Gloves of Arcane Striking Bonus for Aid Another Action to grant AC Bonus

[Tharmiones]

Is it required to use the Arcane Strike as a swift action to actually grant the target the bonus to AC from the Gloves of Arcane striking or could you perform another Swift action and still grant someone else your Arcane strike bonus added to the AC?

For example:
As you only have one swift action per round I would like to know if I can cast a quickened Spell and still use the Aid another action to grant someone else a Bonus to AC equal to my Arcane Strike Bonus + the normal +2 AC bonus?

[Detect Magic]

There's also the "Swift Aid" feat to consider.

[LazarX]

You need the swift action to activate Arcane Strike. There is nothing in the gloves description that changes that, so yes it is.

[Slacker2010]

Where in the gloves description does it say you have to have Arcane Strike Activated?

[Majuba]

You don't have an "Arcane Strike damage bonus" if you haven't activated it.

[Lifat]

Majuba wrote:

You don't have an "Arcane Strike damage bonus" if you haven't activated it.

This. By RAW you have no arcane strike bonus without activating the feat.

[Slacker2010]

That is a valid interpretation. But the "Arcane Strike Damage bonus" is determined by your level, and the gloves don't say it has to be activated for them to work. I can see both Interpretations.

[Lifat]

Arcane Strike:

Arcane Strike (Combat)

You draw upon your arcane power to enhance your weapons with magical energy.

Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells.

Benefit: As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round, your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

This text says that you can as a swift action imbue yourself with a bonus power. The bonus you recieve when you imbue yourself is decided by caster level. When you aren't activating them then you have no bonus.
I agree that it hasn't spelled it out completely but I do believe that I have circumstancial on my side.
Feel free to rule it either way because the RAW does in fact not exclude an interpretation. I do however think that RAI is that you have to use the swift action. Otherwise those gloves are simply GODLY for their price.

[Slacker2010]

Lifat wrote:

I do however think that RAI is that you have to use the swift action. Otherwise those gloves are simply GODLY for their price.

I agree, when I look at it I do think that is the RAI. I can just see players arguing the other way.

[Lifat]

Slacker2010 wrote:

Lifat wrote:

I do however think that RAI is that you have to use the swift action. Otherwise those gloves are simply GODLY for their price.

I agree, when I look at it I do think that is the RAI. I can just see players arguing the other way.

Oh absolutely. And why shouldn't they? I wont judge people who ruled differently. Simply warn them that I believe that this item might be too good for the price.

And even if it was clear RAW that it needed the swift action I still wouldn't judge anyone running a houserule saying different.

[LazarX]

Slacker2010 wrote:

Lifat wrote:

I do however think that RAI is that you have to use the swift action. Otherwise those gloves are simply GODLY for their price.

I agree, when I look at it I do think that is the RAI. I can just see players arguing the other way.

There's always someone that will argue for cheese. Listen to their arguments and then settle the matter as you see fit. I always advise in dubious cases, error on the side of strictness.

[Sir Thugsalot]

Slacker2010 wrote:

That is a valid interpretation. But the "Arcane Strike Damage bonus" is determined by your level, and the gloves don't say it has to be activated for them to work. I can see both Interpretations.

Agreed. There's nothing in the wording for the gloves to indicate that their wearer must have Arcane Strike active in order to gain any function out of them. It is simply a prerequisite.

LazarX wrote:

There's always someone that will argue for cheese.

What, exactly, is cheesy about these gloves in even the most oblique subjective sense?

Let's say I'm the bard owner of these gloves who intends to...

1) ...attack with Arcane Strike activated (using swift action).
-- the gloves are useless

2) ...attack without Arcane Strike in my character build
-- the gloves are useless

3) ...attack with Arcane Strike not activated
-- the gloves are useless

(Newbie player light-bulb moment: "Whaddya mean I can't attack and use the gloves at the same time! These things suck! I want my money back!")

4) ...do anything with Arcane Strike not activated, and I have the Swift Aid feat (prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise, base attack bonus +6) and haven't used my swift action that turn for anything else
-- I can take a swift action to make a weaker-than-normal Aid Another check in addition to whatever else I'm doing.

Oh baby, now we're talking raw power! I dropped a chunk of cash, took three feats and goosed an attribute at creation to make it all gel at 8th level (BAB6) ...provided I leave one of best feats (Arcane Strike) unactivated.

5) ...I'm a "helper" bard who stands in the second rank and Aids Another twice a round at 8th+ with the gloves and Swift Aid
-- I have two feats on my meager bard list (Combat Expertise and Arcane Strike) which I'm almost never using in their intended capacity, if at all.