Decim8or's page

@Mr Jacket Potato & wife, thank you so much for those! They look fantastic!

Decim8or wrote:

Well, just to satisfy my curiosity then, riddle me this:

... Does it lose the Flaming quality even though it had it before it became a Black Blade?

No but...

The Flaming +1 Longsword would remain but you find in your gear your new Black Blade, as the description states it just shows up one day.

Bottom line a Black Blade does not gain any other features then what is listed in the archetype's description.

"Sentient Sword (Su): At 3rd level, the blade adept's bonded sword becomes a powerful, sentient black blade. "

It specifically says that the sword I make my bond with BECOMES a black blade. The Magus part of it "appearing in my gear" is not applicable to the Arcanist Blade Adept archetype. Yes, it borrows heavily from that class, but it is different in unique ways.

The bottom line question is: Does a magic weapon I select as my bonded item lose all special properties it had and stop being whatever it was before it became a black blade?

Well, just to satisfy my curiosity then, riddle me this:

What happens when I choose a Flaming +1 Longsword as my bonded item that later becomes my Black Blade? Does it lose the Flaming quality even though it had it before it became a Black Blade?

Decim8or wrote:

So I know I could use the lesser blade of the open road as my Black Blade, but because it is the Black Blade, being that destroys its ability to be upgraded as described? That seems a bit counterproductive and backwards.

If you put an AI system in a Firebird, it's still a Firebird, it just does more cool things (like ejector seats!).

You could indeed describe it as "counterproductive" in the sense of "we don't want the ability to be more efficient than we expected." It could be more "productive" (we could get more advantage out of the class feature) if the black blade could be upgraded with a craft skill. But the Paizo designers have decided they don't want the black blade to have that advantage.

It all comes down to the power level expectations built into the design of the game. It may be cooler to have more features but it causes problems when those features make scenarios easier than intended.

** spoiler omitted **

edit: And it was a Trans-Am, man! :)

I always got those two cars mixed up =( But I loved KITT as a kid!

I am gaining a much better understanding, Belafon. Thank you. I guess I would look at it like as long as they do not cross the +10 threshold on magic weapons, why can't it be legal?

Maybe one day it could get a proper step by step errata. I would think going from a caster into a melee type would be given as much opportunity to succeed as possible.

Let me try to make sure I use the spoiler function correctly as well as add to the discussion:

So I know I could use the lesser blade of the open road as my Black Blade, but because it is the Black Blade, being that destroys its ability to be upgraded as described? That seems a bit counterproductive and backwards.

If you put an AI system in a Firebird, it's still a Firebird, it just does more cool things (like ejector seats!).

Sorry for the spoiler, I didn't see the help tab for formatting below. This was my first time posting here.

I can't edit it now either because of the flag.

I guess I'm arguing against that FAQ because I'm not using a feat, I'm simply following the description of the item on my chronicle. Doesn't a Chronicle description override an FAQ rule?

I agree with Bladelock. If you choose a +1 Flaming Longsword as your Bonded Item, then hit level 3 turning it into a Black Blade, does it lose the Flaming quality? It's adding the intelligent template after the fact.

What if you had chosen a named magic item that specifically allows it to be "upgraded" before it becomes a Black Blade? Does becoming a Black Blade nullify that ability?

I'm in the school of thought that the +10 limitation for total enhancements should be maintained, however they get to that +10 is up to the wielder.

The stats page on the Black Blade tells me what it's Intelligence and special abilities it has access to based upon my level. It does not give any kind of primary identity stats (longword, rapier, kapesh, etc).

If you put a new Hendricks Motorsports engine into a Chevy Monte Carlo is it no longer a Monte Carlo?

I do not see any specific wording that says a Black Blade ignores any properties that it possessed before becoming a Black Blade. In this instance of an Arcanist Blade Adept, it specifically manifests within whatever weapon was chosen as the Bonded Item.

I promise, I'm not trying to be difficult on this subject, I guess I'm simply having difficulty understanding the "It has to either be this or be that" when I'm not seeing anything in the wording that says it cannot be BOTH.

The Blade of the Open Road specifically states "Between scenarios, the wielder can enhance a lesser blade of the open road to become a blade of the open road and later into a greater blade of the open road by paying the difference in price between the two items"

EDIT: Found this in the Society FAQs:
"Upgraded versions of named magic items may appear on Chronicle sheets."
-and-
"A character with the arcane bond class feature may create a bond with any item he owns, either magical or mundane, as long as the item falls within the categories permitted by the arcane bond ability (the cost for bonding with a new item still applies). If a caster later wishes to upgrade an existing bonded item, he may do so for the cost (not price) of the final item as listed in the item's statblock."

I'm not a Magus. I'm an Arcanist with the Blade Adept archetype. I'm not using any feats to enhance the blade, I'm using it's own description.

So, for example, if I had a +1 Flaming longsword selected as my "Bonded Item" and I hit level 3, turning my Bonded Item into my Black Blade, does it lose the Flaming? Doesn't say anything about the item loses all other properties.

Thank you all for the input. I guess I found it rather confusing that if they specifically say in the bonded item section that it "retains all special abilities and qualities", where in the sentient blade section does it say that is no longer the case? As long as the abilities continue to remain under the +10 limit why would the Long Road properties become invalid?

Hello all, very new to posting but very old to playing 3.5 and Pathfinder.

I appreciate any insights offered on this.

So, I don't really care if people respond or not. Probably not even going to check back, but I just feel that this needs to be said.

Screw Mi-go, and the Visitant in particular.

15 charges of invisibility on a wand, 3 attacks that automatically get a grapple attempt on hit, hit AGAIN on a successful grapple, and apply 2d6 sneak attack dice EACH. Then ability score damage on all 3 of those grapples. Then the ability to summon monster 4 in a level 3-4 dungeon.

This son of a gun could have one-shot our barbarian if it jumped him from invis. Our swashbuckler gets caught in its triple death grip. A) HOW does one creature grapple 3 times? I have two hands but I only grapple once while using both of them. B) What kind of b!$$#++# AC does this thing have that a swashbuckler can't knife it while it's flat-footed with bless and a DEX of +4? C) What does it freaking do to my body that I need a Resurrection spell instead of a Raise Dead at level freaking four? D) Our spellcaster was useless because this thing has immunity to cold, resist electricity and fire 10, and DR 5/slashing. That's one of our biggest sources of damage and this thing is largely immune to an entire party member.

Yup, played this in Society as a lvl 4 Oathbound Paladin with a lvl 4 Skald, a lvl 3 paladin, and a lvl 3 warpriest. Would have been a TPK minus the warpriest had Sanctuary on and the Visitant failed his Will check to attack him. One paladin was on his back almost the whole fight, the Skald made a valiant effort at flanking it to help me hit it with my multiple Smites, but in the end it literally picked us apart and just mopped the floor with us. I think the level scaling on this is a bit off, especially for Society play. Sure if you are playing this with your weekend group where everyone knows your role, then it might be beatable, but PUGing it in a play format where people are used to there being a fairly obtainable victory condition regardless of level, it needs to have its level range increased, or that thing scaled down ALOT.

I'm not mad at my GM, he played it perfectly. Exactly as it was meant to be played. I'm mad that Paizo put this module as intended for levels 3-5. Level 3's would get smoked in this. Level 4's struggle with results skewed towards lose. Level 5's would still have quite a difficult time. By level 4, in Society, you are at a very vulnerable place, because you won't have the gold for a Rez, nor the Prestige for a recovery/raise dead.

RIP Decimus, Ausck, and Skalidor