Hey, Cool! A Free Masterwork Longsword!!

[Aristophanes]

I was in the middle of creating a new character for a Masters of the Fallen Fortress Game. I decided on a Dual-Cursed Oracle. As I was perusing traits on the PFRD, I came upon Called, which would have been perfect for my concept, but, alas, I don't own the book. Then I found this little gem from Champions of Purity.

Chosen One (Faith)
At your birth, your parents dedicated your soul to their goddess. The goddess blessed you, granting you a gift of light to brighten your path through darkness and a fine sword with which to spread her will.

Benefit(s): You may cast light once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level 1st), and you begin play with a masterwork longsword. In addition, whenever light is cast upon this sword, the radius of light and its duration is doubled.

I went to the PFS Additional Resources page, certain that it would be diallowed, but no, it's good.
Now honestly, it's not a biggie for my Oracle, since he's not even proficient with thing, but I would think it could be a great trait for a Paladin.
In the long run, it's not a huge deal, but for a starting character, an extra +1 to hit could be a serious boon.
Has anyone else taken this trait?

[LazarX]

No, because hardly any one of messageboard munchkins would be seen dead with a longsword. People want things that are either larger, finessable, and preferably with a longer crit range.

I think it's a nicely written trait though, and it no doubt has done some scattered roleplayers good service.

One of the balancers is that the light ability is fixed at first caster level and does not scale.

As nice as this trait would be for a Paladin, it's even better on an otherwise non-magical character such as a sword and board Fighter. For a Figher it's a special touch of magic that's not dwarfed by simmilar and greater magical abilities acquired later on as it would be for a Paladin or other spellcaster.

[Jiggy]

Seems fine to me. Assuming you're actually playing a character who can and would use a longsword (which seems to be startlingly few, in my experience), then yippee, you get to save 300gp once. Like it'll matter by 3rd level. :/

[FLite]

Also, while it is a masterwork longsword, it is not of a special material, and by level 5, most will want their primary weapon to be of a special material.

[Mergy]

On the other hand, a paladin or battle cleric of Iomedae could use that for their entire career. The former doesn't need special materials to function well and the latter has access to align weapon.

[kinevon]

I could see an ELven Wizard taking it, and just taking the Light canmtrip, so that they get a good, long duration on the Light spell. Never says it has to be the ability granted by the trait, yes?

[Mergy]

The radius being doubled is actually pretty fancy. I'm a fan.

[Robert A Matthews]

Oh wow you are right. Elven wizard would be perfect for this trait. 80 ft of normal light plus 80 ft of dim light beyond that. I already have an elven wizard though :/

[Todd Lower]

Robert A Matthews wrote:

Oh wow you are right. Elven wizard would be perfect for this trait. 80 ft of normal light plus 80 ft of dim light beyond that. I already have an elven wizard though :/

Retraining! . . . urp . . . wrong thread, never mind. :-)

[kinevon]

Todd Lower wrote:

Robert A Matthews wrote:

Oh wow you are right. Elven wizard would be perfect for this trait. 80 ft of normal light plus 80 ft of dim light beyond that. I already have an elven wizard though :/

Retraining! . . . urp . . . wrong thread, never mind. :-)

Retraiting was determined to be a no-go. :(

However, spending a feat on additional traits, and adding a second useful trait, might be worth it for those mid-level Elven Wizards.

Reactionary or Warrior of Old, for instance...

[Cao Phen]

Though apparently here is the weird thing:

An animal companion can gain feats.
The animal companion gets Additional Traits.
The animal companion gets the Chosen One Trait to gain 1/day - Light.
The animal companion can now choose to get Arcane Strike for the second feat, since the order of operations states it is a Wizard spell first and foremost, which in turn makes it an arcane spell.
And if the animal companion has the Extra Item Slot Feat, they can obtain the Gloves of Arcane Striking.

Yeah, its that weird...

[Mergy]

This isn't a good way to get Arcane Strike. It's permanently CL 1, so it's only +1 to damage per attack.

[Haco]

I don't find this trait only one with the name Chosen of Iomedae. Obviously there is a great trait, but only for good guys, in this book there are many nice traits for paladins or combat clerics. This one and Called, when you scores 1 in a dice in one attack you can reroll, only once per day, but is very nice!!

[Netopalis]

Honestly, I don't think that this is terribly overpowered. The light effect could largely be replaced by a 250 gp Wayfinder, and the Masterwork is 300 gp. 550 gp isn't that much when compared to, say, a +2 to Initiative or a new class skill.

[Mergy]

The cool part is that the light radius is doubled. It makes it better than a wayfinder in that case, as long as you're going to be holding it anyway.

[Jiggy]

Which is great for all those 80ft dungeon rooms and nighttime meadows that PFS agents find themselves in. If PFS were instead full of 30ft dungeon rooms and moonlit forests, that radius boost would be a lot less useful.

Oh wait.

[Lamontius]

do not cry, masterwork longsword with light on it
I still love you and think you are rad

[Mergy]

I can think of a few scenarios where it would come in handy. At the very least it's cool and different.

And eh, not overpowered. Certainly not as bad as a few traits from Ultimate Campaign that made the cut.

[Jiggy]

Adam Mogyorodi wrote:

Certainly not as bad as a few traits from Ultimate Campaign that made the cut.

Such as? Just curious.

[Netopalis]

Jiggy wrote:

Adam Mogyorodi wrote:

Certainly not as bad as a few traits from Ultimate Campaign that made the cut.

Such as? Just curious.

To me, the star trait from Ultimate Campaign is the one which adds Perception as a class skill. I've wanted one of those for a long time.

[Cao Phen]

Adam Mogyorodi wrote:

This isn't a good way to get Arcane Strike. It's permanently CL 1, so it's only +1 to damage per attack.

The main purpose of that would be that now the attacks are now magical. And unless you are really want to increase the damage from Arcane Strike, you can use the Alluring Trait, which scales Daze to Character Level.

But even then, to have a slug animal companion be porficient with a longsword seems a bit farfetched.

[kinevon]

Adam Mogyorodi wrote:

The cool part is that the light radius is doubled. It makes it better than a wayfinder in that case, as long as you're going to be holding it anyway.

Can you use a Wayfinder to cast Light on the longsword and get the doubled light radius?

If so, that makes it even better for the longsword martials, since they can still get that 40'/40' Light at will...