Magic Items: Enhancement Bonus and Special Property

So, I have a question. It says that in order to have a weapon with a special property, you need to have a +1 enhancement bonus. But, masterwork gives you a +1 enhancement bonus for 300gp. So, does that mean that if you have a masterwork weapon, you can have a special property like Corrosive on it? The whole Magic Item description says nothing that it already has to be magical in order to do this. Is what I found a loophole?

A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any melee or ranged special weapon abilities.

Masterwork weapon is not magical and thus do not fulfill requirement for applying weapon properties.

Moved thread.

@Drejk: However, it doesn't SPECIFICALLY say that in the rules. What is says is that they don't stack. For example, you cannot have a +1 Masterwork Longsword in order to get a +2 to attack and a +1 to damage. The specific wording for the Special Properties is:

"They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. All magic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonuses on attack rolls do not stack with their enhancement bonuses on attack rolls."

Then it goes onto say:

"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 also have at least a +1 enhancement bonus."

So, I was curious, it doesn't say anything about it having a MAGICAL enhancement bonus it just says enhancement bonus. I don't know if it's been changed via errata. So, the possibility for having a 2,300gp longsword that has, for instance, Shocking, on it is possible.

While i figure Drejk has it right her I went ahead and hit FAQ since getting it clarified would help with it coming up in the future.

The intention is most definitely not that you can add corrosive or any other magic weapon ability to just a masterwork weapon. It needs to be a +1 weapon first.

This is cheese of the highest order.

But hey, let's roll with it. Let's say that the masterwork bonus to-hit counts as an enhancement bonus. It says it only doesn't stack with the enhancement bonus from magic weapons for attack rolls. That means it'd stack for determining the effective cost of the weapon. So that masterwork flaming weapon? It's actually priced at 8k, as normal. A +1 masterwork flaming weapon? Priced as a +3. I mean, it doesn't specifically say that it doesn't stack for figuring out prices.

Where are all these magic weapon/armor cheesing threads coming from?

Masterwork provides a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls. The wording in the magic items requires a +1 enhancement bonus. The masterwork quality does not fulfill that requirement; it specifies only attack rolls.

I've had this discussion with a couple of my long-time players pretty much since 3rd edition came out. The +1 means +1 to attack and damage. So, you cannot simply have a flaming sword. Closest you'll get to that is using the 3/3.5 Dragoncrafting feat to make a sword out red dragon remains that gives an extra 1 point of fire damage.

Yes, again it doesn't specify it. It only says, all you need is a +1 enhancement bonus. I had this question because my brother wanted a warhammer and I saw that Adamantine (which costs 3,000gp) granted a +1 ENHANCEMENT bonus to the attack roll. Then, I went and looked it all up, it then said that they wouldn't stack if they were put together like Cheapy said, a +1 Enhancement bonus Masterwork weapon would be technically a +3 (That actually boggled me, I didn't think of that) then, I looked at the whole thing for masterwork and it didn't say that it wouldn't work, but, then again it didn't say it would. I guess it would be up the GM of the game to announce whether or not it would work, however, in the way it is worded, you could have a Masterwork Flaming weapon becuase it says it only needs a +1 enhancement bonus, it doesn't say magical, it doesn't say that masterwork won't work with placeing a magical property onto the weapon. All it says is +1 enhancement.

@Cheesy: Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't think about that, but, why would you need to have it already a +1 Masterwork when you can just buy masterwork and pretty much gain the abilities of the special property anyways. Feats such as Power Attack and other's can more than make up for the damage given.

@Stockvillan: Yes, but, they pretty much took the good of 3.5 and 3.0 and stuck it in the book. They worded a certain part of the book incorrectly being that it doesn't say that it had to be magical. Just a +1 enhancement. Since Masterwork counts as having a +1 enhancement bonus, the would work being that they haven't said anything about the weapon NEEDING to be magical, it just says in needs a +1 enhancement bonus.

While i figure Drejk has it right her I went ahead and hit FAQ since getting it clarified would help with it coming up in the future.

Thanks, I have a feeling that they've got it right, it's just the way they made it all worded out and stuff. Makes me think that a +1 enhancement bonus such as masterwork would work in order for picking Magical Properties.

Masterwork provides a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls. The wording in the magic items requires a +1 enhancement bonus. The masterwork quality does not fulfill that requirement; it specifies only attack rolls.

I've had this discussion with a couple of my long-time players pretty much since 3rd edition came out. The +1 means +1 to attack and damage. So, you cannot simply have a flaming sword. Closest you'll get to that is using the 3/3.5 Dragoncrafting feat to make a sword out red dragon remains that gives an extra 1 point of fire damage.

Thank you!!!!! I was having this discussion on another thread and people were saying that to put flaming on a weapon only cost 8000gp not 10000gp. it was like they were forgetting the cost of the +1 requirement. The topic was Amulet of mighty fist was a rip off because a +1 enhanced weapon is cheaper. I said that the Amulet of mighty fist is cheaper when you only enhance it with weapon abilities. it was like beating a dead horse lol.

Intent is crystal clear. This is intentional mis-reading to cheese out your game.

Magic Weapons

Note #1 states: "Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price". This enhancement bonus is referring to the weapons table, which very clearly shows it is the +1 to +5 bonus.

Again here:
A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more truly and deliver more damage. 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 bonuses on attack rolls do not stack with their enhancement bonuses on attack rolls.

Thank you!!!!! I was having this discussion on another thread and people were saying that to put flaming on a weapon only cost 8000gp not 10000gp. it was like they were forgetting the cost of the +1 requirement. The topic was Amulet of mighty fist was a rip off because a +1 enhanced weapon is cheaper. I said that the Amulet of mighty fist is cheaper when you only enhance it with weapon abilities. it was like beating a dead horse lol.

you dont add the cost of +1 and +2 together never have since 3rd ed. the cost on the right is the Total cost of the + weapon

actually you are Wrong ... the amulet of mighty fists is indeed a ripoff

Look at the chart
since the argument was about ONLY weapon abilities I will start with a +2 Weapon in comparison

+1 5000 vs 8000 +2
+2 20000 vs 18000 +3
+3 45000 vs 32000 +4
+4 80000 vs 50000 +5
+5 125000 vs 72000 +6
------------ 94000 +7
------------ 128000 +8
so sure that 1st level of amulet is cheaper .... but then the scale turns completely around .. and the fact that a +8 weapon is only 3k more than the +5 amulet ...

the only way I can say this ... is by looking at a PFS chronicle and quote you the cost for a weapon of +2 or greater ... but no ... you are wrong on this one

Intent is crystal clear. This is intentional mis-reading to cheese out your game.

Magic Weapons

Note #1 states: "Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price". This enhancement bonus is referring to the weapons table, which very clearly shows it is the +1 to +5 bonus.

Again here:
A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more truly and deliver more damage. 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 bonuses on attack rolls do not stack with their enhancement bonuses on attack rolls.

^^this^^

The reason why the masterwork bonus is an ENHANCEMENT bonus is so it doesn't stack with other enhancement bonuses. This doesn't mean that it is a magical weapon that allows it to have magical properties added to it.