Enhancements on Improvised Weapons?


Rules Questions


I'm curious, would it be possible to add permament magical enhancements to improvised weapons?


In theory. I'm not sure about the actual rules, but I know that if you were to simply apply the usual costs, it's not impossible. I know back in 3.5 I had a DM that allowed me to give my Everfull Mugs a weapon enhancement bonus so that my Drunken Master could fight and drink at the same time.

Liberty's Edge

I am almost sure some Dev said it is not possible. Finding the post with SKR that half of the time don't cite the post to which he is responding isn't so simple. :P
[It is not a jab to SKR, it is that I have discovered that sometime it is very difficult to find some of his replies because he hasn't cited the post to which he is replying and so searching his posts don't work)

Grand Lodge

Combat Scabbard is capable of this.

Liberty's Edge

Searching around, a good post by Ashiel about this

Ashiel wrote:
Bane Wraith wrote:


...Been looking around at some old threads regarding the use of Actual Weapons as improvised weapons. Sadly, my search-fu is weak, and I've decided to ask here for a quicker answer.

When using a Masterwork and Magic weapons (or even ammunition) with an enhancement bonus, does such a bonus apply when using the weapon as an Improvised Weapon (such as by a Monk of the Empty Hand)?

Are there official statements or RAW to support either argument?

An improvised weapon is any object that is not being used in its intended way as a weapon. For example, slapping someone with a chair, using a longspear or 10 ft. pole as a beat-stick, or trying to kill someone with a coffee mug.

Now to my knowledge, a weapon's enhancement bonus does not go away merely because you are wielding the weapon badly. The enhancement clearly affects the entire weapon (including improving hardness and HP). So about the best way to use improvised weapons is likely a martial with the Catch off Guard feat and a pole-arm (since you could wield the pole-arm as an improvised weapon dealing 1d6 damage in short range).

However, since to enhance a weapon you need it to be masterwork, you are not likely to find a masterwork weapon barstool, or a masterwork weapon coffee mug; so unless you're just using your normal masterwork weapons in exotic ways, getting an enhancement bonus on them would be difficult if you lack the means to add it indirectly (such as casting greater magic weapon on your barstool).

Grand Lodge

If I remember right as soon as it starts getting enhancement bonuses it no longer qualifies as an improvised weapon. Can't remember when I saw this, but the VC for my area in PFS mentioned it as well.

Grand Lodge

Why would an enhancement change it's improvised nature?

There are magic items, that actually have certain effects that occur when used as an improvised weapons.

There is no basis for this sudden change, within RAW.

Maybe some strange PFS houserule. I have never seen it.

Liberty's Edge

blackbloodtroll wrote:
Combat Scabbard is capable of this.

Weapon accessory, from the adventurer Armory

[quote=SRD[Scabbard, combat

Source Adventurer's Armory

This scabbard is an improvised weapon designed to allow you to remove it from your belt as a swift action when drawing the weapon it contains. Taking the Equipment Trick feat for a scabbard gives you additional combat options for using a scabbard. For the purpose of Fighter weapon groups, a scabbard for a heavy blade is considered a hammer, and a scabbard for a light blade is considered a close weapon.

I don't see anything that say it is possible to enhance it as a weapon.

Grand Lodge

Well, then again, there is nothing specific about the Dagger, that specifically notes, that it can be enchanted.

Liberty's Edge

blackbloodtroll wrote:
Well, then again, there is nothing specific about the Dagger, that specifically notes, that it can be enchanted.

There is:

Dagger - Light Melee Weapons

Combat scabbard - Weapon Accessory

Completely different categories. One can be enhanced and there are rules for doing that, the other has no rules for doing that.

Grand Lodge

The Combat Scabbard is also noted as a one-handed weapon, and what Fighter Weapon Group it belongs to.

So, it is a bit more than just say, a weapon cord.

Liberty's Edge

blackbloodtroll wrote:

The Combat Scabbard is also noted as a one-handed weapon, and what Fighter Weapon Group it belongs to.

So, it is a bit more than just say, a weapon cord.

The Sharpened Combat Scabbard is one-handed weapon, not the Combat Scabbard. It is a different item.

SRD wrote:


Combat Scabbard, Sharpened

Benefit: This combat scabbard has a sharp blade on the outer edge, allowing you to use it as a weapon.

(Simple)
One-Handed Melee Weapons Cost Dmg (S) Dmg (M) Critical Range Weight1 Type2 Special
Combat scabbard 1 gp 1d4 1d6 x2 —

Both are from the Adventure Armory and they are treated differently in that product, so it is not a problem of different sources. They are different categorizes of objects.

Grand Lodge

Yes.

One is bludgeoning, and has improvised penalties, whilst one is slashing, and has no improvised penalties.

Otherwise, the two are identical.

Silver Crusade

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To be eligible for weapon enchantments it must be a masterwork weapon. (see the magic weapon section)

In order to be a masterwork weapon it must be constructed as a masterwork weapon in the first place. (see the Craft skill)

If it is constructed as a masterwork weapon, then it is constructed as a weapon.

If it is constructed as a weapon, then it is a weapon.

If it is a weapon, then it is not an improvised weapon.

Therefore, an improvised weapon cannot be a masterwork weapon, and therefore cannot be enchanted with weapon enchantments.

Liberty's Edge

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Yes.

One is bludgeoning, and has improvised penalties, whilst one is slashing, and has no improvised penalties.

Otherwise, the two are identical.

Adventurer Armory July 2011 errata wrote:


• Inside front cover—In the Martial Weapons chart,
under One-Handed Melee Weapons, add an entry for
“Combat Scabbard” with the following values: Cost
1 gp, Dmg (S) 1d4, Dmg (M) 1d6, Critical ×2, Range
—, Weight 1 lb., Type B, Special improvised, see text.

So you are right and the D20PFSRD is wrong. Again I am remembered why I should check the source and that a third party product isn't the same thing.

A improvised weapon that is a martial weapon is a weird item, but it can bea masterwork item and it can be enhanced, I think.

Grand Lodge

Basically, the Combat Scabbard, not the sharpened one, is the only Masterwork improvised weapon you will get your hands on.

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