Upgrading a Sword of Subtlety?

[0-hr]

Is it possible by the core rules alone to add the Keen ability to an existing Sword of Subtlety? If so, what would the cost be?

I see how to turn a +1 sword into a +1 Keen sword, but I don't see how to upgrade a weapon with a "fixed" cost.


As an aside, is it really true that a magic cloak (even a very expensive and powerful one) only has like 2 hitpoints and no hardness? That seems like it's automatically destroyed if it ever comes up after a "1" on a save.

 

[FireLance]

Here's how I would go about upgrading a Sword of Subtlety:

The Sword of Subtlety is basically a +1 weapon that becomes a +4 weapon under very specific circumstances, i.e. when it is used to make a sneak attack.

The +1 quality is constant and "worth" 2,310 gp (including cost of weapon). The "upgrade" to +4 would normally be worth 30,000 gp. However, there is a 33% "discount" to 20,000 gp since it isn't active all the time.

To get the cost of a Keen Sword of Subtlety, and assuming the Keen quality is constant, the base cost becomes 8,310 gp. When used to make a sneak attack, it becomes a Keen +4 sword, which normally costs 50,310 gp, or 42,000 gp more. Applying the 33% discount, the additional cost is 28,000 gp. A Keen Sword of Subtlety would thus cost 8,310 gp (base) + 28,000 gp = 36,310 gp.

Hence, the cost to upgrade is the difference between the cost of a normal Sword of Subtlety (22,310 gp) and the cost of a Keen Sword of Subtlety (36,310 gp) or 14,000 gp.

 

[kwiqsilver]

I don't think there's a fixed rule.
In my group, we break down the cost, and if it doesn't come up close to a certain number of plusses, we just use the difference between the cost and the plus cost of all the measurable plusses.

 

[frankthedm]

As an aside, is it really true that a magic cloak (even a very expensive and powerful one) only has like 2 hitpoints and no hardness? That seems like it's automatically destroyed if it ever comes up after a "1" on a save.

no confusion needed, thats exactly what happens. even magical cloth burns.

 

[Darklone]

Wasn't there something about magical things like more hitpoints and increased hardness? I remember something like a wallpaper example with hardness +15...

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I'm pretty sure that "fixed cost" weapons abilities don't count for adding new abilities.

 

[shilsen]

Wasn't there something about magical things like more hitpoints and increased hardness? I remember something like a wallpaper example with hardness +15...

You might be thinking about the "magically treated" option for walls listed in the DMG, pg.60-61 (table 3-9). You can have magically-treated paper walls with hardness 21 and 51 hp per 10 ft by 10 ft section

 

[edventure]

Subtlety

In our campaign we just called the "subtlety" power a +1 buff on a +1 weapon. Sure it goes to +4 but it's very situational (sneak attack only). My GM allowed my Duelist to commission a Rapier +1 with Keen (+1) and Subtlety (another +1).