I was looking at ranged weapon enchants and the Greater Transformative weapon enchant caught my attention and I was wondering how the cost of this thing works.
1. Do inactive abilities count toward the cost of adding abilities to a weapon?
<Rambling about why it saves my character money>
I'm primarily looking at this as a cost savings and so it's ok if the answer is no. My original plan was to have a primary melee weapon and a backup ranged weapon. My planned melee weapon is currently something like a +5/+4 weapon (+5 to hit and dmg / +4 in assorted abilities). My planned ranged weapon was a +1/+1.
The thing is, my character can alter their size meaning I was looking at enchants like resizing (+4k) and adapative (+1k) for the ranged weapon and shrinking (+1k) on the melee weapon. This means my planned +1 /+1 ranged weapon ranged weapon has a market price of 13,430 gp. So, I'd only be spending an extra 1.5k (compared to the 4k for resizing).
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One of the ranged enchants I'm looking at is conserving. Which would never be active during any of the weapon's melee forms. Conversely, most of the enchants I'm looking at for the melee weapon would not apply while it's in it's ranged form. So, what would I end up having to pay if the weapon is turned into it's ranged form?
For example, lets assume that it is +5 melee weapon with Training, Impact, and Dueling.
It gets turned into a bow where only the +5 and the training enchantment are active. If I want to add conserving do I pay the difference between a +6 and a +7 or the difference between a +9 and a +10?
2. Can I turn the two handed melee weapon into a double weapon, and have the 2nd half enchanted separately? or would the melee weapon in question have to start off as a double weapon? (IOW does the weapon's "natural shape" matter when it comes to adding enchantments?)
3a. Can I turn the melee weapon into a double weapon, have the extra side enchanted to be +1. Then turn it into a bow using the +1 side and enchant normally?
3b. Assuming I'm able to do this, would I be able to directly change the weapon from the +1 bow into the +5 melee weapon? Or would I have to spend an extra round turning it into a double weapon that possesses both sets of enchantments?
4. Doesn't really matter to me what the answer is on this but I'm just curious. if it's a double weapon with two separate enchants is it possible to turn it into a different double weapon that only possesses one of the enchantments? Thus allowing a 3rd set of enchantments to be built into the weapon?
It has one set of enchantments, with a +10 maximum... exactly like everything else. Some are active in some forms, some aren't, but they are all still there... all still counting towards that +10 maximum. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about or alluding to with the third set of enchantments. You only get one set of enchantments, and the form of the weapon determines which enchantments are active.
It has one set of enchantments, with a +10 maximum... exactly like everything else. Some are active in some forms, some aren't, but they are all still there... all still counting towards that +10 maximum. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about or alluding to with the third set of enchantments. You only get one set of enchantments, and the form of the weapon determines which enchantments are active.
That makes sense. This is the part on double weapons
a double weapon that loses the double quality cannot use the abilities on one of its ends (wielder’s choice), whereas a non-double weapon that gains the double quality applies all its abilities to only one end.
That part about double weapons in the description is telling you that it is a complete waste, and possibly a trap, to transform your weapon to or from a double weapon. Out of all the weapons you can pick, don't pick a double weapon... which is something that is quite prevalent in PF1. Double weapons are obviously a trap, considering that there are very few finesse double weapons, but all double weapons require the TWF feat chain. There are, what, two classes that can TWF without relying on Dex? Rangers and Slayers are one class for this purpose, Brawler being the other one.
That part about double weapons in the description is telling you that it is a complete waste, and possibly a trap, to transform your weapon to or from a double weapon. Out of all the weapons you can pick, don't pick a double weapon... which is something that is quite prevalent in PF1. Double weapons are obviously a trap, considering that there are very few finesse double weapons, but all double weapons require the TWF feat chain. There are, what, two classes that can TWF without relying on Dex? Rangers and Slayers are one class for this purpose, Brawler being the other one.
so....
2. The original form of the weapon doesn't matter
3a. yes
and
3b. yes it can be changed directly from one to the other.
As for #4, there are no downsides to allowing it because there's nothing to be gained from it, other than not having to pay for masterwork.
The main issue with the double weapon option as I see it is that you're paying for the weapons separately. Sure, You could take a chain hammer and enchant one side up with ranged abilities and the other half with melee abilities. But because each side is completely independent of the other you end up spending the same as you would just having a ranged weapon and a melee weapon. But there's the added downside that if something bad happens to the weapon you lose both instead of just one.