Oversized Throw as a weapon

[gossaamer]

This may be silly but what is stopping someone from putting potency and striking runes on a rock specifically for use with oversized throw? I imagine this would make a 1d10 thrown weapon that could only be used with oversized throw and ignores the built in damage scaling.

[Finoan]

gossamer wrote:

what is stopping someone from putting potency and striking runes on a rock specifically for use with oversized throw?

Game balance, mostly.

Pathfinder2e doesn't have PF1 Special Abilities.

It does have innate spells instead of spell-like abilities.

It also has things like Implausible Infiltration instead of Supernatural Abilities.

And it has things like Oversized Throw instead of Extraordinary Abilities.

So that is how Oversized Throw is balanced and budgeted as - as a discrete ability that you can use rather than a weapon attack. It does its listed damage irrespective of whatever you happen to be throwing or what runes that object happens to have on it.

[shroudb]

To begin with, runes do not "add" dices, they changes dices "to". So it doesn't stack with the additional dices that the oversized throw already has since those as well change dices "to".

Basically, you have two different ways to "change dices to 2dx, 3dx, etc" but those do not stack in between.

Furthermore, the object will also probably break since it also takes equal damage as it deals, and that's a very easy way to change permanent costed items like runes to consumables since you will be using the rune just one time before it breaks.

[Themetricsystem]

There is also the issue that there is a kind of hole in the rules regarding improvised weapons as it states they are BOTH explicitly NOT a Weapon and that they also ARE a Weapon (a Simple Weapon WHEN being used for an attack) that is somewhat contradictory and creates work for a GM for anyone who wants to put a Rune on anything that was not very specifically build/made/manufactured to BE a Weapon with specific published stats.

At the end of the day the only answer you'll be able to get about your example with adding Runes to a big rock is that you'll need to ask your GM since the rules are not clear on if it is allowed or disallowed due to conflicting language.

[graystone]

Themetricsystem wrote:

(a Simple Weapon WHEN being used for an attack)

It's be easier if it actually said this but it doesn't: it states that that ARE simple weapons, full stop, without qualifiers. It's the same with Oversized Throw, where the item IS a simple weapon without qualifiers.

Second, it doesn't "explicitly" state that they aren't weapons, just that they weren't "built to be a weapon". It's hard to make a hard line on them not being weapons when a frying pan is on the weapon list... For instance, a baseball ball isn't built to be a weapon', but that doesn't mean it isn't one.

To the OP: I see no reason you couldn't rune up a rock. You just don't get extra damage as the die boosts do not stack, so it'd be Property runes that would have be useful.

[Castilliano]

Well, OP does say this strategy would ignore the built in damage scaling, so I don't think they're trying for shenanigans. Rather, there's a d10 throwing weapon available via this feat, so what can be done with it?

I think it's reasonable to consider the Barbarian toting around said weapon/hunk of whatever, imbue it with Runes, etc. as a normal magic weapon which seems balanced when the only way to utilize it is via this 2-action Strike which adds nothing (assuming one keeps the Runes up to level). (And I would rule that there isn't a Draw motion involved, so the feat loses one its other benefits too.)

The main trouble I see is "...;regardless of the result, the object takes the same amount of damage it would deal on a success." So said object would deteriorate and require repair (as even a high Hardness material should take damage). That's a minor hurdle if the party has a Craft-er, but it would keep them from relying solely on throwing during prolonged combats. (And I'd advise not using a rock because Giants...)

The feat also might work with Thrower's Bandolier (though hindered by needing to Draw the object). Then one needn't worry about losing Runes on a weapon that takes damage.