Masterwork Weapons, Weapon Qualities & Making Weapons

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Masterwork Weapons

A masterwork weapon is a finely crafted version of a normal weapon. Wielding it provides a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls. You can't add the masterwork quality to a weapon after it is created; it must be crafted as a masterwork weapon (see the Craft skill). The masterwork quality adds 300 gp to the cost of a normal weapon (or 6 gp to the cost of a single unit of ammunition). Adding the masterwork quality to a double weapon costs twice the normal increase (+600 gp).

Masterwork ammunition is damaged (effectively destroyed) when used. The enhancement bonus of masterwork ammunition does not stack with any enhancement bonus of the projectile weapon firing it.
All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality. The enhancement bonus granted by the masterwork quality doesn't stack with the enhancement bonus provided by the weapon's magic.

Even though some types of armor and shields can be used as weapons, you can't create a masterwork version of such an item that confers anenhancement bonus on attack rolls. Instead, masterwork armor and shields have lessened armor check penalties.

Creating New Weapons
It is next to impossible for any game to cover every conceivable weapon from all cultures, eras, works of fiction, and players' imaginations. In many cases, new weapons can be represented as slightly different versions of existing weapons, such as a Chinese dao that uses the shortsword rules. However, for those cases when new weapon statistics are truly needed, this section introduces rules for GMs to use as guidelines.

This weapon design system allows you to create a new weapon by buying weapon qualities with Design Points (DP). The number of Design Points a weapon receives is determined by whether it is simple (4 DP), martial (5 DP), or exotic (6 DP).
All new weapons begin with the following base statistics: Dmg (M) 1d3; Critical ×2; Type any one (B, P, S); Price 1 gp × the weapon's base DP.

In addition, you choose whether your base weapon is a melee weapon or a ranged weapon. If you choose ranged, you must decide whether the weapon is a projectile weapon or a thrown weapon. A projectile ranged weapon has a 50-foot range increment and uses ammunition, while a thrown ranged weapon has a 10-foot range increment.

Fighter Weapon Group: You must choose the fighter weapon group (or groups) to which your weapon belongs. When determining this, pick the fighter weapon group with the most weapons that have similar statistics (in the case of ranged weapons, the group with the most weapons that are reloaded in the same manner). Some fighter weapon groups grant weapons additional abilities, as noted below.

Double: The weapon gains the double special feature. You pick the damage type of each of the weapon's ends separately. If you choose the additional damage type or the improved damage quality with the weapon (see below), treat each end as a separate weapon when determining the Design Point cost of that quality.

Monk: A weapon can be placed in the monk group only if it gains the monk weapon feature (see below).

Hands: For melee weapons, you must choose whether your weapon is light, one-handed, or two-handed. For ranged weapons, you must choose how many hands it takes to attack with your weapon and (for projectile ranged weapons and slings) how many hands are required to load it. The base number of Design Points of one-handed and ranged weapons increases by 2, and the base number of Design Points of two-handed weapons increases by 3.
Weight: When determining a weapon's weight, use the weight of a weapon with similar damage and features.

Weapon Qualities

When designing a new weapon, you can choose from the following weapon qualities. Each quality can be selected once unless otherwise specified.

Additional Design Points (0 DP): Increase the weapon's available Design Points by 1 and its gp price by 15. This quality can be selected twice for one-handed weapons and ranged weapons, or three times for two-handed weapons.

Additional Damage Type (Varies): Select an additional type of damage (B, P, or S). The weapon deals the selected type of damage either separately from its original damage type (such as “P or S”) or simultaneously (such as “P and S”) . This quality costs 1 DP if the types apply separately and 3 DP if they apply simultaneously.

Aerodynamic (1 DP): The weapon has a 10-foot range and can be thrown up to 5 range increments. Only melee weapons can have this quality.

Attached (1 DP): The weapon is attached to the wielder's arm and cannot be disarmed. The wielder can wield or carry items in the hand to which this weapon is attached, but she takes a –2 penalty on all precision-based tasks involving that hand (such as opening locks). This penalty can be removed by increasing this quality's cost to 3 DP.

Concealed (1 DP): The weapon is easy to hide, granting the wielder a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks to conceal it. Only light and one-handed melee weapons and ranged weapons that need one hand to fire can have this quality.

Ease of Grip (1 DP): The weapon can be wielded as a two-handed martial weapon. Only one-handed exotic weapons can have this quality.

Expanded Range Increment (1 DP): The weapon's range increment increases by 10 feet, up to a maximum range increment of 30 feet for thrown weapons and 120 feet for projectile weapons or slings. This quality can be selected multiple times.

Finesse (3 DP): The weapon can be used with Weapon Finesse as if it were a light weapon. Only one-handed and exotic melee weapons can have this quality.

Fragile (–1 DP): The weapon gains the fragile special weapon feature.

Improved Critical Multiplier (Varies): Increase the weapon's critical multiplier by 1. This quality can be selected twice. It costs 3 DP the first time it is selected, and 6 DP the second time. It can be selected only once if the weapon has the improved critical threat range quality, in which case the Design Point cost is doubled.

Improved Critical Threat Range (Varies): Increase the weapon's critical threat range by 1. This quality can be selected twice. It costs 3 DP the first time it is selected and 7 DP the second.

Improved Damage (1 DP): Increase the weapon's damage dice by one step (1d3 to 1d4, 1d4 to 1d6, 1d6 to 1d8 or 2d4, 1d8 to 1d10, or 1d10 to 2d6 or 1d12). This quality can be selected three times for light weapons, four times for one-handed weapons and ranged weapons, and five times for two-handed weapons. Among weapons sized for Medium characters, the maximum damage is 1d6 for light weapons, 1d8 for one-handed weapons (1d10 if exotic), 1d12 or 2d6 for two-handed weapons, and 1d10 for ranged weapons (1d6 if used or thrown one-handed).

Lesser Damage (–1 DP): Reduce the weapon's damage by one step (1d3 to 1d2). A weapon cannot have the improved damage quality and this quality simultaneously.

Shield (1 DP): The weapon counts as a light shield made of wood or metal and can have armor spikes (your choice). Add the gp price of the shield and any armor spikes that the weapon gains from this quality to the weapon's gp price. This quality can be added only to one-handed melee weapons.

Spring-Loaded (2 DP): The weapon's wielder can activate or suspend its reach as a swift action. This quality can be added only to one-handed or two-handed melee weapons with the reach special feature.

Strong (1 DP): The weapon's wielder gains a +2 bonus to her Combat Maneuver Defense to resist sunder combat maneuvers attempted against the weapon.

Tool (0 DP): The weapon can also serve as a specific mundane tool. Add triple the price and double the weight of the tool to the weapon's final price and weight.

Traditional (1 DP): Select one race with the weapon familiarity racial trait (such as elves or orcs). Members of that race with the weapon familiarity racial trait treat the weapon as a martial weapon. This quality can be applied only to exotic weapons.

Weapon Feature (Varies): Choose one of the following weapon special features for the weapon: blocking, brace, deadly, disarm, distracting, grapple, monk, nonlethal, performance, reach, ortrip. This quality can be selected twice for martial weapons and three times for exotic weapons. It costs 1 DP the first time it is selected, 3 DP the second time, and 4 DP the third time.

» Weapon Qualities & Damage Types
» Weapon Accessory
» Simple Ranged Weapons
» Hand to Hand Weapons