Looking for +2 worth of weapon mods

[Chronos]

Due to a miscalculation on my part, the DM is letting me slightly adjust my equipment on my clericzilla. The result is that I can gain a single new item worth approximately 50k gold, or improve an existing single item by that amount. I think that the best use for this would be to increase my sword from a +5 equivalent to a +7 equivalent, and am looking for a good mod or mods to do that.

I do actually have a good idea of what enemies we're likely to face, but since this is a retcon, I don't think it would be fair to take advantage of that, so Bane properties are probably off the table. Allowed books are core, the MIC, SC, PHB2, and the first four Completes. The weapon is currently +1 holy collision.

Suggestions?

[Snowbluff]

I like Blurstrike and lucky.

[Fax Celestis]

Huge fan of the collision property. Flat +5 damage, multiplies on crits, stacks with everything.

[Norin]

For characters with high cha (maybe you have a decent cha for turning/rebuking?) i love the sudden stunning enchant from dmg2. Flat +2000gp cost. Check it out.

[Der_DWSage]

Hard to go wrong with Keen.

[lytokk]

Spell storing could be a good one, at least for a 1-shot of high damage.

[Red Fel]

Given that this is a cleric we're talking about, have you considered Ghost Touch + Ghost Strike? Lets you smack around incorporeal enemies, AND lets you crit against undead. (Admittedly, sneak attacking isn't as useful to a cleric. But the rest is nice.) Of course, if you don't face undead much, stop and turn around.

[Captnq]

You know, I think I'm just going to put this in my sig file.

This is the Weapon Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9053.msg183871#msg183871).

It has everything you could possibly want to know about every modification you can put on a weapon. Everything. EV-REE-THING.

First I need to know what sort of weapon. What material it is made of. If you had it made with any templates.

Does you DM allow extrapolation? I'd recommend Abbot, then. An extrapolated WSA from the Abbot Staff. Gives you a +1 to your caster level for a +1 WSA.

Do you use your Turn Undead often? Do you have Divine Metamagic, perhaps?

Well, I got a half dozen suggestions if you want to maximize your divine metamagic, You're a cleric you say? How about something that gives you an extra domain? Can you ever go wrong with Anyspell?

Seriously. Just look at it and drool over the possibilities. Each entry has it broken down by the book it's out of.

[Chronos]

I'm a fan of Collision, too, which is why it already has that.
My Cha mod is only +1, so that's probably not worth bothering with.
Keen is sort of my default choice, but I'm not sure what I'd pair with it, and I wasn't sure if there might be something more interesting.
And I considered Spell Storing, but I'm not sure what cleric spell would be worth storing in it, and it sounds greedy to be asking the other casters for their spells.

[lytokk]

Harm or heal, depending on what kind of creatures your facing.

[Fax Celestis]

Oh, I missed that it already had collision.

I also enjoy psychokinetic (+1). It's +1d4 nonelemental damage that always ignores DR. Couple with shattermantle (+1), which inflicts -2 SR on a struck target for 1 round (stacking).

[Dusk Eclipse]

Spell storing can only store up to 3rd level spells, so no Harm, Shivering Touch is pretty nasty if you can use it (many DM ban it).

If you can get Vampiric Touch (Domain or Divine Magician ACF) Bloodstone is pretty neat, auto-empower is great.

[Fouredged Sword]

Spellblade for all the various dispells.

[Captnq]

Let's see... My top picks.
I leave it up to you to see what your DM will (not) approve.


APTITUDE
- TOME OF BATTLE (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: RAI, if you plan on loading up on weapon specific feats and want to be able to switch them around to different weapons, (for example, the lightning mace feat works well with a weapon that has a larger critical range then a mace.) this is a good weapon ability. RAW, if you have any weapon proficiency feat, this ability acts like skillful, but better, because it’s only a +1 bonus. A smart DM will make it clear that this doesn’t cover weapon proficiency feats. A smart player will abuse the hell out of this.

AQUATIC
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- STORMWRACK (3.5)
Price: +2,000 gp
Editor: I love weapon abilities with a flat cost. While this power is situation specific, for the cost it gets the job done. For 2,000 gp you never have to worry about being able to use your weapon underwater. If you need to negate the cover penalty from shore, look at waterborn. If you want to shoot your bow, you need to hop in the water to take your shot, unfortunately. It does state you have to be underwater to negate underwater penalties. When you get up to over 8th level, it couldn’t hurt to spend a few thousand of your WBL to cover this sort of situation.

ASSASSINATION
- CITYSCAPE (3.5)
Price: +1
Editor: If you like sneak attacks, this is awesome. Not only does it do extra damage, but you never have to worry about poisoning yourself when you try to apply it to your blade. You just negated half the reason for ever taking a level in the Assassin PrC. And the bonus of the weapon adds to the poison’s DC? Oh heaven. If you ever plan on using poison, this is a must have for your weapon. I should note that it doesn’t say Melee Weapons Only, but it doesn’t say that ranged weapons apply the effect to ammunition, either. So, alas, you cannot buy it in a projective weapon, but you should be able to buy it for ammunition. Sure, it’s not reusable, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to dip an arrow into a vial of couatl poison without killing yourself. Do note, it’s the weapon’s enhancement that raises the DC. The ammunition’s enhancement bonus stacks with the projectile weapon’s enhancement bonus, so you could, in theory, raise the DC of your poison by +10. DC 26 fortitude saves are a BITCH. Run that by your DM before you try it, however. He might use only the ammo’s bonus, or the weapon’s bonus, but not both. It’s up for interpretation.

BINDING
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT (3.0)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Definitely one to pick up. When you get to the higher levels, the bad guy tends to teleport away when the going gets tough. So once your party can start teleporting with regularity, you need to consider picking up a bow with this weapon ability, because the enemy will start teleporting as well. Consider renaming it the Boss Killer.

BLINDSIGHTED
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- UNDERDARK (3.5)
Price: +2 bonus
Editor: So 30 rounds of being able to navigate in total darkness while not worrying about invisibility, mirror image, blur, or displacement. A tad bit on the expensive side, but you can put it in an off hand weapon and keep your main ass kicker at the ready. Even if you are a sword and board fighter you can put a spike on your shield and then put this enchantment in it.

BLOODSTONE
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Awesome WA. The problem is being able to cast vampiric touch. Once you find a wizard who can keep you hooked up with that, this WA rocks. Free empowering while gaining HPs is very useful. Alas, you can’t use this one with a projectile weapon or in ammo, but if you want it in a ranged attack, consider a thrown weapon of some sort and just put returning on it.

BRUTAL SURGE
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE 2 (3.5)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Sometimes you just want to put some distance between you and your enemy. If so, you can’t go wrong with this, assuming you are a big, burly fighter. Alas, it can be hit or miss, but the ability to push away your enemies without going with them cannot be underestimated, especially if you find yourself fighting near a cliff. Turning your swift action into an additional attack is rarely a bad thing.

DEFLECTING
- COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: And now we see why nobody ever takes deflect arrows feat. For a +1 bonus, you can knock one ranged attack out of the air a round. Works best with PCs that have high reflex saves.

DISARMING
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT (3.0)
- COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERUN (3.0)
Price: +2 bonus
Editor: You don’t buy it to disarm. You buy it to never lose your weapon. Now, for a +2 bonus, that’s kinda steep, especially when a locked gauntlet isn’t that expensive. But, if you plan on disarming your targets on a regular basis, then this is a must have. If your DM loves disarming you, this becomes a must have.

DISLOCATOR
- EXPANDED PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.5)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.0)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: For fighters, your swift action has a tendency to go to waste. If you can turn it into another attack or something, then you are ahead of the game. In this case, you drive your enemy away 10 feet. 5 feet more then the 5 foot step allowed with a full attack. Plus your target may trigger AoO when he comes back to hand to hand range. Great choice with a reach weapon.

EAGER
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT (3.0)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Yes, you get +2 to initiative. Yes, you get +2 damage in the surprise and first round of combat. It’s the drawing your weapon as a free action that makes this a must have. Speed kills and losing any part of your first action to drawing your weapon can get you killed.
ENERGY SURGE [SYNERGY]
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE 2 (3.5)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Prerequisite: Corrosive, flaming, frost, or shock
Editor: Oh yeah. Loved it when this was a flat 2,000 gp in DMG2, but that was just broken. Now it’s +1 bonus and what I would call fair. It’s 3d6 damage AFTER you hit as a swift action, so you get a choice when to apply it. Fighters usually have a high con, so you can get 3-4 uses out of this a day. Pity it’s a swift activation or you could use it more then once in a round.

ENFEEBLING
- BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Not a big fan of critical only WA, but this one does strength damage, not penalties, so it stacks with itself. At a mere +1 bonus, this is a must for anyone going the critical route.

EVERBRIGHT
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT (3.0)
- FAITHS AND PANTHEONS (3.0)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERUN (3.0)
Price: +2,000 gp
Editor: For a flat 2,000 gp you get to ignore rusting and can do a really lousy flash attack that might accidentally catch your allies if you aren’t careful. Don’t get it for the flash, get it for the immunity. And maybe you’ll find yourself out of options, alone, in a pit of evil, and maybe you could flash and buy yourself some time. Maybe you want to signal a passing dragon to come down and pick you up at night. Maybe you are floating in the water after your ship sank and want to get the attention of a passing tuna trawler. It’s mostly useless in combat, but I can think of a few reasons to make a bright flash of light.

FIERCE (3.0)
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT (3.0)
Price: +2 bonus
Editor: It’s like power attack except it uses dexterity instead of strength. Very useful for anyone who typically has a high Dex, like rogues and monks. Fair and balanced, this is a WA that I would have no problem allowing, even though it is 3.0 and never updated for 3.5. Excellent for the surprise round when you are backstabbing someone, then you can switch it back as you need it. Highly recommended for two handed weapons. Discouraged for anyone who uses weapon finesse. Good for those who want to maximize critical damage since this is multiplied by criticals.

FLESHGRINDING
- BOOK OF VILE DARKNESS (3.0)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +2 bonus
Editor: Evil. Just evil. I love it. This is for the guy who has a bunch of dancing or fleshgrinding weapons with a dash of eager. You draw as a free action. Attack and let it stick in the guy. Attack and let it fight on it’s own. Attack and let it stick in the guy. Eventually they come back to your hand and you repeat the process.

HIDEAWAY
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- RACES OF THE WILD (3.5)
Price: +2,000 gp
Editor: Sizing would work much better, but this is far cheaper. Best for use with sneaky people.

MAGEBANE
- COMPLETE ARCANE (3.5)
- FIENDISH CODEX 2 (3.5)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Ooo! Arcane spellcaster bane. This is above average because of the extra to hit and damage for the cheap cost. Also, it stacks with bane. Don’t forget that a wide number of critters come with arcane powers built in. And DM’s, this is a cheap one to stack on arrows and hand out to archers before going after the party wizard. 10 archers with 5 arrows of magebane will only cost 4,000 total, but make the mage who hangs in the back a pin cushion. Expect him to start keeping protection from arrows up more often.

SHADOWSTRIKE
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +5,000 gp
Editor: Words cannot describe how cool this is. For only 5,000 gp, that you can add to any weapon, you get one attack per day that has +5 reach and denies the target it’s Dex AC. Even if you don’t have sneak attack, that alone is awesome. Where this becomes really awesome is with whirling. It might only give you a +5’ for one attack, but whirling is one attack that hits everyone within your reach. Awesome.

SMOKING (3.0)
- LORDS OF DARKNESS (3.0)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: I don’t understand why this is a weapon ability and not an armor ability, but hey, 3.0 stuff is strange. That said, this is a grappler’s dream. Get these in a spiked gauntlet and jump your target. He’ll be so busy puking he won’t even be able to escape. On top of that you get 20% miss chance that stacks with blurring or displacement? Awesome. Too Awesome. I’d consider banning this.

SOUL OF HONOR
- ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) (3.5 UPDATE)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: Sort of like homeland champion, mixed with shadowscourge and a little anti-CE thrown together. I’m sure for the campaign setting it’s much more useful then in a generic setting. That said, I kinda like it. I’d expand it to anyone breaking their word or oath. Not a casual lie, but a “I swear on the blood of my father…” kinda oath. What makes it rock is that it bypasses damage reduction in undead. Still, it’s a weirdly written WA, so check with your DM. I do like the fact it is the only anti-true neutral WSA available.

SPELLBLADE
- MAGIC OF FAERUN (3.0)
- PLAYER’S GUIDE TO FAERUN (3.5)
Price: +6,000 gp
Editor: Pick your most hated targeted spell. That’s what you want. Magic missile and disintegrate are popular choices, but I suggest you wait until you get hit with a spell enough to piss you off. Suggestion, for instance.

VAMPIRIC
- GHOSTWALK (3.0)
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERUN (3.0)
- UNAPPROACHABLE EAST (3.5)
Price: +2 bonus
Editor: You hurt, I heal. That is awesome. This is a must for anyone who isn’t allowed wrathful healing and wants to use a vicious weapon.

VANISHING
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +8,000 gp
Editor: It’s cleave with a 60ft step! Who couldn’t benefit from this? Make a melee touch attack on an ally for no damage and use the teleport at the end of your regular movement! You get to use it off of attacks of opportunity to make a move out of turn. How does this not rock?

WARNING
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERUN (3.0)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: The best initiative bonus you can buy in a weapon.

WHIRLING
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: A +1 bonus to perform a feat with about three thousand prerequisites? This is begging to be in a reach weapon, on top of being hit with a enlarge person spell. Add shadowstrike, put it all on a spiked chain, and once a day you could, in theory, hit everyone within 25 feet of you. Boom goes the dynamite.

[Aliek]

WHIRLING
- MAGIC ITEM COMPENDIUM (3.5)
Price: +1 bonus
Editor: A +1 bonus to perform a feat with about three thousand prerequisites? This is begging to be in a reach weapon, on top of being hit with a enlarge person spell. Add shadowstrike, put it all on a spiked chain, and once a day you could, in theory, hit everyone within 25 feet of you. Boom goes the dynamite.


My RAW-fu is a bit bad, but could you use this, along with improved trip, to trip everyone around you?

[Chronos]

This is where I point out that this is not an unlimited-books situation:

Allowed books are core, the MIC, SC, PHB2, and the first four Completes.
So no Vile Darkness or Exalted Deeds, no Arms and Equipment Guide, no Faerun or Eberron books, no Sandstorm, etc.

And I have a hard time seeing how Whirling or Brutal Surge are worth it. Unless I've got at least four opponents around me, I'd be better off just attacking them one at a time than whirling, and for Brutal Surge, I want things to be right next to me where I can lay down the smack.

[Captnq]

This is where I point out that this is not an unlimited-books situation:

So no Vile Darkness or Exalted Deeds, no Arms and Equipment Guide, no Faerun or Eberron books, no Sandstorm, etc.


I said, You pick out what your DM allows. Other people might be reading this thread and have other, yet similar problems.




And I have a hard time seeing how Whirling or Brutal Surge are worth it. Unless I've got at least four opponents around me, I'd be better off just attacking them one at a time than whirling, and for Brutal Surge, I want things to be right next to me where I can lay down the smack.

I thought you said you were a clericzilla?

Whirling + Shadowstrike = everyone for 10 feet gets hit.

Brutal Surge = Sometimes you need to play chessmaster and move your enemy around the board.

Depends on your build.

[Qc Storm]

My RAW-fu is a bit bad, but could you use this, along with improved trip, to trip everyone around you?

Trip, yes. But since Whirlwind is a melee feat and melees can't have nice things, you need to give up all extra attacks to use it. That means the trip follow-up smack.

[Chronos]

Quoth Fax:

Couple with shattermantle (+1), which inflicts -2 SR on a struck target for 1 round (stacking).
Hm... I disregarded this at first, because my primary way of interacting with enemies is just to hit them with a piece of metal, and so I don't really have much problem with SR anyway... But as it happens, my party is pretty heavy on the spellcasters (sorcerer, arcane trickster, druid, and duskblade), and the sorcerer, at least, is getting annoyed about a lack of ways to deal with SR. They probably will appreciate me reducing enemy SR.

Are there any other weapon properties that synergize well with allied spellcasters? Something that will increase their energy damage, maybe?

[Irk]

You could do spell storing, as has been mentioned, and then take sanctum spell with the chaos shuffle to fit in a fourth level spell like bestow curse.
alternatively, just chaos shuffle in extend spell, persist spell and divine meta if you don't already have them, which you very well might, and then spend all 50k on 6 nightsticks (leaving you with 5k) for 24 levels of free metamagic that you can spend on things like divine power, righteous might, owl's wisdom, and whatever.
to take it a step further you could do the ocular spell trick, and shuffle in ocular spell along with the above so that ANY spell can be persisted and then just persist things like antimagic field, or really whatever you want.

[Irk]

Or you could just start manufacturing shadesteel golems (there are some REALLY cheap ways of doing this, for example (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-292169.html)), start a wish loop, or anything else tippy-ish

[Fax Celestis]

Binding is 2/d, swift action, dimensional anchor the next person you hit.

[Irk]

@Fax what's the binding? and btw, I like your new avatar!

[Fax Celestis]

It's a +1 weapon enhancement in MIC.

Thanks. Ililani's my mascot, and every once in a while I get a new avatar of her.

[SowZ]

Parrying weapon is cheap. Parrying weapon is great. That is all.

[Doughnut Master]

I've always been a fan of Wounding (+2). Granted, since you're dealing Con damage, your target list is a bit more limited, but if you have a lot of attacks, it's a great way to bring the pain.

[Chronos]

OK, I decided to go with Keen and Shattermantle. Thanks, all!