Halfling magus blackblade


Rules Questions


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Can a halfling magus use a Kukri as a black blade? The only requirement that I see for a Black Blade is a onehanded slashing weapon and a Kukri falls into that.


Weapons are classified as light, one-handed or two-handed weapons. A Kukri is a light weapon not a one-handed weapon. So, RAW it is not legal choice for a black blade.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

RAW not an option, but if you're really into the flavor of it, I'd ask your GM anyway. It's less base damage than the assumed rapier or scimitar.


I would point on this is a case of two conflicting RAWs, light weapons are one handed weapons, because you can only use them in one hand, as opposed to two-handed weapons which are unique in being the only weapons able to be used exclusively in two-hands (and not interchangeably with mechanical benefit like one-handed weapons). The unique part of light weapons, as you can guess from the previous statement is that they can't be effectively used with two hands to gain increased strength, and that all light weapons can automatically be used with weapon finesse.

Weapon Types wrote:
Light: A light weapon is used in one hand. It is easier to use in one’s off hand than a one-handed weapon is, and can be used while grappling (see Combat). Add the wielder’s Strength modifier to damage rolls for melee attacks with a light weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or half the wielder’s Strength bonus if it’s used in the off hand. Using two hands to wield a light weapon gives no advantage on damage; the Strength bonus applies as though the weapon were held in the wielder’s primary hand only. An unarmed strike is always considered a light weapon.

The implication and I believe a much more clear RAI is that you obviously can't use spell combat with a two handed weapon because you need the second hand for your casting, but it really shouldn't matter the size of your blade as long as you can use it in one hand. There is no reason to stop a player from downgrading their rapier to a kukri because one is a one-handed, 1d6, 18-20 threat, finesse-able weapon and the other is a light, 1d4, 18-20 threat, finesse-able weapon.


I think the rules as intended just never considered that you’d ever want a weaker option for your black blade. The limitation may also be for the flavor of whoever created the ideas of black blades. It’s not just one handed weapons, but also specifically slashing, except for rapier and sword cane. I don’t think the limitations matched the vision though, because something like a whip qualifies, which really has nothing to do with being a “blade”.


Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons: This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon's size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.

The term one-handed weapon is a defined game term. The fact you use a light weapon in one hand does not change the designation.

As a GM I would probably allow it. For small character the difference is going to be the Kukri does 1d3 for damage vs. 1d4 for the rapier. The only advantage I could see is that as a light weapon you could dual wield a Kukri. Dual wielding does not do much for a magus, so it is not likely to come into play.


Mysterious Stranger wrote:

Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons: This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon's size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.

The term one-handed weapon is a defined game term. The fact you use a light weapon in one hand does not change the designation.

As a GM I would probably allow it. For small character the difference is going to be the Kukri does 1d3 for damage vs. 1d4 for the rapier. The only advantage I could see is that as a light weapon you could dual wield a Kukri. Dual wielding does not do much for a magus, so it is not likely to come into play.

you also can't dual wield and do spell combat normally anyway....


Mysterious Stranger wrote:

The term one-handed weapon is a defined game term. The fact you use a light weapon in one hand does not change the designation.

... The only advantage I could see is that as a light weapon you could dual wield a Kukri. Dual wielding does not do much for a magus, so it is not likely to come into play.

One-handed is also a real-life/functional term with several overlapping features, no real excusive features found in the real-life/functional term and not in game term (though also not vice-a-versa), that is often difficult to distinguish when they are referring to the game term or just more generally the real-life/functional term.

Using the kukri as the blackblade still does nothing over a rapier even if you do TWF with it, as it most certainly would be your main-hand weapon, which doesn't matter if it's one-handed or light for your attack modifiers anyway, only your off-hand's weapon matters.


When a rule imposes a limit that includes a game mechanic that could also be a real-life term you have to assume that are talking about the game mechanic.

In this case I would not have a problem letting one of my players use a Kukri as a black blade, but RAW it is still not a legal choice.

Liberty's Edge

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

When a rule imposes a limit that includes a game mechanic that could also be a real-life term you have to assume that are talking about the game mechanic.

That is a good principle when dealing with Pathfinder rules.

RAI, the inspiration from the blackblades seems to be Strombringer and other swords in the Eternal Champion saga. Those are generally big one-handed swords, the description appears to be that of bastard swords. So, allowing the use of light swords seems a bit against RAI.

The main advantage of the kukri is that it is a slashing weapon. From what I recall, there are more monsters with DR/slashing than monsters with DR/Piercing.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Diego, the reason I was thinking of using a Kukri as a blackblade for a halfling is so I could gestalt it with a rogue knife master scout. To get the best of both worlds.


If you're doing this purely for optimizing reasons, I don't think it's the strongest choice. Your gestalt is very based on melee, while not having a great BAB. I feel like you'd be better off combining magus with swashbuckler or slayer to gain a much more accurate source of spell damage.


Melkiador wrote:
If you're doing this purely for optimizing reasons, I don't think it's the strongest choice. Your gestalt is very based on melee, while not having a great BAB. I feel like you'd be better off combining magus with swashbuckler or slayer to gain a much more accurate source of spell damage.

this character won't have any issues with hitting. as a Magus, he will have access to various forms of invisibility, especially Great Invis. plus if he picks up any of the arcanas that allow him to move around he should almost always have flanking, so +4 to hit against flat footed AC, he should hit just fine.

If he picked up Magical Lineage for the shocking grasp trick, combined with d8's for his sneak attack damage, plus haste, and he should be dealing some significant damage each round.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Halfling magus blackblade All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions