Can mending repair a destroyed non-magical item?


Rules Questions


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Simple question. Mending can repair a destroyed magic item, though it loses its powers. Can it repair a destroyed non-magical item? The destroyed condition specifically says the object cannot be repaired.

Sovereign Court

isn't your answer in your question?


The "damaging objects" section and mending seem to be at odds.

If nothing else though, Make Whole should work..


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
lastknightleft wrote:

isn't your answer in your question?

I'm going to go with, "No, this seems really confusing to me."

Sovereign Court

RJGrady wrote:
lastknightleft wrote:

isn't your answer in your question?

I'm going to go with, "No, this seems really confusing to me."

Mending cannot restore mundane items that are destroyed, if a magical item is destroyed mending can restore it's mundane functionality (an exception) maybe the magic of a magic item allows it to remain somewhat more recoverable than normal items sorta residual durability imparted by the magic. At least that's RAW, now RAI I think it was intended to be able to restore hit points even after an item is destroyed, but as a cantrip I think it's actually believable within the power of a 0 level spell, that destroyed items are just too beyond repair for the minor magic to piece it back together so I have no problem with the RAW.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I'm not sure why a cantrip should be able to restore a magical item, but not its magic. But not a non-magical item. I feel like some sentence of explanation is missing.

Scarab Sages

RJGrady wrote:
I'm not sure why a cantrip should be able to restore a magical item, but not its magic. But not a non-magical item. I feel like some sentence of explanation is missing.

It does seem a bit conflicted, especially since you can take a battered, broken sword (1 hp left) and mend it fully but take that last point and you can't. I mean what happened did the sword disolve into a puddle of goo?


Magic items are inherently masterwork yes? Perhaps its their masterwork construction that makes magic items recoverable. Perhaps then it stands that Mending works to recover destroyed masterworks? Just grasping at straws here...

Sovereign Court

I think the idea of residual durability from the magic is as close to an acceptable explanation your gonna get. Masterworks also by the RAW can't be repaired. Only Items that were at one point magical can be restored. As for the difference between one hit point and 0 mundane objects all have self destruct buttons, when you get that last hp you hit weapons self destruct button.


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Let's take another look:

Quote:
This spell repairs damaged objects, restoring 1d4 hit points to the object. If the object has the broken condition, this condition is removed if the object is restored to at least half its original hit points. All of the pieces of an object must be present for this spell to function. Magic items can be repaired by this spell, but you must have a caster level equal to or higher than that of the object. Magic items that are destroyed (at 0 hit points or less) can be repaired with this spell, but this spell does not restore their magic abilities. This spell does not affect creatures (including constructs). This spell has no effect on objects that have been warped or otherwise transmuted, but it can still repair damage done to such items.

1. Is a destroyed object damaged? Yes. We're already good unless something else specifically contradicts it.

2. Does the object have the broken condition? Yes or no, depending on whether you adjudicate that "destroyed" replaces "broken", but it doesn't really matter for this purpose.
3. Are all of the pieces of the object present? Assume "yes", or the spell won't work regardless.
4. Is the item magic? No, so the sentence regarding magic items is not relevant.
5. Is the object a creature? Assume "no", or the spell won't work regardless.
6. Was the object warped or otherwise transmuted? Assume "no", or the spell won't work regardless (unless it was damaged after warping/transmuting, per the text).

In summary, the first sentence is inclusively worded, so mending works on any damaged object, not just broken or not-quite-broken ones. A destroyed object is still an object, and it has still been damaged. So, subject to the usual limits of the spell (weight limit, pieces requirement, non-creatures only, not warped or transmuted).

Sovereign Court

first I would like to qualify that I trusted the OP and went with his statement about the destroyed condition. He said that destroyed condition states that if it has the destroyed condition it can't be repaired. Subsequently I have tried to search the PRD for the destroyed condition and have found as far as I am able to determine, there is no destroyed condition. There is a broken condition, but the closest I could find to what the OP was talking about about was in the vehicle section under destroyed vehicles. When I checked the rules for equipment they only stated that an item with 0 hp is ruined.

As such, everything I said is wrong. Since there is no destroyed condition for items, (unless someone can show me where this is cause I can't find it in the PRD) objects at 0 hp are perfectly subjectable to mending spells so long as you have all the pieces. Sorry I should have double checked before posting, I'll be more strict with myself in the future :)


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Additional Rules

Quote:

Damaged Objects: A damaged object remains functional with the broken condition until the item's hit points are reduced to 0, at which point it is destroyed.

Damaged (but not destroyed) objects can be repaired with the Craft skill and a number of spells.

Vehicles

Quote:


Destroyed: A vehicle is destroyed when it is reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to its number of squares. A destroyed vehicle cannot be repaired, and is nothing more than junk.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I don't see the spell as being inclusive. That is, it doesn't repair items because they are damaged, but only if they are no more than damaged. For instance, you have to have all the pieces, so it can't be disintegrated or dropped in lava.

The spell seems to indicate that, maybe, probably, it could repair a destroyed object, but the rules on damaging objects say spells cannot repair destroyed items. And mending is a cantrip.


Mending is now the PERFECT spell for any NPC. As long as you keep all the pieces you can repair ANY weapon by level 15; all light and most 1 handed by 5th. That's not a bad little business. Take a rank in Craft (weaponsmithing) as well as levels in Adept. You are a talented weapon maker and devout of (x) who can repair weapons in 10 minutes. Sure, right in the middle of a dungeon it's not helpful but hire this guy to protect the camp. All those old, nasty rusty swords the skeletons are carrying? Money in the bank.

And why stop at weapons? Dungeon sconces, ancient maps and illegible tomes, locks, used ammo, old shields and clothes. Consider that fashion always goes in cycles; you come across some old zombie in their burial dress - it can be fixed up and good as new in 10 minutes, then sold as "vintage" for serious cash!

Oh man, I think I have a new reason for a shop selling magic items. Take 1 adept with Medning, Detect Magic and Prestidigitation. Put a dungeon nearby with tons of "smalls" like vases, books, hand tools, light or one-handed weapons, etc. Suddenly you have not some old witch in the woods but a tidy shopkeep with a curio shop crammed full of antiquities. 90% of these are non-magical but being sold at higher prices because of their history and such, like a RL antique shop. The other 10% are very minor items that the adept either enchanted themselves (take Scribe Scroll or if the adept is high level enough Craft Wondrous Item) or is the rare minor magic item brought back from the dungeon.

Abe's Antiques? 2nd Time Around run by April O'Neill? Oh the possibilities...

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