|
i know the presumption is the black blade starts as a masterwork weapon before 3rd, or something, and then gains the enhancement bonus listed on the black blade's table under the bladebound magus archetype. But its never explicitly detailed like the Int, Wis/Cha, Ego etc are.
If the Enhancement bonus were spelled out somewhere, like a paladin's divine bond's bonus, then it would be easy to see if its just enhancement bonus, or if it can be spent on special abilities like in threads such as here
Another possibility that i can't verify one way or the other is that the enhancement bonus is just the progression of the Black Blade Strike ability. It progresses at the described bonus from the Black Blade Strike ability text.
The only mention of Masterwork is where it says the black blade acts as a masterwork weapon of its type, under Black Blade Ability Descriptoins. Which conflicts with the Enhancement Bonus column, since the weapon would either be acting as a masterwork weapon (+1 to hit/no bonus to damage), or a +1 weapon. A magus doesn't possess a black blade until 3rd level, because that's when they gain the class feature.
Who created the class? Is there any way to get confirmation about the Enhancement Bonus column in the chart? if text was redacted before printings?
A. if the weapon is always just a masterwork weapon and does not gain its own enhancement bonus as the character progresses, but has to rely on Magus Arcana and Black Blade Strike, but the character could also enchant the weapon to add to its enhancement bonus or special abilities.
B. The weapon is +1 at 3rd level, +2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, +4 at 13th and +5 at 17th, and only ever has an enhancement bonus, not enhancement bonus equivalents like special abilities.
C. Descriptive text like the paladin's bond was left out, and the enhancement bonus should be listed in the Black Blade Basics before Intelligence as something like:
Enhancement Bonus: At 3th level, in the hands of the Bladebound Magus, the Black Blade acts as weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: axiomatic, brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, holy, keen, merciful, and speed. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). At least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the blade are determined when the Bladebound levels cannot be changed until a new level that grants an enhancement bonus is gained (9th, 13th, 17th). The Black Blade imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the Magus but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the Magus. The Black Blade cannot be enchanted further as a magic weapon
Lacking any descriptive text like C in the archetype, I can't decide if the Bladebound Magus gets a weapon that is masterwork at level 1 even though they haven't received the class feature yet, and increases in enhancement bonus as the character levels, or if the character receives a masterwork weapon at 3rd level, which they can enhance with Magus Arcana, and enchant like a normal weapon.
Any clarification on the Enhancement Bonus column?
|
The Enhanccement Bonus column is the enhancement the Black Blade has in the hands of its bonded Magus, before the effect of the Magus spending a point from his Arcane Pool to add up to another +5 worth of enhancements tot he blade.
For anyone but its bonded Magus, the black blade acts as a normal Masterwork weapon.
At 1st level, a magus can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier (see Table 15–9 on page 469 of the Core Rulebook). These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.
So, at 3rd & 4th levels, a Bladebound Magus has a +1 weapon, and can spend a point of his Arcane Pool to make it +2 for 1 minute.
At 5th & 6th level, it is a +2 weapon, which he can spend a point from his Arcane Pool to make +4 for a minute. That is a +2 weapon with up to +2 worth of enhancements from the list above, including using one or both +s to bumpo the raw enhancement bonus:+4, +3 with a +1 enhancement, +2 with a +2 enhancement or two +1 enhancements.
This continues until 17th level, where the "basic" blade is +5, so the arcane point is spent to give it +5 worth of enhancements, +5 keen, speed, flaming, for example.
So, overall, no purpose is served by enhancing the Black Blade, as that just cuts into the blade's flexibility. And, overall, it is in some ways better than being able to craft magic items...
They don't receive the Black Blade (even in it's masterwork form) untill 3rd level (so no bonus MW blades at 1st). Exactly how this happens is meant to be roleplayed out however you wish: family heirloom, found in a stache of treasure, suddenly appears to you in the middle of the night etc.
Black Blade Strike is not an enhancement bonus, it's untyped. So clearly, that's not what the entry in the table is for.
|
|
In the actual book it has one of those side note things. It's on page 48 (um). It says that the magus receives the weapon by gift, find or appears and its origin is a mystery. So the chart starting at level 3 is correct in that at level 3 would be the first time you can even posses the blade. This does however make me wounder about level drain and the effects on the weapon; does it disappear, or just become inert and maybe a master work version of itself? Other thank the strange abilities that the blade has I would treat it as any other magic weapon. I personally don't care for the arch-type due to the lack of ability to bestow spell storing on the weapon. (I wish there where weapon fetishes in pathfinder)
I think you are working under the old version of level drain, there.
In Pathfinder, there is no "true" level drain, you just get affected by permanent negative levels. You would be third level with two negative levels, not back to first level again.
that doesn't change that you gain the blade at 3rd level, and the description says the blade acts as a masterwork weapon, while the chart says the blade has a +1 enhancement bonus at 3rd level.
There's a conflict there.
If the staff magus in this characters game picked up Servais it would only wok as if it was a masterwork sword. But when Maiathreen wields Servais it counts as +2 sword. Almost as if it refuses to work properly for anyone but its bonded magus.
I think there is a bit of confusion.
Seraphimpunk are you asking about the entry:
Black Blade Ability Descriptions: A black blade has special abilities (or imparts abilities to its wielder) depending on the wielder's magus level. The abilities are cumulative. A black blade normally refuses to use any of its abilities when wielded by anyone other than its magus, and acts as a masterwork weapon of its type.
If so it is just saying that in the hands of anyone else besides the magus (thats a level 3+ magus since he doesn't own it before that) the weapons enchantments and weapons qualities don't function and it appears and acts as just a master worked weapon.
In the hands of the magus it belongs to tho the weapon awakens and fuctions at the level that is given on the chart.
This would give credence to the enter above the chart disclosing the ways in which the magus may recieve the weapon, appearance (not applicable), Find (someone else was using it as a standard mw weapon), buying it at a shop (the sales person not knowing it could posses other abilities), or in a tresure drop (that way someone else can't use it as anything else but a mw weapon).
that doesn't change that you gain the blade at 3rd level, and the description says the blade acts as a masterwork weapon, while the chart says the blade has a +1 enhancement bonus at 3rd level.
There's a conflict there.
I don't think that is a conflict, it is a masterwork weapon for anyone else, when the Magus is holding it, it behaves according to the 'Black Blade progression chart' which gives inherent attributes of this weapon. When a weapon's attribute is "enhancement bonus +2" I agree with Glendwyr, what else does that possibly mean?