I understand that the general advice for designing a melee character's main magical weapon in most campaigns favors Adamantine over most other forms. If it were a regular campaign, I'd immediately jump on it.
Knowing that there will be a practical level cap of level 11 (or at most 12) outside of playing special scenarios in PFS, I'm left seeking help for designing a scimitar-using Magus' main weapon since I can't presume I'll be bringing this thing all the way to level 15+. With this reduced wealth budget in mind, what should I be looking for?
I suspect that I want to make it +1 and Keen since that's what a scimitar Magus does; they go for expanded crit range. What about other effects though? I suspect any further magical improvements would cost too much given the WBL cap (I'm doing this on funds a character would have from levels 4 to 10, basically). Am I basically going to need to leave it at +1 Keen and move on?
How about special materials? It seems to me like Cold Iron, normally maligned since sufficient +X enchantment can overcome DR/Cold Iron, might be more viable here due to budget concerns; I'm unlikely to get a +3 weapon. ...Or perhaps it would be possible through Arcane Pool behavior, would adding Arcane Pool benefits to what is already a +2 (+1 and Keen) Scimitar be enough to beat DR/Cold Iron and the like?
tl;dr: "I'm trying to design a good scimitar for a PFS Magus, with the proviso that due to PFS' level cap I won't have as many funds available for a long-haul build that many campaigns would assume. Is there something better I can do within the cost range of +2 and a Special Material? If so, which material and which enchantments?"
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I go with a +2 Keen Scimitar and leave it at that. Based on level caps, that should be all you need. When you hit a +3 bonus to your weapon, you're looking at a +5 Keen Scimitar, which is gonna bypass a lot of DR, including adamantine. Adamantine doesn't hurt, though, just in case you gotta sunder something.
Going straight +X number after Keen'ing it was basically my plan, though I don't know if being able to afford +2 Keen until the very end is practical, given the wealth caps involved.
Still, it sounds like adding +X to it via Arcane Pool does suffice for overcoming some forms of DR? If so, this helps.
Ouch. That'd be... about 18000? 20000 GP with Adamantine?
That won't fully come online until level 9 or 10, maybe 11, since there'd be other magic items along the way to get too.
Would Adamantine really be worth adding to this, or is that kind of unnecessary in this case?
Okay. That sounds good then. It looks like the plan is, uncreative though it may be, to simply go +X Keen and the sole choice to argue with myself over is whether to make it Adamantine or Not. Probably will; I think I can fit it in to the budget.
Thank you for the advice, Ultimagus!
Unless anyone else has some different insights on this, I'm willing to call the thread quite well handled since I know what to do now.
I never bothered putting keen on the weapon, as there will be fights where the property is useless.
I have always gone straight enhancement bonus on the weapon and added the Keen property with my arcane pool. This way, when fighting something that is crit immune, I can pick another property that is effective.
It also gets you the ability to break DR earlier, for fights where that is more important than increasing the crit chance.
The Special Material should be chosen based on what seasons your playing the most of.
If you play lots of Scenarios of Year of the Demon then Cold Iron would be a Good Pick for the Main weapon.
There are a few seasons that Adamantine would be wonderful to have on hand if not as your main weapon. Also, it gives you a tool to cut doors down with.
As far as Enchantments go Keen will be good for you because your reduced BaB your not looking at Improved critical till your last few levels so waiting that long is not a good Idea. After that, you should look for enchantments you can not get through Arcane Pool. You can also just continue to pump your flat enchantment bonus as well and stacking it up with Arcane pool. The higher Critical from Keen will make those Flat bonuses multiply for good critical damage.
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For what it's worth, on my warpriest I had a +4 adamantine scythe by the time I retired. Any special abilities I wanted on the weapon I put there with my sacred weapon ability. I would suggest you do the same with your scimitar--basically for the same reasons @Volkard Abendroth mentioned.
p.s. This guy played almost all of season 6 so the adamantine was necessary long before the +4 made it obsolete.
p.s. This guy played almost all of season 6 so the adamantine was necessary long before the +4 made it obsolete.
Season 6 was a Season for Adamantine. It will help the OP to know what seasons he will be running with this character to determine what will be best purchases on the weapon material.
...Those are some really good 'different opinions' there. Glad I decided to double-check this! I had assumed that a +1 Keen weapon would count as '+2' in regard to beating DR, and that a +2 Keen weapon would count as '+3' for that purpose too. It seems that's not the case?
The advice I'm seeing here makes it sound like I'd be better off grabbing a +2 Adamantine Scimitar (or +2 Cold Iron Scimitar) and just using Arcane Pool to toss Keen on it as needed? I admit I'm surprised, and intrigued, to hear this; I assumed a proper Scimitar Magus built around scoring as many crits as possible and would want an always-Keen'ed weapon.
It is a swift action to use the arcane pool to grant the weapon Keen. You are going to be able to do that for most combats, especially in PFS.
If you put it on the weapon, it is still taking up that +1 when you hit a crit immune creature. If you use your pool and identify the creature as immune to crits, you can use that to gain an edge on damage and to hit by increasing the bonus instead.
That is why it is generally better to use the pool.
Good points. Thanks for the info!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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So basically:
At low levels, you should carry a cold iron and a silver backup weapon. They're cheap; you don't even need masterwork since they get +1 to hit from arcane pool.
At level 5, you should have a +1 weapon, and can make it +3 with arcane pool; this bypasses cold iron and silver DR. At this point, an adamantine backup weapon is affordable.
At level 9, you should have a +2 weapon, and can make it +5 with arcane pool; this bypasses everything except hardness. And for that, you still have your adamantine backup weapon, which gets +3 from pool as well. When fighting creatures without DR, instead of +5 you can go for +4 keen, or +2 keen flaming shock, or whatever else fits the situation.
The Magus works really well with backup weapons.
Ultimately it doesn't matter that much. If you buy a +1 Keen weapon, you can add an extra +1 from Arcane Pool. It only really matters in the rare instances when you are attacking without using Arcane Pool first.
It matters when you have a +2 weapon, can only add +2 via arcane pool and need to break DR/admantine
It matters when you fight elementals, oozes, etc.
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Ultimately it doesn't matter that much. If you buy a +1 Keen weapon, you can add an extra +1 from Arcane Pool. It only really matters in the rare instances when you are attacking without using Arcane Pool first.It matters when you have a +2 weapon, can only add +2 via arcane pool and need to break DR/admantine
It matters when you fight elementals, oozes, etc.
Those are good points. But then, there will also be situations where you're better off critting with your Shocking Grasp than getting through 5 points of DR. Things being immune to crits is the best argument against keen, but then you're talking about a 5% better chance to hit for 1 extra point of damage. Going with the enhancement bonus is more consistently going to work and the better choice in mor situations. It's just not a huge difference over the life of the character.
My point was just that in general, it's a small difference either way, and it depends on the game. For games with a long adventuring day, or characters that use a lot of Arcane Pool points on things other than enhancing their weapon, having keen built in might be the better option. For PFS, you'll generally be able to enhance your weapon every fight, so it's less important. Either way, choosing one over the other isn't going to cripple the character.
But yeah, for PFS, go with the enhancement bonus, unless you've got a really specific build that works better having keen on the weapon already. Just don't stress over the decision too much.
Now, if its worth that 5000 gp to make that weapon adamantine, thats your decision. I just think theres a better use for that cash.
Enchantmants: big fan of spell storing on both armor and weapon.
Adamantine is 3,000gp and can serve as more than just DR breaker. You can also cut through Doors and other materials with under 20 Hardness. I use mine as a Master Key when there is someone who can not open a locked door.
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By level 6 adamantine in 3000 out of 16000. That typically amounts to a single point to AC, saves, stat mod, etc.
Once you have +2 armor, +2 stat belt/headband, +2 cloak you are looking at a fraction of point for 3000gp*. Pfs has the easiest way to get consumables. Wand, Potions, scroll just spend prestige. Unless you play archers consumables don't really help with the things adamantine helps with.
*there are other low cost, high value items ioun stones, class's specific items etc. But I have never had an issues finding space for adamantine weapons.
By level 6 adamantine in 3000 out of 16000. That typically amounts to a single point to AC, saves, stat mod, etc.
Once you have +2 armor, +2 stat belt/headband, +2 cloak you are looking at a fraction of point for 3000gp*. Pfs has the easiest way to get consumables. Wand, Potions, scroll just spend prestige. Unless you play archers consumables don't really help with the things adamantine helps with.
*there are other low cost, high value items ioun stones, class's specific items etc. But I have never had an issues finding space for adamantine weapons.
Yup pretty much. PP is spent on many of my Consumables and cheap special materials when I played PFS.
Wow, this has been pretty in-depth. I don't have much to add per se, but I'm impressed by the variety of great info here and now I know what to do. Thanks again, everyone!