D&D 5E pact blade question

[Kaychsea]

It breaks nothing to allow those weapons to be used as Pact weapons, just not letting the Warlock perma-vanish an Artifact is the intent of the rule methinks.

It doesn't though. Once the warlock dies the bond is broken and the pesky artifact is lying at the dead warlock's feat. So it takes it out for a while (a long while if it's an elf) but it's not lost.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Really? I've always intrepeted that only the one made out of warlocky energy is shapeable into any weapon. Are you sure that this can be done with bonded magical weapons as well?

This was my take as well. When you're creating your own weapon--POOF!--it makes sense that it can be whatever you want it to be. I'm a lot less convinced that the warlock should be able to take a pre-existing magic item and re-shape it at will.

 

[PnPgamer]

This was my take as well. When you're creating your own weapon--POOF!--it makes sense that it can be whatever you want it to be. I'm a lot less convinced that the warlock should be able to take a pre-existing magic item and re-shape it at will.

What if youd be able to harness the bonded magic items magic into a larger warlock energy weapon, ie. Put a magical longsword within a warlock created greatsword?

That would be awesome, and make warlock less dependant on what types ofcmagical weapons are given by dm.

 

[MasterTrancer]

Ive been reading it as 'no shunting an artifact into extra dimensional space'.

Blackrazor would make for an amazing Pact weapon Elric style.

And what about a Warlock whose pact is made WITH Blackrazor itself? [emoji6]

My feeling was that it was designed to stop Warlocks from sending artifacts (which have a lot of funky rules about destruction) off to a different plane where they cant be reached.

It breaks nothing to allow those weapons to be used as Pact weapons, just not letting the Warlock perma-vanish an Artifact is the intent of the rule methinks.

Blackrazor is clearly modelled on Stormbringer, and Bladelocks clearly have Elric flavor. Would be an awesome combo having a Noble background Human (or Albino Drow) Fiend pact Bladelock wielding Blackrazor.

 

[aramis erak]

I also read it as you can not make a sentient or artifact into a pact blade at all.

Same here. Doing so seems abusive, given the old gygaxian advice to make them regret keeping an artifact anyway by having NPC's constantly try to steal it...

 

[Eejit]

My feeling was that it was designed to stop Warlocks from sending artifacts (which have a lot of funky rules about destruction) off to a different plane where they cant be reached.

It breaks nothing to allow those weapons to be used as Pact weapons, just not letting the Warlock perma-vanish an Artifact is the intent of the rule methinks.

Blackrazor is clearly modelled on Stormbringer, and Bladelocks clearly have Elric flavor. Would be an awesome combo having a Noble background Human (or Albino Drow) Fiend pact Bladelock wielding Blackrazor.

I thought it was more about stopping Warlocks from sending Sentient and Artifact weapons into a demi-plane at will in order to avoid the conflicts that can be triggered with the magical item. Or to avoid the outcome of a conflict.
In addition some of the Major detrimental properties of Artifacts could be avoided or minimised if you can summon and banish the item at will.

 

[Lyrrados]

The flavor text about where you got your power from seems to point towards the weapon being changeable so I would let warlocks in my game change their weapon.

 

[pukunui]

Out of curiosity, I asked my DM about this. He was happy to rule it that you can make an artifact or sentient weapon your pact blade; you just can't dismiss them into an extradimensional space.