Action Economy to apply balms / blanches to weapons and ammunition?

[Toshy]

Quick question, since my Google-Fu seems to have failed me:

Example Holy Weapon Balm

It says applying it to a weapon is a standard action, for blanches it's a full-round action.

It also says one dose is enough for one weapon or 10 pieces of ammunition.

What would be the action economy for ammunition?
1 standard action (or full-round action for blanches) per piece or per dose applied to 10 pieces?

In case of the latter if in-combat it would almost always be better to apply it to 10 pieces of ammunition instead of 1 weapon regarding you only get one successful attack with it, since you get more possible hits per "apply-action".

Bonus-Question: would a weapon or ammunition coated in the holy weapon balm be considered "good" for overcoming DR/good and deal weapon damage as well or only the listed bonus damage (2d4) against evil outsiders?

[Azothath]

for weapon blanches apply well beforehand.
It is common practice to buy cold iron arrows/bolts and apply the Blanch well ahead then just note what you have on your inventory.

Advice

As I recall an Oil of Bless Weapon is usually used on melee weapons.
Read my, "Items that can save you" thread.

[Claxon]

In general, items/abilities/etc only do what they so they do.

So I would say to your bonus question, no, it doesn't overcome DR/good.

To your other point, because balms/blanches etc only last for one hit, it's much more effective to coat lots of ammunition rather than weapons.

[Toshy]

Thanks for the answers so far, but maybe I wrote to much, as my main question hasn't been touched yet:

1 weapon = 1 dose = 1 standard or full-round action (nothing in question here)

10 pieces ammunition = 1 dose, but
= 1 standard or full-round action
or
= 10 standard or full-round action (basically applying it to every arrow separately, but one dose contains enough for 10)

[Claxon]

It's not 10 actions, my understanding is:

Coating 1 weapon is 1 standard action

Holy balm doesn't make it very clear/explicit, but I would look at like weapon blanches, where I think it is more clear that you coat weapons or 10 pieces of ammunition for the same action cost.

So I would say it's 1 standard action to coat 10 pieces of ammunition with Holy Weapon Balm.

For blanches, it's a full round rather than standard action.

[Taja the Barbarian]

Please note that applying a Weapon Blanch is technically more than a Full Round: The 'full round' part of the description is just how long you need to hold the weapon over an open flame after you pour the blanch on it.

Weapon blanch wrote:

Source Ultimate Equipment pg. 103, Advanced Player's Guide pg. 184

Price [PFS Legal] 100 gp (adamantine), [PFS Legal] 20 gp (cold iron), [PFS Legal] 5 gp (silver); Weight 1/2 lb. (adamantine), 1/2 lb. (cold iron), 1/2 lb. (silver)
Description
These silver, alchemical powders have a gritty consistency, appearing at first glance to be simple metal shavings. When poured on a weapon and placed over a hot flame for a full round, however, they melt and form a temporary coating on the weapon. The blanching gives the weapon the ability to bypass one kind of material-based damage reduction, such as adamantine, cold iron, or silver. The blanching remains effective until you make a successful attack with the weapon. Each dose of blanching can coat one weapon or up to 10 pieces of ammunition. Only one kind of weapon blanch can be on a weapon at one time, though a weapon made of one special material (such as adamantine) can have a different material blanch (such as silver), and counts as both materials for the first successful hit.
Construction
Craft (Alchemy) DC 25

As noted by previous posters, applying a weapon blanch is basically something you do while sitting around the campfire outside of battle as you need an open flame and two otherwise free hands to do it, making the precise action economy largely irrelevant...

[Claxon]

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

Please note that applying a Weapon Blanch is technically more than a Full Round: The 'full round' part of the description is just how long you need to hold the weapon over an open flame after you pour the blanch on it.

Weapon blanch wrote:

Source Ultimate Equipment pg. 103, Advanced Player's Guide pg. 184

Price [PFS Legal] 100 gp (adamantine), [PFS Legal] 20 gp (cold iron), [PFS Legal] 5 gp (silver); Weight 1/2 lb. (adamantine), 1/2 lb. (cold iron), 1/2 lb. (silver)
Description
These silver, alchemical powders have a gritty consistency, appearing at first glance to be simple metal shavings. When poured on a weapon and placed over a hot flame for a full round, however, they melt and form a temporary coating on the weapon. The blanching gives the weapon the ability to bypass one kind of material-based damage reduction, such as adamantine, cold iron, or silver. The blanching remains effective until you make a successful attack with the weapon. Each dose of blanching can coat one weapon or up to 10 pieces of ammunition. Only one kind of weapon blanch can be on a weapon at one time, though a weapon made of one special material (such as adamantine) can have a different material blanch (such as silver), and counts as both materials for the first successful hit.
Construction
Craft (Alchemy) DC 25

As noted by previous posters, applying a weapon blanch is basically something you do while sitting around the campfire outside of battle as you need an open flame and two otherwise free hands to do it, making the precise action economy largely irrelevant...

You're right that's how it's written, but I always assumed it's poorly written and that it's meant to take 1 full round to do the whole thing.

But to your point, it probably requires 2 free hands and definitely a fire to do the blanch, so you probably shouldn't try to do it in combat.

[Azothath]

Toshy wrote:

Thanks for the answers so far, but maybe I wrote to much, as my main question hasn't been touched yet:

1 weapon = 1 dose = 1 standard or full-round action (nothing in question here)

10 pieces ammunition = 1 dose, but
= 1 standard or full-round action
or
= 10 standard or full-round action (basically applying it to every arrow separately, but one dose contains enough for 10)

that's because RAW doesn't make a big distinction between 10 ammo and A weapon in this context. So use what the description calls for, some are more explicit than others. It's the same for firing 5-6-7 arrows in a round... it's a Game or game!==reality.

see Flame Arrow:T3(for 50 at once) or you can easily argue that a creature can touch 6 adjacent allies and light their arrows (from Touch spells).
Read Potion - Activation: Drinking a potion or applying an oil requires no special skill. The user merely removes the stopper and swallows the potion or smears on the oil. The following rules govern potion and oil use.
Drinking a potion or using an oil is a standard action. The potion or oil takes effect immediately. Using a potion or oil provokes attacks of opportunity. An enemy may direct an attack of opportunity against the potion or oil container rather than against the character. A successful attack of this sort can destroy the container, preventing the character from drinking the potion or applying the oil.
A creature must be able to swallow a potion or smear on an oil. Because of this, incorporeal creatures cannot use potions or oils. Any corporeal creature can imbibe a potion or use an oil.
so smear, not polish or carefully coat.

[Azothath]

Actions in Combat is the chart to sort things along with the Action descriptions.
Standard Action Drink a potion or apply an oil, AoO:Y

Weapon Blanch $varies states it can coat 1 weapon or 10 ammo taking a full round over a heat source. Each applied blanch takes another full round.
During combat I suppose you could hand off the blanch and ammo to your small fire elemental familiar and get it done a tad easier having him expend the action. 8^o