Usually combined with Rich Parents to get some kind of strength composite long bow personally.
might as well make that a LARGE darkwood heavy repeating crossbow since the darkwood makes it way half as much as a normal wood version.
So +1 trait bonus +1 masterwork elminates it being -2 for large, right?
Now you're shooting crossbow bolts that do 2d8 per hit.
Hmm?
Really, the bset use for it is any exotic weapon. Since it grants you proficiency, it turns the trait into a free feat. (That comes with a weapon and other goodies too!)
I agree, going with an exotic weapone is probably the best use of this trait.
You just have to be careful you don't ever lose or break grand-pappy's sword. The chance of that can depend on how mean your DM is, I guess.
why not go with a gun, you skip the cost of it and can start out with a gun better than a gunslinger
You're only proficent with the heirloom weapon, not weapons of that type. Also it only covers the MW cost not special material. The best use would be for a "legacy" style weapon that you enchant as you level. Name it and make it a character in it own right with a history and a reputation.
Fighter: I draw my heirloom sword Grave Tongue.
DM: The creatures before you recoil in fear of the weapon that slew their master a half century ago.
Fighter: I come to finish my grandfather's work.
The trait can be more than a bonus it can add to the history of the game world. Which could be worth some sweet RP XP.
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The trait can be more than a bonus it can add to the history of the game world. Which could be worth some sweet RP XP.
I run a fair number of Pathfinder Society Games, and to me the telling feature of something that's overpowered is when roughly 1/3 to 2/5 of the players at the table have this feat. In a home game it's one thing - the GM has fiat power to create interesting encounters and set-up potential conflicts which can involve the loss of the weapon, it being broken, or otherwise. In an organize play environment though, the GM loses all ability to make the feat interesting, which is why I'm really not the fan. The vast, vast majority of the time I see a player take this feat there is virtually no story behind its origin - it is used solely as a free feat (weapon proficiency and weapon focus combined in one).
might as well make that a LARGE darkwood heavy repeating crossbow since the darkwood makes it way half as much as a normal wood version.
So +1 trait bonus +1 masterwork elminates it being -2 for large, right?
Now you're shooting crossbow bolts that do 2d8 per hit.
Hmm?
I was about to steal that idea, but on closer examination it won't work. Heavy Crossbow (repeating or not) requires two hands to use. Since increasing the size to Large would increase the difficulty to wield (light->1-handed 1-handed->2-handed), it makes a Heavy Crossbow unwieldable by a Medium creature.
You wanna borrow Mr. Fishy's pet rust monster Nibbles the Tank Breaker. If the trait is abused then abuse it back. Aren't traits a option? The trait is in the Adventures Armory which isn't a core book.
Mr. Fishy agrees the trait is open for misuse.
I agree, going with an exotic weapone is probably the best use of this trait.
You just have to be careful you don't ever lose or break grand-pappy's sword. The chance of that can depend on how mean your DM is, I guess.
I suspect that the GM meanness is directly proportional to the player's cheezyness.
I.e. use it for a longsword - no fear. Use it for an advanced firearm - count on the first adventure to be "The Big Rust Monster Plague of Cheezetown".
;-P
fixed it for youI agree, going with an exotic weapone is probably the best use of this trait.
You just have to be careful you don't ever lose or break grand-pappy's sword. The chance of that can depend on how mean your DM is, I guess.
I suspect that the GM meanness is directly proportional to the player's cheezyness.
I.e. use it for a longsword - no fear. Use it for an advanced firearm - count on the first adventure to be "The Big invisible Rust Monster Plague of Cheezetown".
;-P
Not a bad idea, but not my style. I like to see their doom.
As always, I think this has to do with your players and their idea of "game balance". If it's mentioned as a joke, that's fine.
If someone wants to take this trait to have a MW bastard sword or Elven sword, I would probably allow it with a good story.
If they tried to get a heavy, large repeating crossbow, then I'd whack them with the wieghty tome that is the Pathfinder Rulebook.
A player knows when he is abusing the rules and if they tried to push it past the "I want to take this wink-and-grin" phase, I'd just kick them out of the group for being an a$$-hat.
I know the GM isn't god, but players know when they're breaking and abusing the rules.
Not a bad idea, but not my style. I like to see their doom.fixed it for youI agree, going with an exotic weapone is probably the best use of this trait.
You just have to be careful you don't ever lose or break grand-pappy's sword. The chance of that can depend on how mean your DM is, I guess.
I suspect that the GM meanness is directly proportional to the player's cheezyness.
I.e. use it for a longsword - no fear. Use it for an advanced firearm - count on the first adventure to be "The Big invisible Rust Monster Plague of Cheezetown".
;-P
To clarify: I meant to say that I want them to see their doom. Missed a word.
As always, I think this has to do with your players and their idea of "game balance". If it's mentioned as a joke, that's fine.
If someone wants to take this trait to have a MW bastard sword or Elven sword, I would probably allow it with a good story.
If they tried to get a heavy, large repeating crossbow, then I'd whack them with the wieghty tome that is the Pathfinder Rulebook.
A player knows when he is abusing the rules and if they tried to push it past the "I want to take this wink-and-grin" phase, I'd just kick them out of the group for being an a$$-hat.
I know the GM isn't god, but players know when they're breaking and abusing the rules.
Well what about a launching Xbow?
Thats what I used Heirloom weapon for.
Personally, If' i had someone trying to pull of a large weapon..
"sure you are profient with it. But are you large size? Nope? Oh thats too bad... Your grandpappy should have also given you some potions of enlarge person."
And rare mateirals? Not gonna work. It says you pay for the base, not the masterwork.
I run a fair number of Pathfinder Society Games, and to me the telling feature of something that's overpowered is when roughly 1/3 to 2/5 of the players at the table have this feat.
Yeah, this trait is sort of a min/maxer's dream at low levels, especially in a one-off game or organized play situation where you don't expect the DM to waste any time targeting you. It has the potential to really beef up the combat power of a starting character. But starting characters are pretty squishy anyway, so I'm not sure there's too much of a balance issue. As long as the player doesn't try to go overboard with crazy stuff, since they have to pay the base+special and only save on the masterwork.
For a long term campaign, this trait would tempt me depending on the type of build I was going for. It could really open things up for certain fighter or multi-class builds. You could use it to let a wizard swing a greatsword, but I'm not sure that would pan out in the long term.
But I would be worried that in a long campaign, circumstances would eventually conspire to separate me from my heirloom or cause me to switch weapons. Losing the trait bonus isn't that big of a deal at higher levels, but still kind of a bummer. So I might be tempted to go with something else.
Personally, If' i had someone trying to pull of a large weapon..
"sure you are profient with it. But are you large size? Nope? Oh thats too bad... Your grandpappy should have also given you some potions of enlarge person."
So you wouldn't let someone use a large sized dagger they found even with the -2 size penalty?
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I'm currently writing a custom campaign and one of my players has expressed the desire to use the Heirloom Weapon trait.
This gave me the idea of having the Heirloom Weapon be incomplete in some way or perhaps it was broken into pieces and only a piece of the original exists in the original weapon.
Perhaps the player needs to go on a series of quests to collect the rest of the weapon. And with each new piece adds the weapon gains a new property.
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I generally dislike the trait; it's too powergamey.
It's not the "free masterwork" that's a problem (it's like wealthy, which becomes completely irrelevant and a waste of space by like 4th level), it's the combination of "highly restricted free proficiency" and "highly restricted +1 bonus".
The restrictive proficiency means removing the annoyance is a big jerk move, while the +1 bonus screams "I'm broken and need to go away".
If it were "free proficiency, free masterwork, and +1 CMD vs disarm and sunders on the weapon", it'd be fine, and still an iconic thing that many warrior-types would want to take.
I guess a Falcata or an Elven Court Sword would be the best technical melee applications for the trait.
And since the player is only proficient with this one particular weapon of the type, it does open up some nice "steal the weapon to motivate the player" opportunities.
For organized play the trait is a bit too good, though, IMO. It's better for longer campaigns.
So you wouldn't let someone use a large sized dagger they found even with the -2 size penalty?Personally, If' i had someone trying to pull of a large weapon..
"sure you are profient with it. But are you large size? Nope? Oh thats too bad... Your grandpappy should have also given you some potions of enlarge person."
Sure, no problem. You are wielding a medium sized shortsword at a -2 penalty. A halfling would be wielding a small sized longsword at a -4 penalty.
I was mostly referring to weapons that start off as 2h weapons for a medium sized creature.
In organized play, yes, this should be banned from such a thing. It gives one character too much wealth. That is why you aren't allowed to make stuff for money right?
Really though, if you can come up with a good story on why you have a weapon that you are good with, and its not ridiculous (the item) I'd probably allow it.
Some of us, actually power game concepts, and I would gladly give up some of my profs so I could be prof with specific item types. Very annoying trying to make a character who was suppose to be raised off something the game deemed as exotic, say for example whips, and you have to spend your feat on taking whips because your class is only just prof with every simple and martial weapon, and all kinds of armor and shields.
I generally dislike the trait; it's too powergamey.
It's not the "free masterwork" that's a problem (it's like wealthy, which becomes completely irrelevant and a waste of space by like 4th level), it's the combination of "highly restricted free proficiency" and "highly restricted +1 bonus".
The restrictive proficiency means removing the annoyance is a big jerk move, while the +1 bonus screams "I'm broken and need to go away".
If it were "free proficiency, free masterwork, and +1 CMD vs disarm and sunders on the weapon", it'd be fine, and still an iconic thing that many warrior-types would want to take.
I house-rule this trait as either free proficiency, or free +1 if your already proficient.
The free proficiency is why most non-warrior types take this trait, but without the free +1, it's worthless for a warrior type in a long campaign.Unless you allow the pseudo-proficiency to qualify for weapon traits (i.e. Weapon Focus (Grandpappy's Falcata))
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Making the most out of Heirloom Weapon revolves NOT on the weapon but the campaign type. Your typical adventure path will not give you enough downtime to enchant your heirloom with hardcore magical properties (I went through 3 axes on Crimson Throne). The best setting for this trait is a sandbox campaign (ie. Kingmaker) where you have years to make Frostbane or Tempest into weapons of legend.
A relatively short low-level campaign would also work. The longer the campaign, though, the likelier you'll find a weapon that's better than your heirloom.