Rules question for kensai / bladebound

[Joseph Davis]

The Black Blade gains an enhancement bonus as the Magus levels, but can you add additional enhancement bonuses through spending money? Also, from the natural enhancement bonuses it gets, can you use them for abilities? (for example, when the magus hits 5th level, his black blade's bonus increases to +2, can it be a +1 keen weapon, for example, or must it be a +2 weapon?)

[Vinyc Kettlebek]

You can not alter the blackblade from the listed progression table.

The weapon's enhancement modifier can not be used to swap in special abilities, but when you hit level 5 you can use your full arcane pool allotment to add special abilities. For example, at magus 5, the blackblade will be +2 and you have an arcane pool of +2. This means that you could make a +2 flaming burst weapon or a +2 flaming keen weapon. However, you could not make a +1 keen flaming burst weapon, since that would mean altering the weapon’s +2 bonus.

[Liz Courts]

Moved thread.

[Joseph Davis]

Vinyc Kettlebek wrote:

You can not alter the blackblade from the listed progression table.

The weapon's enhancement modifier can not be used to swap in special abilities, but when you hit level 5 you can use your full arcane pool allotment to add special abilities. For example, at magus 5, the blackblade will be +2 and you have an arcane pool of +2. This means that you could make a +2 flaming burst weapon or a +2 flaming keen weapon. However, you could not make a +1 keen flaming burst weapon, since that would mean altering the weapon’s +2 bonus.

Well crud. I can't add the Agile to a weapon with arcane pool, :P

Oh well, new character.

[JAF0]

Why new character? You can always get yourself a second weapon with other features than the black blade has. Although the flavor of the character seems to be that the bond between magus and blade is strong, there is nothing I can find in the rules that prohibits the magus from having and using other weapons, magical or not.

[Deadmanwalking]

Joseph Davis wrote:

Well crud. I can't add the Agile to a weapon with arcane pool, :P

Oh well, new character.

Make it a scimitar and get Dervish Dance. Same effect, cost of only one Feat (since you were gonna have Weapon Finesse anyway).

[Vinyc Kettlebek]

If he already hit level 3 and obtained the blackblade, he wouldn't be able to swap the weapon.

[JAF0]

Vinyc - as far as I can tell from reading the rules for bladebound magus, there are no restrictions on him using a different blade, magical or otherwise, esp. if he wants a different enchantment for a particular situation. However if he wants 'agile' for every combat, there is no point to being choosing the bladebound magus when he can simply buy that enchantment in a normal magical blade and not give up his lvl 3 magus arcana.

[Vinyc Kettlebek]

What I meant was if he had gained a rapier blackblade, he wouldn't be able to change the blackblade from a rapier into a scimitar at a later time. This would prevent him taking advantage of the dervish dance feat if he didn't own a scimitar blackblade to begin with.

I did not mean that owning a blackblade would prevent him from using any other weapon he owned without a ego contest.

[Joseph Davis]

@Deadmanwalking: I would prefer to go Aldori Dueling Sword, higher base damage die, and can get a shield bonus. Also, allows me to wield it and a weapon in my off hand, and retain the finessability of the dueling sword. (also, everyone goes scimitar, and I'd rather do something a little different)

I would rather just re-do the character as I'm also losing out my first arcana. However, it was pointed out to me, as I am not gaining the black blade until 3rd level, I technically don't have to declare bladebound until then. So I simply won't be a bladebound.

[Deadmanwalking]

Joseph Davis wrote:

@Deadmanwalking: I would prefer to go Aldori Dueling Sword, higher base damage die, and can get a shield bonus. Also, allows me to wield it and a weapon in my off hand, and retain the finessability of the dueling sword.

Wielding a weapon in your off hand really doesn't work for a Magus...

Joseph Davis wrote:

(also, everyone goes scimitar, and I'd rather do something a little different)

A perfectly valid choice. :)

Joseph Davis wrote:

I would rather just re-do the character as I'm also losing out my first arcana. However, it was pointed out to me, as I am not gaining the black blade until 3rd level, I technically don't have to declare bladebound until then. So I simply won't be a bladebound.

Sounds like the right decision.

[Kazuhiko Vor]

(This is actually Joseph, just changed my posting name)

while it's true having an open off hand is better for a magus, I'm a Kensai and already have a diminished pool, and during the adventure last night I needed a bludgeoning weapon available to deal with some skeletons. Having an alternate damage type available allows me to be more versatile with my attacks. I'm considering getting "Improved Unarmed Strike" so I don't even need a weapon (and get an amulet of mighty fists with agile for my unarmed attacks, but this is just a preliminary concept)

[Bobson]

Kensai don't have a diminished pool...

[Kim Hokkanen]

Joseph Davis wrote:

(also, everyone goes scimitar, and I'd rather do something a little different)

I GM Society Organized Play for my friends and my character (with which I haven't played yet) is a bladebound kensai (not yet, though - he's only level 2). For fun and giggles he's a half orc and his weapon of choice is an urumi. Hilarious and effective, although I have hard time seeing that weapon getting bonuses for wielding it two-handed.