Gloomblade -- weapon must be in hand?

[Corvid Black]

Hi,

I have a Q about Gloomblades. The description says: A gloomblade can create a shadowy weapon in a free hand as a move action. This can take the form of any melee weapon with which he is proficient. A gloomblade can have only one shadow weapon in existence at a time; creating a new shadow weapon causes an existing shadow weapon to vanish.

My Q is what happens if the gloomblade releases the weapon. Can you sheathe it (in an appropriately shaped sheath)? Can you throw it and pick it up? Can you create a shadow stiletto and give it to your rogue friend to use as an improvised lockpick? The RAW don't say that it needs to be in hand and it is unclear.

Second, if it vanishes if not in hand, then what about the rule that with a BAB of 1 or higher, a weapon can be drawn as part of a general move action. Would this apply to the creation of a shadow weapon, or would you need to use a move to create it and another move to reach your foe (and hence get no attack in the first round)?

[Derklord]

Nothing says the weapon ever stops existing (except if a new weapon is created), and thus it doesn't matter what happens with the weapon. You could give the weapon to a party member and fight with a regular weapon, if you like. You can create it, drop it, travel to another plane, and when you get back to the material plane, it's still there.

Shadow Weapon Training even refers to thrown shadow weapons, which wouldn't be a possible thing if they vanish the instant you stop holding them.

[Corvid Black]

Thank you. I guess that makes my second Q about summoning the weapon as part of a move moot since you could just draw it from a sheath like normal.

[Derklord]

Corvid Black wrote:

Thank you. I guess that makes my second Q about summoning the weapon as part of a move moot since you could just draw it from a sheath like normal.

Yeah, I didn't adress that as you started it with "if it vanishes if not in hand", which it doesn't do.

Yes, you can draw the shadow weapon just like a regular weapon. If you don't have a shadow weapon aviable, you'd need to spend a move action to create a new one, meaning you couldn't move and attack in that round (since the mechanic is different from drawing a sheathed weapon). The Gloomstorm feat would help with that, though.