Improvised Weapons Build Viable Without Enhancement Bonus?

[RaizielDragon]

Ive recently become interested in an Improvised Weapons build, and have found that there is some decent support in both Paizo and 3pp content, including races, feats, traits, and classes/archetypes that can effectively utilize improvised weapons. It doesnt even seem that feat intensive.

That being said, how legitimate can an improvised weapon build be when you can't get weapon enhancements? I see that the Monk of the Empty Hand can use ki to temporarily enchant their improvised weapons, but it is a steep ki expenditure, and only lasts a round. I realize that at lower levels, it won't matter as much, but at mid to higher levels, the gap obviously grows worse. Is there any way for such a build to keep pace, or are improvised weapon builds only viable at lower levels, where magic weapons don't have as much of an impact?

[Chess Pwn]

The Breaker for Barbarians is pretty good. Gives you no penalty for improvised and a scaling damage boost. I feel this will be one of the better ones. Plus with rage and reckless abandon your to-hit chance will be fine.

Now a question is, why are you wanting to specialize in improvised so much?

[bigrig107]

Maybe magus?
It just says one-handed weapon.

Plus, spells through the weapon would be fun.

Just focus your money on defense, and abilities to getting to-hit/damage boosts (arcane accuracy, power attack, etc.)

[Malwing]

Chess Pwn wrote:

Now a question is, why are you wanting to specialize in improvised so much?

Isn't the answer to that obvious?

[RaizielDragon]

I don't remember what the initial thing that got me interested in it was; Jackie Chan may have been part of it, but I know that wasn't all of it. Beyond that, it was more just to see if it would make a good build. I've done plenty of builds that basically pick a weapon and just use that weapon, so I thought this would be something different to try. When I started looking into it, I saw there were a lot of things to help with improvised weapons, but also came to the realization that you'll be without the enhancement bonuses from the weapon that many builds want. Not having much experience with the system, I figured I would ask if it was even a viable build before I looked too far into make such a build.

[Zwordsman]

It's pretty darn hard sadly.

Though depending on your gm. some might let you enchant any masterwork tool. since the weapon enchantment part in core (don't remember about ultimate equipment) just says masterwork is required. One of mine let me do it, and even let the +# apply to some of hte tool usage.
I loved my shovel.

Doesn't fly for pfs kinda stuff though.

[Dragonchess Player]

For a more sustainable (adventuring day-wise) option for making improvised weapons magic, using a racial trait/"half-feat" trait/feat/class ability to gain an arcane SLA allows the character to pick up Arcane Strike (for a swift action each round, all attacks are treated as magic for overcoming DR and gain a bonus to damage).

Ways to gain scaling enhancement bonuses are a bit trickier. It basically requires either sufficient levels in a class with greater magic weapon on it's spell list (or some way to add it to the spell list) or a class ability like an inquisitor's Judgment and/or Bane, a magus' Arcane Pool, or a paladin's Divine Bond.

[Titanhoss]

Gloves of Improvised Might is a good thing for this

[Quixote]

Given this is a 7-year old thread, I doubt the OP will find the information useful anymore.

[VoodistMonk]

Despite being an old thread, if anyone finds this in a search... we have Shikigami Style/Mimicry/Manipulation which means Improvised Weapons will always have an option to be at least somewhat viable. Resourceful Halflings can gain access to Shikigami Style without needing to take Catch Off-Guard/Throw Anything, and take no penalties using Improvised Weapons.