Weapon Modifications & Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone

[Skarm]

Hi all,
I was wondering, both for purpose of Pathfinder and Pathfinder Society, since:

- All weapon modifications are listed as "legit" apart from Versatile Design and can be added also after a weapon is created.
- Modified Weapon Proficiency is *de facto* a new weapon proficiency category, which would make an Exotic weapon unwieldable unless this special proficiency is possessed. In fact, the weapon is a different weapon than the original.
- Opalescent White Pyramid (Cracked) Ioun Stone grants weapon familiarity with the keyed weapon (which allows it to use it as martial weapon).

So...if the character had Martial weapons proficiency and the weapon was keyed to a specific type of modified weapon (i.e., Serrated Edge or Dual Balanced)...the character would be able to use it as martial weapon or not?

Thanks,
Skarm

[Nefreet]

I have pondered this as well.

I'll go ahead and flag your post to be moved over to the Rules Questions Forum so we can both get an answer to this ^_^

[shalandar]

Dotting, cause I want to know too :)

[GreatGraySkwid]

Oh, that is interesting. Yeah, definitely want to know the answer to this one.

[shalandar]

I'll forward what my Venture Captain said when I asked him:

No.
The Ioun Stone is keyed to a type of weapon.
The weapon Modifications are just that: Modifications. I'd does not change the Type of weapon.
For the same reason I couldn't have it turned to +1 Flaming Longswords, or Cold Iron Maces.

I disagree, but I told him I would respect his ruling on it.

[River of Sticks]

Not RAW, since the rules elements have no RAW interaction; but I could see an argument that any simple or martial weapon could be modified and used with proficiency; the ioun stone could grant proficiency with an exotic weapon, so I would still consider that to be "balanced" as the modification ups the proficiency requirement by one step (martial -> exotic, etc).

[Cyrad]

Skarm wrote:

- Modified Weapon Proficiency is *de facto* a new weapon proficiency category, which would make an Exotic weapon unwieldable unless this special proficiency is possessed. In fact, the weapon is a different weapon than the original.

Here lies the flaw in the logic. "Modified weapon" is not a proficiency category. Modifying an exotic weapon doesn't actually change its category -- it's still an exotic weapon. No category step beyond "exotic" exists, and the text fails to formally define a new category. Weapon familiarity also does not change a weapon's category. It simply lets a character treat an exotic weapon as a martial weapon.

Considering the facts that:

A) A modified exotic weapon's category doesn't change, even with weapon familiarity, and
B) Modifying an exotic weapon makes it impossible for any character to wield it without the Modified Weapon Proficiency or Weapon Adept feat
C) Options that give you proficiency with specific weapons do not give you proficiency in a modified weapon.

Thus, you cannot use a opalescent white pyramid ioun stone to wield a modified exotic weapon.