New gloomblade archetype and weapon feats


Rules Questions


So im looking at the new Gloomblade archetype for the fighter and was wondering how feats like weapon focus and such work in conjunction with your shadow weapons.

Gloomblade
Source Planar Adventures pg. 14
The Shadow Plane’s substance is legendary for its versatility. In shadow-shrouded lands, secretive martial practitioners long ago learned to shape supernatural weapons from ribbons of pure darkness.

Student of Darkness (Ex): A gloomblade gains Acrobatics, Knowledge (planes), Perception, and Stealth as class skills, but does not gain Climb, Handle Animal, Ride, or Swim as class skills.

This alters the fighter’s class skills.

Shadow Weapon (Su): A gloomblade can create a shadowy weapon in a free hand as a move action. This can take the form of any melee weapon with which he is proficient. A gloomblade can have only one shadow weapon in existence at a time; creating a new shadow weapon causes an existing shadow weapon to vanish. At 3rd level, the shadow weapon acts as a magic weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus; this bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels a gloomblade has beyond 2nd, to a maximum enhancement bonus of +5 at 18th level.

At 7th level, a gloomblade can create (and maintain) two shadow weapons at a time as a move action; if he does, each weapon has an enhancement bonus 1 lower than normal. If a gloomblade creates only one weapon, it gains a weapon special ability of his choice (chosen upon creation); the ability must be valid for the shadow weapon’s weapon type and must be chosen from defending, flaming, frost, keen, ghost touch, merciful, shock, thundering, or vicious. (Additional special abilities might qualify, at the GM’s discretion.)

At 11th level, a gloomblade’s shadow weapons each gain their full enhancement bonus if he creates two weapons. If a gloomblade creates only one shadow weapon, it gains additional weapon special abilities; the total effective bonus of these abilities cannot exceed +3. The gloomblade can now choose from the of anarchic, axiomatic, flaming burst, icy burst, holy, shocking burst, unholy, and wounding weapon special abilities as well as those from the list above.

At 15th level, a gloomblade’s shadow weapons each gain magic weapon special abilities with a total effective bonus of +2 per weapon. If a gloomblade creates only one shadow weapon, its magic weapon special abilities cannot exceed a total effective bonus of +5. The gloomblade adds brilliant energy, dancing, and speed to the options he can choose as weapon special abilities for his shadow weapon.

This replaces the fighter’s armor training and proficiency with heavy armor and shields (he retains proficiency in light and medium armor).

Shadow Weapon Training (Ex): At 5th level, a gloomblade gains weapon training, except that he does not select a weapon group; instead, the bonus applies to the shadow weapons he creates. A gloomblade does not select additional weapon groups as he gains levels.

At 9th level, whenever a gloomblade creates one or more shadow weapons, he can apply any one of the following shadow effects (chosen upon creation) to one of them.
During the gloomblade’s turn, he can increase his reach with that weapon by 5 feet.
The gloomblade can increase a thrown shadow weapon’s range increment (if any) by 20 feet.
When he hits a foe with a melee attack with the weapon, he can use it to perform a reposition combat maneuver against the creature hit as a swift action. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Attacks made with the weapon ignore hardness equal to or less than the gloomblade’s fighter level.
For every 4 levels he has beyond 9th, a gloomblade can apply an additional effect to his shadow weapons, to a maximum of three effects at 17th level; these effects can be split between multiple shadow weapons as a gloomblade desires, but they don’t stack with themselves.

This alters weapon training.

So you can create any weapon you are proficent with.... would i be able to take weapon focus (shadow weapon) or would i have to take say weapon focus (longsword) and create a longsword each time...


1 person marked this as a favorite.

The latter. Shadow weapon is not a type of weapon you can select for weapon focus etc.

Unless there is a feat or ability that says otherwise.


I would say ask your GM. If they're reasonable, they'll probably allow it.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Archetype wrote:
Shadow Weapon (Su): A gloomblade can create a shadowy weapon in a free hand as a move action. This can take the form of any melee weapon with which he is proficient.

Shadow weapon is just the name of the ability, not a type of weapon. You have to take weapon focus (longsword/whatever weapon you make it into) and shape the weapon into that every time you use it.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Dwarftr wrote:
So you can create any weapon you are proficent with.... would i be able to take weapon focus (shadow weapon) or would i have to take say weapon focus (longsword) and create a longsword each time...

Weapon Focus would need to taken with each specific weapon type, as normal, and the gloomblade would probably not be to qualify for Advanced Weapon Training (as there is no "shadow weapons" weapon group). However, they could still use Martial Focus to qualify for weapon mastery feats.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Dragonchess Player wrote:
Dwarftr wrote:
So you can create any weapon you are proficent with.... would i be able to take weapon focus (shadow weapon) or would i have to take say weapon focus (longsword) and create a longsword each time...
Weapon Focus would need to taken with each specific weapon type, as normal, and the gloomblade would probably not be to qualify for Advanced Weapon Training (as there is no "shadow weapons" weapon group). However, they could still use Martial Focus to qualify for weapon mastery feats.

Gloom blade qualifies for AWT (the feat), he's just unable to select ones that apply to a specific weapon group.

Quote:
Shadow Weapon Training (Ex): At 5th level, a gloomblade gains weapon training, except that he does not select a weapon group; instead, the bonus applies to the shadow weapons he creates. A gloomblade does not select additional weapon groups as he gains levels.

So they'd have to take armed bravery, abundant tactics, fighters tactics, etc.


I'm not actually sure a Gloomblade can take AWT except via the feat; there are no other weapon groups to be able to not-select in place of an AWT option.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
River of Sticks wrote:
I'm not actually sure a Gloomblade can take AWT except via the feat; there are no other weapon groups to be able to not-select in place of an AWT option.

Yup, he'd have to use a feat, but that's okay.


So if weapon focus and such only works for one weapon at a time.... i would need the awt feat weapon specialist right?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

As in your other thread, I don't think weapon specialist would help because you don't have weapon training in a weapon group.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

While it seems I have to agree with the others that no you cannot. I wouldn't see alot of GM's having a big issue with it. I mean you can take weapon focus (grapple) and weapon focus (blast) (for kinetisist) so I would allow it.


Slightly OT, but I got briefly excited about the possibility of Gloomstorm making a Gloomblade potentially a good thrown weapons build. Unfortunately the rounds/ranks limitation kills it.


That gave me an idea - a thrown weapon build using startoss style for standard action attacks rather than full attacks. I detailed it in dwarftr's other thread.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / New gloomblade archetype and weapon feats All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.