Question on Black Blades

[SirWolf312]

I will be playing a bladebound magus in an upcoming game of pathfinder and there was one part of the black blade's description page that I can't figure out. On the table that shows the black blade's progression has a column for enhancement bonus. Does this give your blade a straight enhancement bonus as if it were enchanted? Or is it showing the bonus from damage that you get from using the Black Blade Strike ability? I feel like there's one sentence or something on the page that explains this but I keep missing it.

[Yanisa]

It indeed seems like there is a line missing, but because the Blade is a intelligent weapon, and thus a magic weapon, I assume the enhancement bonus is separate from the Black Blade Strike and is just a straight plain enchantment bonus. Stacking with both Black Blade Strike (and the arcane pool).

Which is sort of confirmed by the FAQ post (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fz#v5748eaic9qux) I found.

Magus, Black Blade: Can I use Craft Magic Arms and Armor to increase my blade's enhancement bonus?

No, nor can you use that feat to add other properties (such as flaming) to the black blade. You can use your arcane pool to temporarily add abilities to your black blade.
"Increase my blade's enhancement bonus" implies it already has an enhancement bonus to start with.

[Spore]

First I thought "Yanisa was here nothing else to add" but I can always point out the obvious! Black blade is a great archetype because you save money on the main expense of every Magus.

[stack]

You lose out on spell storing and agile. The first is great for any magus, the second is build and level dependent.

[Yanisa]

First I thought "Yanisa was here nothing else to add" but I can always point out the obvious! Black blade is a great archetype because you save money on the main expense of every Magus.
Shush, I am not all knowing. :smallredface:

But yeah, Bladebound is really awesome because its stacks so well with Magus, obviously. At level twenty you could get a +10 weapon that deals +15 damage. Or you can spend up to +5 on special ability (Speed anyone) and still deal +10 damage.
Heck, at level 3 you are basically running around with a +2 weapon that deals +3 damage and at level 9 you can already pierce trough any damage reduction, even epic. (Except the ones that need Blunt or Slashing, but you cant win them all.) It's both cheap and early for WBL standards, but not game breaking.

Combined with the (for me) interesting fluff and my love for Gishes I really want to play a Magus now... But monk first, then Synthesist... So many characters so little time.

[Spore]

Shush, I am not all knowing. :smallredface:

Didn't say that. But in every thread you say the essential things that I would've known and said as well :)


You lose out on spell storing and agile. The first is great for any magus, the second is build and level dependent.

You're correct but I feel the fact that you can circumvent most DR without expending too much Arcana points is a more versatile advantage than a bit of damage from a stored Shocking Grasp or a bit of weapon damage from Agile weapons. But yeah, not using Black Blades is making novaing easier.