Enhancement Pricing

[Mari01]

So our group is slightly split on how much weapons and enhancements cost. We all agree that in order for enhancements to be done the weapon (or shield etc) has to be masterwork and +1 but it ends there. Does say making a +1 flaming weapon cost the same as a +2 weapon. If so, do you just pay the difference between +1 and +2 if your weapon is already +1?

[sonofzeal]

Yes, and usually. The rules on upgrading existing items aren't mentioned where you think they'd be, but there's references to the process in other WotC material meaning it was probably intended to work.

[Coidzor]

A +1 Flaming Shocking Longsword is the same cost as a +3 Longsword, assuming they're made of the same materials. That's actually how you calculate the cost, you convert the weapon properties into their +X equivalent and add them all together.

Making a +2 weapon into a +3 and having to pay all of the cost for a +3 weapon is just mind numbingly broken besides. Paying the difference is a lot more reasonable and in line with the general write-ups on the subject.

The only time you don't do that would be in the case of weapon/armor properties that have a flat cost. Like Sizing, for instance, which has a flat 2000 gp cost.

[Thurbane]

It gets messy when you're adding enchantments to a cold iron weapon...

[Coidzor]

It gets messy when you're adding enchantments to a cold iron weapon...

Yeah... That's probably the second biggest reason why very few people buy a cold iron weapon that's magical when there's alternatives on the table, such as metalline, or a mundane cold iron weapon that they can get greater magic weapon cast upon.

The foremost reason being that people generally tend to get a masterwork weapon of mundane metal and start putting the properties they want on it or the first magic weapon they get that they progress with is mundane metal.