Dancing Enchantment, Two-Handed Weapons, & Bastard Swords


Rules Questions


Do Weapons with the Dancing Enchantment get 1.5x STR on damage if they are two-handed weapons?

D20 wrote:
As a standard action, a dancing weapon can be loosed to attack on its own. It fights for 4 rounds using the base attack bonus of the one who loosed it and then drops. While dancing, it cannot make attacks of opportunity, and the activating character it is not considered armed with the weapon. The weapon is considered wielded or attended by the activating character for all maneuvers and effects that target items. While dancing, the weapon shares the same space as the activating character and can attack adjacent foes (weapons with reach can attack opponents up to 10 feet away). The dancing weapon accompanies the activating character everywhere, whether she moves by physical or magical means. If the activating character has an unoccupied hand, she can grasp it while it is attacking on its own as a free action; when so retrieved, the weapon can’t dance (attack on its own) again for 4 rounds. This special ability can only be placed on melee weapons.

Would that still apply if using a Bastard Sword?

D20 wrote:
A bastard sword is about 4 feet in length, making it too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. A character can use a bastard sword two-handed as a martial weapon.

Additionally if yes, would they then get 1.5x WIS to damage if using the Guided Hand &

Mythic Guided Hand?


No because it is classified as a one-handed weapon. Just because wielding it two handed removes the penalty for not being proficient does not change its classification. Many swords can be wielded with two hands for extra effect. If you use a dancing bastard sword as a two-handed weapon while dancing, why cannot you do it for a long sword?

If the weapon is a two-handed weapon that is a different story.


It is best to link to AoN in the Rules forum, the online PRD.

exotic weapon - Bastard Sword a one-handed weapon. While dancing it would get 1*Str bonus. It is an oddball case coming in from the OGL and it has remained that way.

Guided Hand feat requires the weapon to be a deities favored weapon along with channel & Channel Smite. It only applies to attack rolls, not damage rolls. The Mythic feat allows changes to damage (it's mythic). For two-handed damage or reach, the weapon would have to have those qualities from the start.

Liberty's Edge

Where do you get that the weapon gets any benefit for the character's strength (or dexterity) while dancing?

It uses "the base attack bonus of the one who loosed it", not his modified attack bonus.

It is considered "wielded or attended by the activating character for all maneuvers and effects that target items."
The character strength bonus is neither a maneuver nor an effect.

For the same reason, the weapon doesn't benefit from weapon focus or weapon specialization, the benefits are: "You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon." and "You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon." They target the character, not the weapon.

At a cost of +4, it is a very lousy enchantment.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Dancing Enchantment, Two-Handed Weapons, & Bastard Swords All Messageboards

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