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I may have missed something but how do you determine if a magic item is minor, medium, or major?
Where would a +4 Composite Longbow(STR+4) fit? According to the magic item creation d100 charts it could be either a medium or a major.
Is there a more definitive way of figuring it out?
If the Longbow could be either medium or major, then could I just say that the one that my character has is medium? This is the main problem I guess. Thanks for the help!
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I may have missed something but how do you determine if a magic item is minor, medium, or major?
By where it appears on the tables in the PHB. A +4 weapon with no special abilities is available as either a medium or major item. To put it another way, it's both medium and major.
These categories only affect random generation of items, such as those available for sale in a community. If your character already owns the item, the category has no meaning or game effect.
edit: Are you asking because your GM has given you a medium item at character creation?
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I may have missed something but how do you determine if a magic item is minor, medium, or major?By where it appears on the tables in the PHB. A +4 weapon with no special abilities is available as either a medium or major item. To put it another way, it's both medium and major.
These categories only affect random generation of items, such as those available for sale in a community. If your character already owns the item, the category has no meaning or game effect.
edit: Are you asking because your GM has given you a medium item at character creation?
We're rolling level 10 characters and he says we can have 3 magic items, none of which can be major. When I selected this longbow for my ranger he said it was a major item and I couldn't have it, and that the highest bonus a weapon with no special abilities can have is +2. I'm just trying to figure out if I can make a case here. I'm the one who usually GMs our game and it makes sense to me that a regular weapon with a +4 enhancement could be considered a medium item.
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We're rolling level 10 characters and he says we can have 3 magic items, none of which can be major. When I selected this longbow for my ranger he said it was a major item and I couldn't have it, and that the highest bonus a weapon with no special abilities can have is +2.I may have missed something but how do you determine if a magic item is minor, medium, or major?By where it appears on the tables in the PHB. A +4 weapon with no special abilities is available as either a medium or major item. To put it another way, it's both medium and major.
These categories only affect random generation of items, such as those available for sale in a community. If your character already owns the item, the category has no meaning or game effect.
edit: Are you asking because your GM has given you a medium item at character creation?
I think I see now. His rule is that the item must not be a major item. A +3 or higher weapon can be a major item (Table 15-8, p. 468) and therefore is not allowed. No, I don't see any way around this unless you convince him to change the rule.
I think I see now. His rule is that the item must not be a major item. A +3 or higher weapon can be a major item (Table 15-8, p. 468) and therefore is not allowed. No, I don't see any way around this unless you convince him to change the rule.We're rolling level 10 characters and he says we can have 3 magic items, none of which can be major. When I selected this longbow for my ranger he said it was a major item and I couldn't have it, and that the highest bonus a weapon with no special abilities can have is +2.I may have missed something but how do you determine if a magic item is minor, medium, or major?By where it appears on the tables in the PHB. A +4 weapon with no special abilities is available as either a medium or major item. To put it another way, it's both medium and major.
These categories only affect random generation of items, such as those available for sale in a community. If your character already owns the item, the category has no meaning or game effect.
edit: Are you asking because your GM has given you a medium item at character creation?
Yeah, that is a pretty harsh rule for 10th level characters. Now if the campaign is set in Ancient Historical Rome, 3 medium magical items is pretty good, but that scenario presents other issues (like casters).
For a standard game starting at 10th level, I'd probably allow a weapon with a +4 effective enhancement bonus, but I'd limit weapons to an actual +3 enhancement bonus (so one could get a +3 flaming crossbow, but not a +4 crossbow). But hey, that's just me.
For a standard game starting at 10th level, I'd probably allow a weapon with a +4 effective enhancement bonus, but I'd limit weapons to an actual +3 enhancement bonus (so one could get a +3 flaming crossbow, but not a +4 crossbow). But hey, that's just me.
No offense intended but that is just... arbitrary.
But then technically so is the DM in question at this point. Allowing a +2 bow with [insert +1 enhancement add-on] is still allowing a +3 bow, no way around it. My guess is that they don't fully comprehend the table and enhancements :(
For a standard game starting at 10th level, I'd probably allow a weapon with a +4 effective enhancement bonus, but I'd limit weapons to an actual +3 enhancement bonus (so one could get a +3 flaming crossbow, but not a +4 crossbow). But hey, that's just me.No offense intended but that is just... arbitrary.
But then technically so is the DM in question at this point. Allowing a +2 bow with [insert +1 enhancement add-on] is still allowing a +3 bow, no way around it. My guess is that they don't fully comprehend the table and enhancements :(
None taken, but it actually wasn't (though I can see how it would appear arbitrary in that I neglected to explain my rationale).
"Weapons with an enhancement bonus of +3 or greater can ignore some types of damage reduction, regardless of their actual material or alignment. The following table shows what type of enhancement bonus is needed to overcome some common types of damage reduction.
DR Type ::: Weapon Enhancement Bonus Equivalent
Cold iron / silver ::: +3
Adamantine* ::: +4
Alignment-based ::: +5
* Note that this does not give the ability to ignore hardness, like an actual adamantine weapon does"
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Overcoming-DR
Honestly, I'd prefer to retain the threatening nature of Golems for a little while into the campaign, at least, as well as making it more costly to obtain a weapon that *always* overcomes any alignment-based DR.
I grant that this table is exceptionally obscure (being found only in the section about overcoming DR), and should be mentioned or displayed in the section on magic weapons. Nevertheless, there it is, and I did have a reason, and I do understand all of the applicable tables, no offense intended.
Ok, now at least it isn't completely arbitrary I guess ;)
I guess you were of the camp that really disliked that change when PFRPG rolled around. Our group was of the sort that we usually had the "golf bag" of weapons. If DR was ever a concern I always just took the +1 (or +2, I forget) enhancement that let me bypass whatever DR there was so it was never an issue. If I needed a higher +, I used magic to bump up the weapon if I couldn't afford the permanent version.
When they made the change I was more the "eh whatever" crowd. If the characters don't have to walk around with a ton of weapons or contingencies for DR, it is a good thing. So was making the enhancement bonus worth something other than hit/damage. Now it is a choice between the abilities and the enhancement bonus if you are planning something out. I'm okay with that, especially as weapons are one of the most expensive items in the game.
Ok, now at least it isn't completely arbitrary I guess ;)
I guess you were of the camp that really disliked that change when PFRPG rolled around. Our group was of the sort that we usually had the "golf bag" of weapons. If DR was ever a concern I always just took the +1 (or +2, I forget) enhancement that let me bypass whatever DR there was so it was never an issue. If I needed a higher +, I used magic to bump up the weapon if I couldn't afford the permanent version.
When they made the change I was more the "eh whatever" crowd. If the characters don't have to walk around with a ton of weapons or contingencies for DR, it is a good thing. So was making the enhancement bonus worth something other than hit/damage. Now it is a choice between the abilities and the enhancement bonus if you are planning something out. I'm okay with that, especially as weapons are one of the most expensive items in the game.
Actually, I liked the change - more enhancement bonus to allocate to something other than bypassing DR - I just feel that 10th level players shouldn't get a free pass to bypass DR/adamantine *and* get a +4 to hit and damage. If they want to bypass the DR, let them have a +2 weapon with the enchantment you mention (I don't recall the name either sadly). <shrug> The restriction I mentioned is also designed to provoke thought in my (theoretical) players, and highlight that the development of a magical weapon is something that *ought* to be planned out and considered. (Of course, I'd probably tell them that straight out, but the restriction hammers the point home.)
On another note, while the DR table was the concrete basis for my rationale, I do like to think of the equipment possessed by 10th level characters as more than just "ooh, I can afford *this*" and I don't consider that their theoretical foes they faced on their way to 10th level would be likely to be carrying +4 weapons (straight +3 weapons for that matter), and *would* be likely to carry weapons with non-enhancement-bonus properties, so the weapons the characters have probably ought to have properties other than a plain old enhancement bonus. (To my way of thinking, this also encourages players to write up backgrounds for the weapons that tie into their own: "I took this axe from the fallen Orc Lord Krunyk'tha after our midnight raid on his encampment. That raid stopped the war - I was really popular in the taverns back home when I walked in with this on my back - they all knew exactly who I was. ... Of course, that's probably what tipped off those assassins from Sennex, but they probably would have found us anyway...")
Again, just my 2 cents.