I was recently thumbing through the rules for a bit of research and ran across this paragraph in regards to magic weapons:
“Some magic weapons have special abilities. Special abilities count as additional bonuses for determining the market value of the item, but do not modify attack or damage bonuses (except where specifically noted). A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus special ability bonus equivalents, including those from character abilities and spells) higher than +10. A weapon with a special ability must also have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. Weapons cannot possess the same special ability more than once.”
(Bold emphasis is mine.)
Does this statement mean that a level 17 fighter with four levels of Weapon Training in heavy Blades (+4 to attack and damage rolls), Weapon Focus (longsword) (+1 to attack), Greater Weapon Focus (longword) (additional +1 to attack), Weapon Specialization (longsword) (+2 to damage) and Greater Weapon Specialization (longsword) (additional +2 to damage) for a total of +6 to attack and +8 to damage , not counting at the moment his +17 BAB, get yanked right out of using a +3 Holy Vorpal Longsword (a +10 total bonus weapon)?
I understand immediately what spells wouldn’t affect the above mentioned weapon, but do the fighter’s class abilities, and for that matter, the Magus class abilities, fall into the emboldened character abilities and spells category? If not, what character abilities do come under this rule? I am certain there are at least three or four people who want to know.
Even discounting BAB in the calculation, would that mean there would be diminishing returns on using the more powerful weapons once a fighter reaches about 9th level?
Certainly seems harsh and thoroughly vexing considering this would presumably carry over into those as-yet-unwritten "mythic" rules I would enjoy playing with.
