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Good question. I don't think this was thought of. Technically if all of the weapon bonus is transferred to the AC bonus then it shouldn't count as a magical weapon during that time, and should not bypass any DR.
I really don't know, but I will press the FAQ button on the comment I am making. The question is bolded below.
For the purpose of bypassing DR does a Defending weapon lose the ability to bypass DR or harm incorporeal creatures if some or all of its enhancement bonus is changed to an AC bonus?
As an example would a +3 weapon that transferred 2 points of enhancement only be able to bypass DR magic?
Another example: Would a +3 weapon that transferred the entire enhancement to AC be unable to bypass DR or harm incorporeal creatures?
edit: For the purpose of this question we are asking about intent.
To bypass DR, you need a weapon with an enhancement bonus (to hit and damage.) It doesn't matter where that enhancement comes from (unless the source specifically doesn't allow it to bypass DR such as greater magic weapon.) For example, a Magus that uses his arcane pool to make a +2 weapon a +3 weapon will now have a weapon that will bypass DR/Silver. The reverse is true as well, if you 'transfer' an enhancement bonus, the bonus becomes lower and so will not bypass DR.
Incorporeal on the other hand doesn't care about enhancement bonus. It just cares that the weapon is magical, which it certainly is. Clearly, most magical weapons have an enhancement bonus, but that is not a requirement for damaging an incorporeal foe as far as can tell. The only counter to this argument that I can see is the the DR section defines a magic weapon as a weapon with a magical enhancement bonus, I interpret that as being the definition for 'magic' as it relates to DR, but not necessarily other things, such as incorporeal.
That's a good question.
And the incorporeal universal monster rules does not say the "weapon" has to have an enchantment bonus(as DR does), so that not only brings up a Defender set at +0 attack -- still a magic weapon - but the idea of improvised weapons. Can you throw a magical item with some heft to it at a ghost and damage the ghost on a hit?
And the incorporeal universal monster rules does not say the "weapon" has to have an enchantment bonus(as DR does), so that not only brings up a Defender set at +0 attack -- still a magic weapon - but the idea of improvised weapons. Can you throw a magical item with some heft to it at a ghost and damage the ghost on a hit?
Improvised weapons are not really considered as weapons. They are just items that can do harm. If they actually counted as weapons then you could enchant them as weapons, and take options such as weapon focus(bar stool).
Improvised weapons are not really considered as weapons. They are just items that can do harm. If they actually counted as weapons then you could enchant them as weapons, and take options such as weapon focus(bar stool).
Not so sure I am agreeing on that. Improvised Weapons are found in the weapon section, there are combat feats like Improved Improvised Weapon which improve the use of such weapons, and the word "weapon" is in the description.
If someone uses a sling to launch a stone at you it's a weapon. If someone throws that same stone at you, it's still a weapon. If my club is shaped like a typical cave man club, it's a weapon, and if my club is the over-sized solid wood pepper mill, it's still a weapon. I don't think a baseball bat or a crow bar are not weapons just because they have another use. Having been hit by a baseball bat, IT'S A WEAPON!