Upgrading special materials weapons

[Thomas Keller]

How is this done in Society play? Do we just pay the difference in cost from, say, low-grade to standard-grade? Or must we craft the weapon ourselves?

For example, a cold iron weapon of one bulk costs 44gp for the low grade version and 968 gp for the standard grade version. Do we just pay 924 gp and get the standard grade version? I've also heard someone say we must craft it ourselves.

[NielsenE]

IMO, its probably meant to fall under this FAQ:

FAQ wrote:

"Can I pay the cost difference to upgrade a magic item instead of using Craft to do it myself?

Yes. The Pathfinder Society has numerous crafters that assist their fellow agents. Use the rules for upgrading magic items on page 535 of the Core Rulebook."

But technically its not a magic item, so the FAQ probably should be expanded.

[Gisher]

NielsenE wrote:

IMO, its probably meant to fall under this FAQ:

FAQ wrote:

"Can I pay the cost difference to upgrade a magic item instead of using Craft to do it myself?

Yes. The Pathfinder Society has numerous crafters that assist their fellow agents. Use the rules for upgrading magic items on page 535 of the Core Rulebook."

But technically its not a magic item, so the FAQ probably should be expanded.

Put a potency rune on it, upgrade its material, then take the rune off? ;)

[NielsenE]

Don't think that would work as a 'loophole workaround' --The rules we're given is you can pay the difference to upgrade magic items within their combined stat-block. Ie if a given magic item has the same name (ignoring suffix/prefix stuff like lesser/greater), but multiple levels/versions that's when the upgrade is allowed.

We need that same allowance for the multiple tiers of precious materials; and to silence some GMs we also probably need a statement that you can upgrade the item along either axis (magical tier or grade of precious material) without impacting the ability to upgrade along the other axis.

[Nefreet]

I believe this is just covered under the basic Core Rulebook Errata:

"Page 535: Craft Requirements. Add text about upgrading an item from a lower-level version into a higher-level version. "The GM might allow you to Craft a permanent item from a lower-level version of the same item as an upgrade. For example, you might upgrade a bag of holding from a type I to a type II bag, but you couldn’t upgrade a clear spindle aeon stone into an orange prism aeon stone. The cost for this upgrade is the full difference in Price between the items, and the Crafting check uses a DC for the item’s new level."

It just says "upgrading an item", rather than "upgrading a magic item".

Which, I suppose, also means (for example) you could upgrade your Level 1 Healer's Tools to Level 3 Healer's Tools by just paying the difference.

Nice and easy.

[NielsenE]

That CRB errata still has the "The GM might allow" text. The FAQ I linked above is where our campaign GM has allowed it for magical items, which would not included precious material. I suspect this is most likely a wording oversight and as a GM I wouldn't bat an eye at someone who does upgrade precious materials, but I would still like the see the FAQ updated to make it definitive.

[Thomas Keller]

I'm kind of wary about upgrading my weapon when my character reaches 10th level because of this. And if he has to craft it himself, there's just no way. Paying full price from low to standard grade isn't too hateful, but from standard to high grade would definitely hurt.