Hello there!
First of all, this is not for the ridiculous Coven Caster shenanigans, but because I am genuinely interested in using the spell as an emergency option for my gish-ish caster, if things get messy.
So, let's read the spell again:
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Emblem of Greed
School transmutation (polymorph); Level cleric 6, inquisitor 6, magus 6, medium 6, shaman 7, sorcerer/wizard 6
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a masterwork or magical melee weapon)
EFFECT
Range touch
Target 1 masterwork melee weapon touched
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none (object); Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
You transform one melee weapon into a burning glaive. The target of your spell must be a masterwork or magical melee weapon appropriate to your size. The weapon becomes a glaive appropriate to your size and has a +1 enhancement bonus and the flaming weapon special ability. When wielding the glaive, you are considered proficient with it and use your caster level as your base attack bonus (which may give you multiple attacks). When you reach caster level 14th, the glaive gains the spell-storing weapon special ability. When you reach caster level 17th, it loses the flaming weapon special ability, and gains the flaming burst weapon special ability. The glaive’s enhancement bonus increases to +2 at caster level 15th, and +3 at caster level 19th.
If this spell is cast on a magic weapon, the powers of the spell supersede any that the weapon normally has, rendering the normal enhancement bonus and powers of the weapon inoperative for the duration of the spell. This spell is not cumulative with greater magic weapon or any other spell that might modify the weapon in any way. This spell does not work on artifacts. A masterwork weapon’s bonus on attack rolls does not stack with an enhancement bonus to attack.
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Now I have 4 questions concerning the emboldened parts:
1) This spell is a polymorph spell tergeting my weapon. I'd like to polymorph myself into another creature as well, though. The rules for polymorph state "You can only be affected by one polymorph spell at a time." Emblem of Greed targets only my weapon, but the effect of the spell gives me a higher BAB. Does this mean that I am "affected" by the spell, too (not in a logical, but in a rules-wise way)? Do I get both polymorphs (me + weapon) or only one?
2)The weapon is listed as a material component, so it would be lost in the process, however the description states "If this spell is cast on a magic weapon, the powers of the spell supersede any that the weapon normally has, rendering the normal enhancement bonus and powers of the weapon inoperative for the duration of the spell. The emboldened part strongly implies that the weapon is not consumed in the process. This is contradictory. Any thoughts?
3)What does "Wielded" mean? IMHO there are 3 possible meanings:
a) It is sufficient to just hold it in one hand.
b) You have to hold it in a way so that you can attack with it and threaten squares with it.
c) You need to actually make attacks with it or at least somehow manage to get the dancing weapon property.
4) Does the increased BAB only count for attacks made with the glaive?
I have read a lot of threads on this spell (this board, but also reddit and discord) and opinions seem to be spread out a lot. But mostly people straight out refuse to discuss it, because they hate the spell in the first place. So hopefully, I can get some clarification with this.
Hopefully, I
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Clearly whoever wrote this item wasn't an expert in the underlying building blocks of the game. So unfortunately disentangling this spell is going involve a fair amount of (uh-oh) determining intention.
1. The only reason this spell has the (polymorph) descriptor is because it changes the weapon into a glaive. Every other ability in the spell is either transmutation (no subschool) or evocation. Transformation is the only other spell I know of that gives you a BAB equal to your caster level and it is just transmutation (no subschool). So I'd rule that you are not being affected by a polymorph spell.
2. You could argue that by a strict reading you would have to consume one weapon as a material component and cast the spell on another. However that really doesn't make sense and it seems the writer didn't mean to have the weapon consumed. Maybe she meant for it to be a focus instead.
3. b).
If you could potentially be making an attack with it (or an AOO with it), you are wielding it.
4. Per strict wording, it's not just the glaive. (Though you would have to be wielding the glaive.) Per the overall way the spell reads, it's supposed to be just the glaive.
---------------------------------------------I've got a pretty good guess who wrote this spell. A freelancer who wrote a lot of material based around using the glaive. (Bladed Brush). She was also moderately notorious for writing things that were stronger than the established power scale and seemed to always either misunderstood a rule, left unanswered questions, or accidentally opened up huge powergaming opportunities with some interactions. The visualization of how the material was intended to be used was usually there, just without the specificity in game terms needed to make it fully integrated.
This particular spell has another major problem, one that ties into your question 4. The use of the word "you" in the spell.
a) If the weapon benefits are intended to be to whoever has the weapon, then the the language should be changed to "the wielder of the glaive is considered proficient..." and so on.
b) If the weapon benefits are only for the caster, this should probably be a personal range spell. Similar to lead blades or gravity bow. It could still be touch as written but even so it needs more lines stating what does and does not happen if someone else tries to wield it. Does it instantly revert to the original weapon? Is it just a masterwork glaive (that they don't automatically gain proficiency in)?
The spell specifically states the target of the spell is the glaive, not the character. The spell is turning the glaive into a magic item that affects the caster but is not polymorphing the caster. This is no different than any other magic item that gives the character an ability or boosts the character in some way.
RAW a material component is used up by the spell. This looks like it might have been a mistake and I can see a GM house ruling it to be a focus instead of a material component.
For the wielded question you need to hold it in a way that you would be able to use it as a weapon. Unless you have some feat that allows you to use a glaive in one hand that means you need to hold it in two hands. But the dancing property states that while dancing the weapon is considered wielded by the person activating it. You also have to be using the weapon or at least prepared to use the weapon. You would be considered wielding the weapon even when not currently attacking because it is not your turn to go.
Personally, I would say the increase BAB only applies to attacks with the glaive. This spell seems to be pretty poorly written and any GM allowing it should probably define how it works. My advice for any players would be to ask your GM before using this spell.
I agree with the target of the spell being the weapon. And if the weapon touched is the target what is the point of calling the weapon a focus component? And making it a material component sounds wrong.
As an aside, anyone else find it strange, bordering on <deleted> that a spell clearly designed to emulate one of the Runelords (who were famously evil and secular) is freely available to all clerics? Huh?
Thank you guys for the the extensive replies :)
Basically I agree with you on all your points, but there are some things that are a bit iffy.
This particular spell has another major problem, one that ties into your question 4. The use of the word "you" in the spell.
RAW, the way the spell is worded, anyone can wield the glaive but only you (the caster) can benefit from the granted proficiency and increased BAB. I think it doesn's make that much sense, but it's not that broken and I can kinda live with it. Of course, you could hand the glaive to your party's fighter, but you would probably be better off by just casting Greater magic Weapon on their weapons.
The thing with the BAB only working on the Glaive is difficult, because BAB is a stat influencing the whole character. They would have been better off just writing "for attacks made with the Glaive" instead of "when wielding the Glaive" and maybe a short sentence about extra attacks from high BAB.
That being said, Arcane Anthology came out in 2015. Anything with natural attacks benefits from the increased BAB. This should have been super obvious during development. I think I will just go with RAW and try to not abuse it so my GM lets it fly :).
As an aside, anyone else find it strange, bordering on <deleted> that a spell clearly designed to emulate one of the Runelords (who were famously evil and secular) is freely available to all clerics? Huh?
Yes, I find that super weird as well. But it fits really well with arcane casters, especially with aspiring hellknights like my character.
Thanks again for your input guys!
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The thing with the BAB only working on the Glaive is difficult, because BAB is a stat influencing the whole character. They would have been better off just writing "for attacks made with the Glaive" instead of "when wielding the Glaive" and maybe a short sentence about extra attacks from high BAB.
Keep in mind that an increased BAB modifies your CMD. It is easy to overlook that.
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Personally, I am fine with the weapon used being an M component. You can use the spell on a masterwork dagger, so it is simply a spell with a costly component.
The problem, as was pointed out, is that the material component is transformed into something different for the duration of the spell, but it isn't the first instance of a spell doing that. Fabricate (a Transmutation spell, BTW) does exactly that. The difference is that the result of Fabricate is a real object, while the result of Emblem of Greed is a temporary object that will disappear at the end of the spell.
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The following spells are generally credited to Runelord Haphrama’s research.
That the Emblem of Greed is patterned after the glaive of the Thassalonian Runelord of Greed Haphrama, the one before Karzough, so, in my version of Golarion, knowing the spell would require some access to Thassalonian magic.
If you hypothesize that the Runelords are/were all mythic characters it is not a problem to say that they can grant spells to a restricted clergy. The spell being available to all clerics is questionable.
It is all a question of how the GM wants to manage the world.
The problem, as was pointed out, is that the material component is transformed into something different for the duration of the spell, but it isn't the first instance of a spell doing that. Fabricate (a Transmutation spell, BTW) does exactly that. The difference is that the result of Fabricate is a real object, while the result of Emblem of Greed is a temporary object that will disappear at the end of the spell.
Thanks for chiming in on the topic. Yes it seems weird, especially since the description text says that the weapon's normal properties are suppressed during the spell. Since material components are already used up at the point of casting, this sentence would make zero sense, unless it's a focus component instead.
Nice catch with the CMD, too!