Darkwood weapons and enhancement [Archive] - Wizards Community

Darkwood weapons and enhancement [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The Vorpal Tribble
12-25-04, 11:59 PM My character had made a boomerang of darkwood and is going to have it enhanced with an ability. My DM says that though being darkwood makes it a masterwork item, with a +1 bonus, that this bonus is not the prerequisite enhancement bonus needed to give it an ability, and that I will have to enhance it with magic (+2), and THEN give it the ability (+3).

I had thought that by being a magical wood that it got the magical enhancement bonus neccessary... can anyone help me clarify this?

His words:

Exactly.

Notice in the description you quoted it says it is magical wood, but:

Quote:
Any wooden or mostly wooden item ... made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item.

It does not say that an item made of darkwood already contains the prerequisite +1 enhancement bonus required. As per the DMG p. 286:

Quote:
A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any of the abilities listed on table 7-14 or 7-15.

7-15 is the table for magical abilities on ranged weapons.

Therefore, darwood does automatically make it masterwork, but it does not automatically grant the +1 magical enhancement bonus necessary. Sorry to dissappoint.
Edymnion
12-26-04, 12:23 AM Gotta agree with him.
A weapon must be enchanted with a +1 before it can take other enchantments.
If the wood is giving you a "natural" +1 effect, I wouldn't have the enchantment stack, however. While your Masterwork Boomerang and a +1 version of the exact same boomerang may have the exact same stats, its cheaper than saying it now counts as a +2 weapon for enchantment purposes.

All this is just going off what you said though. Don't have my books handy to actually see how it works, and I'm about to go to bed, so I don't wanna fool with the SRD. But, off the cuff, thats how I'd handle it.
Nuntius128
12-26-04, 12:33 AM A Masterwork item only grants a +1 to attack rolls. But, a +1 item(which has to be masterwork to be enhanced) grants a +1 to attack and damage rolls, not stacking with the +1 from Masterwork quality. All Darkwood items are masterwork, and all +1 items are Masterwork, but not all Darkwood items are +1 items.

Now, that being said, what prerequisite enhancement are you talking about? As I said, in order to enhance an item, the only prerequisite for the item is that it is Masterwork. Unless I'm mistaken by what you're asking,the +3 means that the ability is the equivalent, in cost, to having a +3 enhancement. For example, the Brilliant Energy special ability has an equivalency of +4, meaning that it would cost 32000 gold + any item costs, such as that of darkwood, and the item itself. The +4 equivalency also means that for any additional enhancement(let's say Bane, which is +1), you would add the two enhancement numbers together, meaning that a Brilliant Energy(+4) Bane(+1) weapon would cost 50000 gold, the same as any other +5 enhancement. Is that what you're asking?

In other words, to give a +3 enhancement bonus to your item, you have to pay 18000 gold to the enhancer.

If that's not what you're asking, then, sorry, I was confused. Would you mind clarifying, if that doesn't help?

EDIT: I'm looking in the 3.5 Handbook, in case you're using 3.0. Though, looking over what it says, I guess I can't find where it says that? Can anyone shed light?
DM Zoc
12-26-04, 12:40 AM To add any special ability to a weapon requires that it first have at least +1 of magical enhancement first. You can have a +1 darkwood boomerang of returning, but you cannot have (just) a darkwood boomerang of returning.
The Vorpal Tribble
12-26-04, 12:42 AM I was going to have it enhanced from a simple darkwood boomerang into a Seeking darkwood boomerang, which is a +1 addition to the weapon.

My DM says that though it is Masterwork, he must first magically enhance it (pushing the boomerang up to a +2 weapon) so that it can have added the Seeker power (now a +3 weapon).

Sorry if I'm being unclear ;)
Aracor
12-26-04, 01:20 AM He's not quite right. You have to enchant it to a +1 weapon, then add seeking to make it a +1 boomerang of seeking. The +1 enhancement bonus overlaps with the fact that it's a masterwork weapon, which simply gives it a +1 to all attack rolls made with it.

So you have to make it a +1 weapon, add seeking and it's got a total of +2 enhancement for cost and such.

~Aracor
SlashDash
12-26-04, 03:18 AM Is the same applies for Adamantite?
Addi83
12-26-04, 11:00 AM Yes, the same applies.

The Boomerang is masterwork, which gives a +1 to attack and not to damage. That is not enough for an enchantment, so first you need to give it a minimum of a +1 enchantment (which applies to attack and damage but does not stack with the bonus from masterwork). Once it is a +1 item, you can add the seeking ability. Making a +1 Seeking Darkwood Boomerang, with the same cost as if you had given it a +2 enchantment.

For a boomerang, I would add the "Returning" ability, just for flavour. Seeing that a normal boomerang won't return after having hit something, but a returning one would.
Nuntius128
12-26-04, 06:02 PM That makes sense, but might I ask where it says that? I can't seem to find it, and I just wondered for clarification's sake.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Vorpal Tribble 12-25-04, 11:59 PM	My character had made a boomerang of darkwood and is going to have it enhanced with an ability. My DM says that though being darkwood makes it a masterwork item, with a +1 bonus, that this bonus is not the prerequisite enhancement bonus needed to give it an ability, and that I will have to enhance it with magic (+2), and THEN give it the ability (+3). I had thought that by being a magical wood that it got the magical enhancement bonus neccessary... can anyone help me clarify this? His words: Exactly. Notice in the description you quoted it says it is magical wood, but: Quote: Any wooden or mostly wooden item ... made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item. It does not say that an item made of darkwood already contains the prerequisite +1 enhancement bonus required. As per the DMG p. 286: Quote: A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any of the abilities listed on table 7-14 or 7-15. 7-15 is the table for magical abilities on ranged weapons. Therefore, darwood does automatically make it masterwork, but it does not automatically grant the +1 magical enhancement bonus necessary. Sorry to dissappoint.
Edymnion 12-26-04, 12:23 AM	Gotta agree with him. A weapon must be enchanted with a +1 before it can take other enchantments. If the wood is giving you a "natural" +1 effect, I wouldn't have the enchantment stack, however. While your Masterwork Boomerang and a +1 version of the exact same boomerang may have the exact same stats, its cheaper than saying it now counts as a +2 weapon for enchantment purposes. All this is just going off what you said though. Don't have my books handy to actually see how it works, and I'm about to go to bed, so I don't wanna fool with the SRD. But, off the cuff, thats how I'd handle it.
Nuntius128 12-26-04, 12:33 AM	A Masterwork item only grants a +1 to attack rolls. But, a +1 item(which has to be masterwork to be enhanced) grants a +1 to attack and damage rolls, not stacking with the +1 from Masterwork quality. All Darkwood items are masterwork, and all +1 items are Masterwork, but not all Darkwood items are +1 items. Now, that being said, what prerequisite enhancement are you talking about? As I said, in order to enhance an item, the only prerequisite for the item is that it is Masterwork. Unless I'm mistaken by what you're asking,the +3 means that the ability is the equivalent, in cost, to having a +3 enhancement. For example, the Brilliant Energy special ability has an equivalency of +4, meaning that it would cost 32000 gold + any item costs, such as that of darkwood, and the item itself. The +4 equivalency also means that for any additional enhancement(let's say Bane, which is +1), you would add the two enhancement numbers together, meaning that a Brilliant Energy(+4) Bane(+1) weapon would cost 50000 gold, the same as any other +5 enhancement. Is that what you're asking? In other words, to give a +3 enhancement bonus to your item, you have to pay 18000 gold to the enhancer. If that's not what you're asking, then, sorry, I was confused. Would you mind clarifying, if that doesn't help? EDIT: I'm looking in the 3.5 Handbook, in case you're using 3.0. Though, looking over what it says, I guess I can't find where it says that? Can anyone shed light?
DM Zoc 12-26-04, 12:40 AM	To add any special ability to a weapon requires that it first have at least +1 of magical enhancement first. You can have a +1 darkwood boomerang of returning, but you cannot have (just) a darkwood boomerang of returning.
The Vorpal Tribble 12-26-04, 12:42 AM	I was going to have it enhanced from a simple darkwood boomerang into a Seeking darkwood boomerang, which is a +1 addition to the weapon. My DM says that though it is Masterwork, he must first magically enhance it (pushing the boomerang up to a +2 weapon) so that it can have added the Seeker power (now a +3 weapon). Sorry if I'm being unclear ;)
Aracor 12-26-04, 01:20 AM	He's not quite right. You have to enchant it to a +1 weapon, then add seeking to make it a +1 boomerang of seeking. The +1 enhancement bonus overlaps with the fact that it's a masterwork weapon, which simply gives it a +1 to all attack rolls made with it. So you have to make it a +1 weapon, add seeking and it's got a total of +2 enhancement for cost and such. ~Aracor
SlashDash 12-26-04, 03:18 AM	Is the same applies for Adamantite?
Addi83 12-26-04, 11:00 AM	Yes, the same applies. The Boomerang is masterwork, which gives a +1 to attack and not to damage. That is not enough for an enchantment, so first you need to give it a minimum of a +1 enchantment (which applies to attack and damage but does not stack with the bonus from masterwork). Once it is a +1 item, you can add the seeking ability. Making a +1 Seeking Darkwood Boomerang, with the same cost as if you had given it a +2 enchantment. For a boomerang, I would add the "Returning" ability, just for flavour. Seeing that a normal boomerang won't return after having hit something, but a returning one would.
Nuntius128 12-26-04, 06:02 PM	That makes sense, but might I ask where it says that? I can't seem to find it, and I just wondered for clarification's sake.