Pricing on weapon quality

[apesamongus]

I'm not sure it this would be a +X cost or simply a straight GP/XP cost, but any ideas on a good pricing for a quality that allows a weapon to use a different ability score than strength to determine attack bonus? For instance, a mace that uses wisdom for to hit?

 

[maddman75]

Hmm. Well, the closest thing to that ability that I know of is the Weapon Finesse feat. The only feat converted to a weapon in the SRD is the Mighty Cleaving weapon, and that's rated +1. This is quite a bit better than that, since it can allow any stat to take the place of Str, and it isn't restricted to light weapons. I'd say +3.

 

[Phaedrus]

+3? That seems high. Heck, just do a straight +3 bonus (to hit and damage) and that'd be even better (until you have Wisdom 18+, but would you rather have +5 hit/+0 damage or +3 to both?)

I'd say +1, but that's too low, so how about +2?

But that's just a gut feel approach, not based on rules comparisons like maddman75 provided.

 

[maddman75]

Its plenty powerful, as it would instantly turn any noncombat character into a combat machine. Think of a cleric using his wisdom, or a rogue using his dex - for attack AND damage without using a feat! Not to mention that it would have modifiers in addition to this, at least +1.

 

[apesamongus]

Its plenty powerful, as it would instantly turn any noncombat character into a combat machine. Think of a cleric using his wisdom, or a rogue using his dex - for attack AND damage without using a feat!

I just said attack, not damage. If the ability chosen were dex, this ability would only be different than Weapon Finesse in that it's not limited to weapon size. And as for it working without taking a feat, if I made it a feat instead of a weapon ability, then almost all of my players would take it. I think it's much mroe powerful than a feat.

Not to mention that it would have modifiers in addition to this, at least +1.

That isn't really relevant. The ability (and most weapon enhancements, actually) would be more powerful if you didn't have to buy a +1 first.