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WEAPONS As magic items go, magic weapons are a staple of all campaigns. Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. All magic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonus on attack rolls does not stack with their enhancement bonus on attack rolls. Weapons come in two basic categories: melee and ranged. Some of the weapons listed as melee weapons (for example, daggers) can also be used as ranged weapons. In this case, their enhancement bonus applies to either type of attack. In addition to an enhancement bonus, weapons may have special abilities, such as the ability to flame or the ability to attack on their own. Special abilities count as additional bonuses for determining the market value of the item, but do not modify attack or damage bonuses (except where specifically noted). A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. You can’t simply have a flaming longsword—it would have to be at least a +1 flaming longsword. Additional Damage Dice: Some magic weapons deal additional dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit. Ranged Weapons and Ammunition: The enhancement bonus from a ranged weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus from ammunition. Only the higher of the two enhancement bonuses applies. Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. • A sling stone hurled from a +1 sling is treated as a magic weapon. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment (such as a +1 holy longbow or a masterwork crossbow under the effect of the align weapon spell) gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have). • A +1 unholy arrow fired from a +2 anarchic shortbow would be both evil-aligned and chaos- aligned (the former from its own unholy special ability, the latter from the shortbow). Magic Ammunition and Breakage: When a magic arrow, crossbow bolt, or sling bullet misses its target, there is a 50% chance it breaks or otherwise is rendered useless. A magic arrow, bolt, or bullet that hits is destroyed. Light Generation: Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell (bright light in a 20- foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can’t be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions. Hardness and Hit Points: Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 1 to a weapon’s hardness and 1 to its hit points. Only the weapon’s actual enhancement bonus applies; special properties with an enhancement bonus equivalent for the purpose of determining market price don’t increase the hardness or hit points of a weapon. Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions Name: Each entry begins with the feat name, it's source, then a summary of the feat. The name of the spell is color coded to indicate what feats are useful and what feats is a waste of space. The color scheme is as follows, using colors in the following order: Below Average Feat (Orange), Average (Green), An Above Average Feat (Blue), You’d be a fool not to take this (Purple) Price: All weapon abilities have a price which is either an increase in the enhancement bonus for purposes of calculating the price, or a flat gold piece value. A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus property bonus equivalents) higher than +10, nor can it have a market price (not counting special materials or the price of the masterwork weapon itself) of greater than 200,000 gp (or 200,000 gp for each end of a double weapon). Property: This indicates what the property can be added to. Usually it is any weapon. Some properties can be applied only to a particular category of weapons, and are so noted. A few properties can be added only to a smaller subset of a category (such as projectile weapons). Not all properties can be added to ammunition. Properties that can only be used a limited number of times per day are not available for use in ammunition. Other weapon abilities are not available in ammunition, and you will find that in this part of the stat block. • Ammo - This means you can apply it any ammunition. Only radiant holding has this quality. • Ammo/Melee/Thrown - This means you can apply it to any ammo, melee, or thrown weapon. This is usually a weapon ability that must directly contact the target. • Any - This means you can apply it to any weapon or ammunition. • Any Weapon - This can be applied to any weapon, but not ammunition. Weapon abilities that have a limited use per day typically cannot be applied to ammunition. • Bludgeoning Ammo/Melee/Thrown - This means you can apply it to any blunt ammo, melee, or thrown weapon. Only impact has this quality. • Bludgeoning Melee - This means you can apply it to any bludgeoning melee weapon. Only disruption has this quality. • Bow - This means you can apply it to any bow, but you cannot apply it to the ammunition. Only arcane might has this quality. • Bow, Crossbow, Arrow, Bolt - This means you can apply it to any bow, crossbow, arrow, or bolt. Only splitting has this quality. • Crossbow - This means you can apply it to any crossbow, but you cannot apply it to the ammunition. Only quick loading has this quality. • Katana - This means you can apply it only to a katana. Only focus has his quality. • Light Melee - This means you can apply it to any light melee weapon. Only shielding has this quality. • Light Weapon, Rapier, Whip, Spiked Chain - This means you can apply it to any light weapon, or a rapier, whip, or spiked chain. Only Finesse has this quality. • Melee - This means you can apply it to any melee weapon. Any weapon ability that is melee only becomes dormant if, for any reason, the weapon is used as a ranged attack. • Melee/Thrown - This means you can apply it to any melee or thrown weapon. Only morphing has this quality. • Piercing Melee - This means you can apply it to any piecing melee weapon. • Piercing/Slashing Melee - This means you can apply it to any piercing or slashing melee weapon. Usually that means a bladed weapon. • Piercing/Slashing Melee, Whip, Scourge - This means you can apply it to any piercing or slashing melee weapon, and to a whip or a scourge. Only viper has this quality. • Projectile - This means you can apply it to any bow, crossbow, sling, or weapon that throws a projectile. You can also apply this against the weapon’s ammunition. Only bloodseeking, dragonhunter, and force have this quality. • Ranged - This means you can apply it to any ranged weapon or ammunition. Only distance, exit wound, precise, and seeking have this quality. • Siege - This means you can apply it to siege weapons. You cannot apply it to the ammo itself. Only disrupting, necromantic, self-loading, and starburst have this quality. • Slashing Melee - This means you can apply it to any slashing melee weapon. Only passage, vorpal, and whirling has this quality. • Spear, Shortspear, Longspear - This means you can apply it only to a spear, shortspear, or longspear. Only changeling has this quality. • Thrown - This means you can apply it to any thrown weapon. This includes melee weapons that have gained the weapon ability throwing. Only returning and teleporting have this quality. • Two-Handed Melee - This means you can apply it to any two-handed melee weapon. Only berserker has this quality. Caster Level: The caster level of a weapon with a special ability is given in the item stat block. For an item with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met. Aura: The item’s aura strength, which is revealed if it is subjected to a detect magic spell, followed by a semicolon. Next, in parentheses, is the Spellcraft DC required to determine the school of magic, followed by the school or schools of magic associated with the item’s aura (usually determined by the spells listed in an item’s prerequisites). If the item requires only universal spells, or if it requires no spells, this reads “no school.” If multiple spells of different schools are required, the item’s aura is of the school of the highest-level spell. When two spells of different schools are equally high in level, the entry mentions both schools. Activation: Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by attacking with it. If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate (such as the sunlight power of a sun blade), then the type of action required to activate the item’s effect, along with what the user must do to activate the item is include in this entry. An entry of — indicates the item operates continuously, without any need for activation.

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