea of game-mechanical advantages for no reason. Ignoring armor, shields, etc. for no reason doesn't make sense. At least brilliant energy has some drawbacks tied in with the flavor of why/how it bypasses armor.

4. I'm one of those people who hates +X modifiers to special abilities. I like static bonuses.

 

[Anticitizen One]

These 1/day abilities do seem a little weak for a +1 ability, but it might be tough to make it workable without making it too powerful.

Maybe you could have them usable a number of times per day equal to 1 + an ability mod (like Brutal Surge from MIC), say Con for the touch attack and Dex for reach? Maybe a flat out 2/day?

For the touch attack, the wielder should definitely have to declare the use before making the attack. Making a normal weapon attack as a touch attack is a really powerful ability and can really turn the tide of a combat, so you should be careful with this one. It pretty much lets any Power Attacker go all out on PA and still stand an excellent chance of hitting.