Treating one handed weapons as light weapons.

[Forgotten Knight]

I just have a question, and I want to ask before I give the player an answer.

A player in one of my games asked me if there was a feat that allows you to treat a one handed weapon as if were a light weapon. I have looked through the feats and did not find anything, but I just want to make sure.

I am not using any 3rd party things, so if there is a 3rd party feat, that I am not interested in. Just curious as to if there is one in any of the Pathfinder Books. I realize there is something like this for Mythic play test rules, but what about standard stuff?

Thanks...

[MacGurcules]

To what end? I don't think there's anything that just treats all one-handed weapons as light for all purposes, but maybe there's something that can get the job done for what you're looking for.

There are a small number of weapons that can act like light weapons for certain purposes. Rapier can be used with Weapon Finesse, for instance, and sawtooth saber acts like a light weapon for the purposes of two-weapon fighting. Also, in general, weapons sized one step smaller go down a size category for the purposes of wielding. So a medium character could wield a small longsword as a light weapon (albeit with a -2 penalty for improper size). Additionally, the Two-Weapon Warrior archetype can eventually treat off-hand one-handed weapons as light.

There may be other avenues as well. What functionality are you looking for?

[Volaran]

There is a feat called Dervish Dance in the Qadira book which allows a Scimitar to benefit from weapon finesse as though it were a light weapon under certain circumstances.

That's about all I can think for for non-Mythic content.

Link

[Malachi Silverclaw]

I imagine the reason he wants a one-handed weapon to be treated as light is to reduce TWF penalties.

I know of no feat in PF that does this, but in 3.5 there's a feat called Oversised Two-Weapon Fighting, which allows you to take TWF penalties as if you were wielding a light weapon in your off-hand even when you use a one-handed weapon in your off-hand.

I've used it myself (in 3.5). Not only did it let me TWF with two rapiers for only a -2 penalty instead of the -4 using a one-handed weapon in my off-hand would impose, it also let me use the Dual Strike feat (which allowed a single attack roll to hit with BOTH weapons, as a standard action) at only a -4 penalty instead of -10.

And the off-hand rapier remained a one-handed weapon for all other purposes, such as Power Attack! Note that Power Attack worked differently in 3.5

[Malachi Silverclaw]

Both Dual Strike and Oversised Two-Weapon Fighting are in Complete Adventurer.

[Booksy]

I'll say right off the bat, this is sketchy territory. It sounds like your PC is trying to min/max something and is not willing to compromise weapon type and/or damage. For example, if he wants a certain crit range and wants to dual wield scimitars, suggest he use kukries. If he insists, suggest a 'reskin', give it the stats of a similar light weapon, but it'll look 'just like' the weapon he wants it to.

The other way to approach the problem, if he's not attached to his race, I point you towards the Tiefling. One of the Variant Tiefling Abililties is "You have over-sized limbs, allowing you to use Large weapons without penalty." A very lenient GM could allow this to mean that as a 'Large' grip, a medium sized 1 handed weapon would count as a light weapon. Again, this is homebrew territory, and game balance should be considered before any final decisions.

If you're willing to do some math, you may be able to modify an existing magical item like the Sun Blade, which is a 1h weapon that funtions as a light weapon. You could either make a custom item for your PC, or create a new weapon enchant.

"Well Balanced +2" The enchanted weapon is treated as though the wielder is one size category larger, ie 2h -> 1h -> light. All other properties are uneffeted (hardnesss, base damage, etc)

Also be careful what weapon your PC wants to change. The bastard sword for example, although is a 1h Exotic can create many headaches because of its special feature. Just ask Malachi about that XD But seriously, there's no Pathfinder official way of doing this.

[dbauers]

If it's just for weapon finesse, exotic weapon prof in an aldori dueling sword works as well.

[Seranov]

If it's for TWF, Sawtooth Sabres all the way. Instead of spending a feat to make all 1H Weapons Light, he spends a feat on EWP: Sawtooth Sabre and it works effectively the same way.

Also, they look badass.

[shallowsoul]

The two weapon warrior archetype can do it at 11th level.

[Ultradan]

Pushing forward,

And what if a longsword was made of a lighter material that weighs half as much? Would that longsword be considered as a light weapon? Or does the term light weapon actually consider the SIZE of the weapon?

Ultradan

[Loengrin]

Ultradan wrote:

Pushing forward,

And what if a longsword was made of a lighter material that weighs half as much? Would that longsword be considered as a light weapon? Or does the term light weapon actually consider the SIZE of the weapon?

Ultradan

I think it has more to do with the size, but the truth might be that it is a mix of both with emphasis on size.

[wraithstrike]

Ultradan wrote:

Pushing forward,

And what if a longsword was made of a lighter material that weighs half as much? Would that longsword be considered as a light weapon? Or does the term light weapon actually consider the SIZE of the weapon?

Ultradan

Nope. That does not change the weapon category. It is still a one handed weapon. The "light weapon" category is determined by how easy it is to wield the weapon, and there is no universal way to change that barring methods mentioned above.

edit: If you use a weapon made for a creature that is smaller than you then it is one category lighter for you, but you take a -2 penalty for it being the wrong size.

[CraziFuzzy]

Ultradan wrote:

Pushing forward,

And what if a longsword was made of a lighter material that weighs half as much? Would that longsword be considered as a light weapon? Or does the term light weapon actually consider the SIZE of the weapon?

Ultradan

From the mithral description:

Quote:

An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon's size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed).

[Ultradan]

Thanks guys... It's what I needed to hear. :D

Ultradan

[Charon's Little Helper]

If he's trying to get Slashing Grace to work with both weapons when TWF (my guess as to his motive) he can do that with a level in Swashbuckler and proficiency with the previously mentioned sawtoothed sabre. As far as I know, it's the only way to do it without massive penalties.

(Technically you don't need the level in swashbuckler - but without it you'd still be using your strength to hit which would make it kinda suck.)

[wraithstrike]

Charon's Little Helper wrote:

If he's trying to get Slashing Grace to work with both weapons when TWF (my guess as to his motive) he can do that with a level in Swashbuckler and proficiency with the previously mentioned sawtoothed sabre. As far as I know, it's the only way to do it without massive penalties.

(Technically you don't need the level in swashbuckler - but without it you'd still be using your strength to hit which would make it kinda suck.)

That would work, but it also stops precise strike from working. If that is the plan it might be better to not TWF.

[Charon's Little Helper]

wraithstrike wrote:

Charon's Little Helper wrote:

If he's trying to get Slashing Grace to work with both weapons when TWF (my guess as to his motive) he can do that with a level in Swashbuckler and proficiency with the previously mentioned sawtoothed sabre. As far as I know, it's the only way to do it without massive penalties.

(Technically you don't need the level in swashbuckler - but without it you'd still be using your strength to hit which would make it kinda suck.)

That would work, but it also stops precise strike from working. If that is the plan it might be better to not TWF.

True - if they're planning to go straight swashbuckler. But swashbuckler makes a pretty awesome 1 level dip. (generally better version of finesse/d10hp/4+skills/starter deeds & panache/+BAB/martial weapons)

I could see a lot of ninjas dipping a level into swashbuckler since they already have the charisma to take advantage of the deeds.

[Seranov]

Charon's Little Helper wrote:

If he's trying to get Slashing Grace to work with both weapons when TWF (my guess as to his motive) he can do that with a level in Swashbuckler and proficiency with the previously mentioned sawtoothed sabre. As far as I know, it's the only way to do it without massive penalties.

(Technically you don't need the level in swashbuckler - but without it you'd still be using your strength to hit which would make it kinda suck.)

Unless you're a Ranger (or Slayer, but it didn't exist when this thread was started), and then you're fine. ;)

[Kyle Zimmer]

There is a fairly expensive and delicate enchantment for that that comes from what I think is an official pathfinder book. I think it seems fair, since it has a decently high cost.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/ef fortless-lace/

[SlimGauge]

Fixed the link for you

Effortless Lace

[Chess Pwn]

Kyle Zimmer wrote:

There is a fairly expensive and delicate enchantment for that that comes from what I think is an official pathfinder book. I think it seems fair, since it has a decently high cost.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/ef fortless-lace/

And didn't exist 3 years ago when this thread was alive.