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My friend is playing the bard's archetype arcane duelist and has a question on its Bladethirst ability.
Bladethirst (Su): An arcane duelist of 6th level or higher may use performance to grant one weapon, one natural weapon, one end of a double weapon, or 50 items of ammunition of the same type within 30 feet a +1 enhancement bonus. This enhancement bonus increases by +1 for every three levels after 6th (maximum +5 at 18th level). These bonuses stack with existing bonuses and may be used to increase the item’s enhancement bonus up to +5 or to add any of the following weapon properties: defending, distance, ghost touch, keen, mighty cleaving, returning, shock, shocking burst, seeking, speed, or wounding. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before adding special abilities.
He is wondering if he can add any weapon property, such as speed, onto his character's weapon as a lvl 7 bard since the bolded sentence simply says "or add any of the following". Looking at it now, it seems that phrase was in the context of the bard's enhancement bonuses and it is by using these bonuses that the bard picks the appropriate weapon properties (picking speed at lvl 12 with a +1 weapon, for example).
How is everyone else interpreting this ability? Clarification would be much appreciated.
If the ability was just "add one of these properties", then you could just pick one. But the ability gives you a certain amount of pluses to add, and speed is a +3-equivalent ability. It's clearer if you read that bolder line as "These bonuses ... may be used ... to add any of the following weapon properties". Since you're using the bonus, you need to have the appropriate amount of bonus to use.
Treat these as if he were upgrading his weapon. Keen is a +1 enhancement equivalent, so he spends 1 of these +s to add it. If he has other +s, he can spend those too on other effects or more enhancement bonus. Speed is a +3 equivalent, so at level 12 he can spend all 3 that he gets to add speed to any weapon.
He cannot increase the enhancement bonus over +5, or the total equivalent bonus over +10 (this rule is in errata I believe, and applies to all similar abilities.)