Question About Adding Special Abilities When Enchanting!

[Arch Fline]

Hello,

So my question is fairly straight forward, but I was not able to find a ruling one way or another. If I found a +2 Longsword during my adventures, and had all of the necessary requirements to use Craft Arms and Armor for this weapon, could I change this weapon into a +1 Flaming Longsword. Ultimately I am wondering if it is possible to remove a +1 from an already existing and pre-enchanted item and replace it with a special ability worth a +1. If such a thing is possible, what would the crafting time for this change? I seek a rules based response.

Thank you all for your time and attention.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

No. While there is no rule specifically forbidding it, what's important is that there's no rule specifically allowing it.

[Meirril]

Agreed. The only rules based way to do it would be to get a monster like a Disenchanter to attack it, and then re-enchant it. Or use some other spell or effect that would basically break the old enchantment.

There isn't any cheap way to get what you want that would be more beneficial than selling the +2 weapon and starting with a +1 weapon.

[zza ni]

i am pretty sure i read once of a spell\usable once magic item or class ability that not only change the weapon enchantments to a different one with same total but also allow the weapon itself to be changed into a different weapon.
i'll try and look for it. i am 90% sure its a usable only once magic item.

[Java Man]

Intersting bit of math, if you ignore the cost of the underlying masterwork weapon a +2 sword will get you 4K gp when you sell it. A +2 equivalent weapon, like a +1 flaming weapon, costs 4K gp to enchant.

[ConfusedPeon]

Ultimate Campaign has something that might be helpful:

Magic Item Creation

It technically isn't allowed, but it is also suggested that the decision should ultimately be up to the GM.

Quote:

Altering Existing Items:

The standard rules don’t allow item creation feats to alter the physical nature of an item, its default size, its shape, or its magical properties. For example, there is no mechanism for using crafting feats to change a steel + 1 longsword into an adamantine + 1 longsword , a Large + 1 chain shirt into a Medium + 1 chain shirt , boots of speed into an amulet of speed , or a +1 unholy longsword into a + 1 flaming shock longsword. Many GMs might decide that these kinds of transformations are impossible, beyond the scope of mortals, or not as cost-efficient as crafting a new item from scratch. Others might allow these sorts of transformations for free or a small surcharge.

[Arch Fline]

Thank you all for the input, I figured that this would be the case but was not sure without support. I suppose I get to using my magical crafting skills XD.

[blahpers]

Ultimate Wilderness allows you to salvage the important bits of a magic item for use in the crafting of an item with similar prerequisites. While you lose some of the value in the process, you can save a lot of time--three +2 longswords salvaged successfully would allow you to craft two +1 flaming longswords at no cost in time or funds.

[Arch Fline]

Well there would be a cost in time, which would be the time required to salvage the items in the first place. Using your example it would require 3 days and result in the net loss of 8000gp. Ultimately you are correct though, this would still be a reasonably fast way to construct a new item quickly which is worth the thought. However I am concerned what this may due to long term progression if I used this method often. I fear that I would reduce the parties effective gold by lvl rather than increase it, one of the main benefits of crafting magic items.