Thaumaturge, thrown weapons and Implement's Empowerment?


Rules Discussion


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

The text for Implement's Empowerment is:

Quote:

The power of your implement can also be turned to the more common task of combat, its power adding to and amplifying the effects of runes and other magical empowerments. When you Strike, you can trace mystic patterns with an implement you're holding to empower the Strike, causing it to deal 2 additional damage per weapon damage die. Channeling the power requires full use of your hands. You don't gain the benefit of implement's empowerment if you are holding anything in either hand other than a single one-handed weapon, other implements, or esoterica, and you must be holding at least one implement to gain the benefit.

Are you able to use Implement's Empowerment when your implement is a thrown weapon (Likely with a returning rune)?

I'm not sure when the check for holding an implement would be from a rules perspective. Does it check that you're holding an implement at the point when it hits the target and causes the damage or at a point when you throw it?

Any ideas?

Horizon Hunters

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It works perfectly fine, don't over think it. The ability works on all your Strikes, and even if you're not holding the weapon you still meet the requirements to activate the ability.

I would even allow it to work if the only implement you're holding was the weapon itself.


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Cordell Kintner wrote:
I would even allow it to work if the only implement you're holding was the weapon itself.

Interesting. I would never have even doubted it worked with just the weapon implement until I saw your comment. After reading it again, I am pretty sure it works with just the weapon implement. It would be utterly weird if a weapon implement user had to wait for their second implement at level 5 to use one of the main offensive tools of the class. But yes, I can see the argument that with a thrown (returning) weapon implement, you are technically not holding at least one implement the moment the weapon strikes.

To MAKE the strike, though, you first have to hold the weapon of course. So the question rather becomes. At which point of the action does the ability check? The moment you declare/make the strike or the moment it hits the target?

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