Question about an Item - Defender blade

[Greenfield]

My character was gifted a magic weapon, a Defender blade.

The item description says that the wielder can apply some or all of the weapon's magic bonus to improve AC, but you have to declare how you want to apply it before you use the blade that round.

What happens if you have such a blade with, say, a +3 enhyancement, and you cast Greater Magic Weapon on it to increase the bonus?

Can you now allocate allof the enhancement, including the GMW bonus, to defense?

 

[Ahnehnois]

It says you can allocate "the sword's enhancement bonus", which I would read to mean the weapon's enchantment, not a bonus that originates from a spell someone cast on it.

 

[Greenfield]

A valid way to read it.

The spell, however, adds that same type of bonus.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I don't believe there ever was an official answer.

Speaking more practically, allowing GMW to be used with Defending makes both of them better than they were likely intended to be. Since Defending weapons aren't that great to begin with, it probably doesn't matter.

 

[Greenfield]

How useful it is depends on how tricky/devious/willing-to-bend-rules you are.

Under Two Weapon fighting rules, you suffer an attack penalty if you attack with a second weapon in your off hand.

The exact wording on the Defender blade says that you have to declare where the bonus is before you use the blade that round.

We have a player in our group who reads that as, "If my character uses a Main Gauche in his off hand, purely as a parrying weapon, he's only attacking with one weapon so he takes no attack penalty. If that second blade is a defender and its "use" is purely to parry, I can declare all of it's bonus to defense".

Admitted, it's an expensive shield, but his class isn't proficient with shield, so it's a workable deal for him. (Expensive, as in he's paying for +4 weapon plus the Defender quality, instead of a +2 large shield, or a +3 Buckler or light shield.")

Looking at what I've written, I think I have to agree: It's not that useful an enchantment.