I've got a couple questions about how the returning weapon property works. My GM and I were discussing this but we were unsure how it works entirely.
What happens after a returning weapon is thrown?
Can it be picked up by another character or creature?
If it can be picked up then what happens at the throwers turn? Does it return to him? Or does it stay in the new wielders possession?
And suppose the new wielder threw it? Would it return to the previous owner at his turn and then return to the newer wielder at his turn??
1) What happens after a returning weapon is thrown?
It strikes or misses the target and then flies through the air back to the space that the attacker occupied when they threw it. If the throwing character is there they can get the weapon from the air as a free action on their next turn. This whole process takes a combat round and is covered in the powers description.
2) Can it be picked up by another character or creature?
Picked up implies the weapon is on the ground or static somewhere. Thus I would say no since the weapon power never says this happens it says the weapon flies back. If the original thrower is not in the original square when the weapon returns then the weapon drops in that square and then anyone can pick it up like any other weapon on the ground. This is covered in the abilities description.
3) If it can be picked up then what happens at the throwers turn? Does it return to him? Or does it stay in the new wielders possession?
See #2. If your talking about if the weapon can be caught during it's flight, either to or back from the target, then that is already covered by the Deflect missle feat chain. If you do not have that feat chain then no, you cannot get the weapon during flight.
4) And suppose the new wielder threw it? Would it return to the previous owner at his turn and then return to the newer wielder at his turn??
Assuming a 'returning' weapon is on the ground and picked up, then that creature would be the new 'thrower' for purposes of the returning property. The property only cares about who threw it last. There is no 'locking in' of a specific owner or thrower listed in the property, as there are in some other magic items, like rings that take time to 'attune' themselves to a user and thus allow only that wearer to use it's power for example.
All the returning property does is fly the enchanted weapon back to the square it was last thrown from after an attack and allow the being that threw it to effortlessly catch it from the air on their turn if they are still in that square. It does not care who that last creature is or 'remember' anything besides the creature that just threw it.
Returning: This special ability can only be placed on a weapon that can be thrown. A returning weapon flies through the air back to the creature that threw it. It returns to the thrower just before the creature's next turn (and is therefore ready to use again in that turn). Catching a returning weapon when it comes back is a free action. If the character can't catch it, or if the character has moved since throwing it, the weapon drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown.
Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, telekinesis; Price +1 bonus.
Up until the point where the thrown weapon strikes (or misses) its target, it behaves EXACTLY like any other thrown weapon of the same type. If the target (or anyone else) has some ability that lets them intercept thrown weapons, they can use it on this thrown weapon. If not, then there are no generic rules for grabbing a thrown weapon in flight.
When the thrown weapon hits (or misses), resolve as usual. If something like a MIMIC is involved, the thrown weapon might be stuck fast and unable to return.
Only after the hit (or miss) is resolved, THEN returning kicks in. Even though it seems like it due to the turn-based nature of the game, the weapon isn't just lying around until the thrower's next turn waiting to hurl itself through the air back to him. Again, there are no general rules for grabbing things out of the air, so unless you have some special ability that says otherwise, then you can't do it.
If the thrower fails to catch the weapon on his turn (for whatever reason), THEN someone else can pick it up. If then then throw the weapon THEY are now the thrower and the weapon would return to them.
What you guys have said makes sense. We were thinking of it as if the weapon remained on the ground for every characters turn until the throwers turn came back around. And then it came back.
But now it makes sense that the weapon would actually be in the air for that time, returning to the thrower, since every characters turn technically happens in the same 6 second time frame.
Thank you both for clarifying that!
Cameron