New Magic Weapon Special Ability: Reappearing

[Sertimon]

I just realized that the core rules don’t cover this, so I decided to make one up. If there’s something similar on these boards or anywhere else, directions to that source would be most welcome. Otherwise you’re free to comment on this special weapon ability. Don’t know if it’s good enough for a +2 bonus, but it’s better than the returning quality so I figured +2 would be alright. What do you think?

Reappearing: This special ability can only be placed on a weapon that can be thrown. A reappearing weapon instantaneously reappears in the throwers hand. It reappears just after an attack has been made, allowing a character with multiple attacks to use his full attack rate. Grapping hold to a reappearing weapon when it rematerializes is a free action.
Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, dimension door; Price +2 bonus.

 

[Suldulin]

look to the psihandbook, basically it's just the same as "Returning" but with the different flavor text of teleporting back iirc.

 

[BSF]

Umm, not quite. Teleporting and Returning properties are functionally the same but they are different from *this* property.

Reappearing brings the weapon back to your hand immediately, not at the beginning of the next round. This means you can use it with you AOO's if they come up, you can get reiterative thrown attacks, etc.

I think I would go on the conservative side and say this is a +3 property. This would be a great property to put on a spear. Consider how much cheaper it would make it for a high-level fighter to enchant the snot out of a spear, throw it and then set against that charging barbarian. Or throw, throw, throw, throw with the same weapon that has enhancements and other special properties. Rather than having to pay for multiple spears, you can just buy the one. It doesn't have the range of a bow, but then again you don't have to worry about your opponent closing with you and you having to drop your bow and draw a weapon either.

 

[Sertimon]

I think I would go on the conservative side and say this is a +3 property. This would be a great property to put on a spear. Consider how much cheaper it would make it for a high-level fighter to enchant the snot out of a spear, throw it and then set against that charging barbarian. Or throw, throw, throw, throw with the same weapon that has enhancements and other special properties. Rather than having to pay for multiple spears, you can just buy the one. It doesn't have the range of a bow, but then again you don't have to worry about your opponent closing with you and you having to drop your bow and draw a weapon either.

Yeah, you have some valid points. I am not too worried about letting characters use their thrown weapons for AoO, since you can do this within melee range anyway. You basically get to use your thrown weapon exactly like a melee weapon, so I don't really see how this could be any cheaper or more effective with enhancements or other special properties (I guess you’re saying like flaming or shocking). I am not so keen about letting it be a +3 property. What do other people think? Is it to good to be a +2 property?

 

[CombatWombat51]

What do other people think? Is it to good to be a +2 property?

I think +2 is fine. I have experience with this exact enchantment . A few months before 3E came out, my fighter character found a magical guantlet that allowed him to throw any melee weapon and teleport back into his hand immidiately, just as you described. Anyhow, I've had, and used, that glove with super-kewl greatsword for all of 3E and now 3.5, and there haven't been any balance problems. A range increment of 10' simply sucks when compared to a real ranged attack. I find it's most useful when a creature runs away and instead of chasing it down and getting one attack, I can stand there and get a full attack on it, though with penalties for range.

As for it making magical thrown weapons too powerful, I can see BSF'spoint, but I don't think that's such a bad thing at higher level play, which is when an item like this would come into being. So it allows a thrower to get through DR of creatures without carrying an extremely expensve golf bag? The archer gets arrows 50 for 1, the basher doesn't throw his weapon away... seems like giving the thrower back his stuff, at the cost of +2, is plenty fair.

 

[Suldulin]

ah, heh, should teach me to post at 2.30 am

anyway, it seems fine at +2 for me, especially since most thrown weapons have short range increments.

 

[Sertimon]

Thanks for the help guys! I think I will stick with a +2 property (if I don't hear anymore objections against this), just gonna hear with a couple of friends and see what they think.

Good point with the short range increments, Suldulin. Didn't think about that.