Arcane Pool and Greater Magic Weapon


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

The Magus' arcane pool says:

Arcane Pool:
Arcane Pool (Su): At 1st level, the magus gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to fuel his powers and enhance his weapon. This arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 his magus level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the magus prepares his spells.

At 1st level, a magus can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's base price modifier (see the Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions). These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.

A magus can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.

Greater Magic Weapon says:

Greater Magic Weapon:
This spell functions like magic weapon, except that it gives a weapon an enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5). This bonus does not allow a weapon to bypass damage reduction aside from magic.

So, if my level 13 Magus casts GMW on his +2 keen scimitar, it becomes a +3 keen scimitar. If I then use my arcane pool on the scimitar, I can increase the enhancement to +5 (at the cost of 2 points of enhancement, leaving me 2 more for other purposes, since a Magus 13 can add +4 when using arcane pool). Correct?

However, for the purposes of overcoming DR, in such an instance, the scimitar would only count as +4, not +5, because the boost from GMW doesn't apply to overcoming DR. Correct?

Liberty's Edge

Yes and yes.

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