Magical Xena-esque Halfling

[Belarias]

A player in one of my games came to me with an idea for a charcter he wants to begin playing, but he had some questions and I couldn't answer all of them:

1.) Can you stack Archetypes? (I answered this one as an affirmative, with the exception of if they replace the same feature sited the APG as my source)

1a.) So the Bladebound and Myrmidarch Magus archetypes are stackable? (Affirmative with a mental groan as I saw what he might be trying to do)

2.) I want to use the chakram from Adventurer's Armory, since it is listed under "ranged" can it be used for the blackblade ability for the Bladebound Magus? (I wasn't sure about this one which is why I'm asking)

Any assistance would be apprieciated, thanks.

[Chris Mortika]

Looks legal to me.

[joshua gaines]

for 1) yes you can stack archtypes so long as they dont' replace the same feature.

for 2) I'd say no. The rule for bladebound magus' blackblade is

Quote:

A black blade is always a one-handed slashing weapon, a rapier, or a sword cane

a chakram is not a 1 handed slashing weapon, it is a ranged weapon that can be used in melee with a penalty.

[Eric Brittain]

The only weapons that I show that could be used for a bladebound magus' blackblade are:
Axe, hooked
Battleaxe
Broadsword, nine ring
Double chicken saber
Falcata
Katana
Khopesh
Klar
Longsword
Rapier
Rhoka
Sabre, sawtooth
Scabbard, combat (sharpened)
Scimitar
Sibat
Sword cane
Sword, Aldori dueling
Sword, bastard
Sword, temple
Terbutje
Terbutje, great
Terbutje, steel
Urumi
Waraxe, dwarven
Whip

[Alexander_Damocles]

I have to agree, it looks like chakram is not a proper weapon for a black blade. Interesting concept, however. I would probably let it slide in a home non-PFS game, but for PFS purposes, it doesn't look legal to me.

[Belarias]

That's quite unfortunate he was looking forward to playing that character both mechanically and as a persona... back to the rawing board for mechanics then or a smal change for them anyway.

[Chris Mortika]

Would a starknife work? It's a ring-shaped one-handed martial slashing weapon that is often thrown.

[Manimal]

Chris Mortika wrote:

Would a starknife work? It's a ring-shaped one-handed martial slashing weapon that is often thrown.

I was under the impression that the star knife looked like, as implied, a star. Like a giant shuriken.

EDIT: OHO! I see there is a ring in the middle of PF's starknife.

[Joe Jungers]

Chris Mortika wrote:

Would a starknife work? It's a ring-shaped one-handed martial slashing weapon that is often thrown.

Though a starknife is used with one hand, its actually a light weapon.

[W. Kristoph Nolen]

I completely concede the point that one-handed is not the same as a light weapon, but I think that is a somewhat strict reading. Does that imply that if there were a one-handed S/P weapon, that it wouldn't - by all technicality - qualify?

[Joe Jungers]

W. Kristoph Nolen wrote:

I completely concede the point that one-handed is not the same as a light weapon, but I think that is a somewhat strict reading. Does that imply that if there were a one-handed S/P weapon, that it wouldn't - by all technicality - qualify?

I'd think that the one-handed S/P weapon would qualify, as it meets the criteria of 'slashing weapon'. My read of things, so far as the 'one-handed' quality, is that the starknife isn't a 'One-Handed Weapon', as there are 3 categories of melee weapons - Light, One-Handed, & Two-Handed. As I said before, though it can be wielded in one hand, the starknife isn't a One-Handed weapon.

[Chris Mortika]

This is a halfling we're talking about? Is a Medium starknife considered a 1-handed weapon for a Small character?

[W. Kristoph Nolen]

Chris Mortika wrote:

This is a halfling we're talking about? Is a Medium starknife considered a 1-handed weapon for a Small character?

That's a good point, Chris, but, I do think that a halfling-sized starknife would still be light, but a human-sized starknife, while being one-handed, would incur a -2 penalty for use.

[Belarias]

He did ask about the staknife next, I don't see how its game breaking to have a light weapon be a blackblade...

And to quote him, "this should work, if Desna smiles."

[Callarek]

It refers to "one-handed", rather than "One-Handed", so I am not sure it is hitting the rules language, or just saying that a black blade cannot be a weapon requiring two hands to wield.

A quick list from the Core rulebook of slashing weapons:

Simple Weapons:
Light:
Dagger
Sickle
One-Handed:
None

Martial Weapons:
Light:
Axe, Throwing
Handaxe
Kukri
One-Handed:
Battleaxe
Longsword
Scimitar

Exotic Weapons:
Light:
Kama
One-Handed:
Sword, bastard
Waraxe, dwarven
Whip

So, to be honest, I really don't see the light weapons breaking the game, if a Bladebound Magus can, legally, take an intelligent whip for his Black Blade.