longsword as light weapon

[j_spencer93]

is there a feat/class ability that lets you treat a longsword as a light weapon?

[Flickerdart]

What quality of "light weapon"-ness do you need? An elven thinblade can be used with Weapon Finesse, for instance, while having its other stats like a longsword.

[Svata]

Aptitude weapon enhancement? Being large doesn't do it exactly, but shortswords would do d8, so some DMs may allow.

[j_spencer93]

well its a longsword artifact in particular so no elven thinblade. and no enchanting it lol

[Nibbens]

well its a longsword artifact in particular so no elven thinblade. and no enchanting it lol

Build it into the artifacts "powers."

I once gave my PC's a greatsword artifact that functioned as a 1 handed light weapon, but hit with the full force of a greatsword (2d6 dam or whatever). The party gnome wielded it - and made for a funny and awkward sight. She had her own personal plow behind her wherever she went. lol.

Whoops, you're talking about feats and class features... Sorry, I'm at a loss on this one.

[Xerlith]

Take a Kensai level and somehow apply the Sunsword's special ability to it? Even better, just give it Morphing (Kensai!) and Morph it into a Thinblade.
It's not enchanting, its granting abilities, but it's your class ability, not the weapon's.
Should work.

[j_spencer93]

sword of kas with morphing. sounds interesting. thinking you would piss the sword off

[Studoku]

What about finding a blacksmith who can reforge it into a short sword while keeping the enchantment?

[j_spencer93]

can that even be done? i do not know much about how magical items work beyond their abilities states. never read MIC

[Oddman80]

Do you want it light for weapon finesse, for offhand TWF attacks? or for some third reason? If its offhand TWF, then just get Oversized Two Weapon Fighting (http://realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Oversized_Two-weapon_Fighting).

for weapon finesse... I know Pathfinder has the Agile +1 special property - basically lets you use weapon finesse on the weapon regardless of weapon type. Not sure if there is one like that in 3.5... couldn't find it right off the bat.

[j_spencer93]

um...im trying to remember why it needed to be light...now i am not too sure why.

[Studoku]

can that even be done? i do not know much about how magical items work beyond their abilities states. never read MIC
I don't know any way to do this by RAW but it could certainly happen through plot. Depends on your GM.

[prufock]

None that I can think of. There is an item, though: Strongarm Bracers, MIC. You count as one size larger for wielding weapons. Large creature wielding a medium longsword considers the longsword light. You take a -2 to attack rolls.

[j_spencer93]

would be nice if i could remember why i asked this

[Oddman80]

HA! HA! HA!
oh... that is great... What time zone do you live in - i'lll give you credit if you wrote it in the middle of the night (I have had a few fleeting thoughts in the 1-3 am zone)... but where i live, your post came late morning.

[j_spencer93]

no sadly i made this fully aware and coherent. but for the life of me i can not figure out why this needed to be light.

[Barstro]

for the life of me i can not figure out why this needed to be light.

Best of luck. Last time I asked a question like this, the reason was made moot by something else I read an hour later. It took me a week to figure out why I made my unnecessary inquiry in the first place, since the potential answer had no relevance anyway. Some odd sub-class trait that couldn't work with the rest of the theme I built around a particular race.

Any chance you don't need it light, you need it glowing?:smalltongue:

EDIT: this would be a fun game, though; ask a question and see who can come up with WHY the question was asked, actual answers to the question do not matter.

[j_spencer93]

sure why not. how do i make it glow lol jk jk 30% of magical items glow. but ya, after relooking over my build their is seemingly no reason for this

[Feint's End]

for weapon finesse... I know Pathfinder has the Agile +1 special property - basically lets you use weapon finesse on the weapon regardless of weapon type. Not sure if there is one like that in 3.5... couldn't find it right off the bat.

That's not what agile does. In fact agile can only be applied to weapons which can already be used with weapon finesse and allows you to also apply your dexterity to damage with those weapons.

[Hiro Quester]

I'm guessing this is a TWF issue, solved by switching hands? Use this sword as your main weapon, and have a light weapon in your offhand?

[j_spencer93]

Maybe. seriously drawing a blank. oh well. i actually got some useful info out of this either way so thanks guys

[PsyBomb]

I'm assuming that this is for 3.5, but if you are in Pathfinder or can backport feats from there one is about to come out called Prodigious TWF, which lets you use a Medium weapon as light in the offhand and qualify for TWF feats using Strength instead of Dex.

[j_spencer93]

we use both content so it works

[nedz]

I ignored this thread at first because I was sure that I would be Longsworded by someone mentioning the Brilliant Energy weapon enchantment — but apparently not :smallconfused:

[j_spencer93]

lol prob should have just went on ignoring it since the point in it was lost. but hey, keeping giving me tips on how to use a longsword better guys that works too lol

[LTwerewolf]

None that I can think of. There is an item, though: Strongarm Bracers, MIC. You count as one size larger for wielding weapons. Large creature wielding a medium longsword considers the longsword light. You take a -2 to attack rolls.

Why would they take a -2? Nothing on the item says this. You would however take a -2 if you were to use the monkey grip feat.

[PsyBomb]

Why would they take a -2? Nothing on the item says this. You would however take a -2 if you were to use the monkey grip feat.

Strongarm Bracers make you count as Large, so using a weapon sized for Medium becomes an improperly sized weapon, imposing a -2.

[LTwerewolf]

Strongarm Bracers make you count as Large, so using a weapon sized for Medium becomes an improperly sized weapon, imposing a -2.

Large sized shortsword is not inappropriate size for a large sized creature. Also you're not reading the item. A human wearing these bracers could wield Large or Medium weapons without penalty.

[Baroknik]

Large sized shortsword is not inappropriate size for a large sized creature. Also you're not reading the item. A human wearing these bracers could wield Large or Medium weapons without penalty.

But what he's saying is that it is not a large sized short sword, it is a medium sized longshots. While they may be extremely similar otherwise, a medium sized longsword, if wielded as a light weapon by a large creature, takes a -2 penalty due to being the wrong size.

It's similar to the difference between oversized two-weapon fighting and monkey grip.

Edit: Re-reading Monkey Grip, you could ask your DM if that could apply to treating a longsword as a light weapon for a -2 attack penalty, though RAW it doesn't quite work that way since a Medium LS is not actually a Large Light Weapon.

[LTwerewolf]

But what he's saying is that it is not a large sized short sword, it is a medium sized longshots. While they may be extremely similar otherwise, a medium sized longsword, if wielded as a light weapon by a large creature, takes a -2 penalty due to being the wrong size.

It's similar to the difference between oversized two-weapon fighting and monkey grip.

Edit: Re-reading Monkey Grip, you could ask your DM if that could apply to treating a longsword as a light weapon for a -2 attack penalty, though RAW it doesn't quite work that way since a Medium LS is not actually a Large Light Weapon.

Read the item again, it says you can wield both at no penalty, so there is no penalty. Also there's a dmg rule that a medium longsword is the equivalent of a large short sword and a small greatsword. Page 27.

[Seharvepernfan]

is there a feat/class ability that lets you treat a longsword as a light weapon?

Dungeon Magazine Issue 128 has a feat on Pg 44 that let's you do this, provided you have no weapon or shield in your off-hand.

[j_spencer93]

oh really? isn't there an entire TWF PRC in a dungeon magazine. been meaning to ask if it was a good bust to a TWF build or not.

[Seharvepernfan]

oh really? isn't there an entire TWF PRC in a dungeon magazine. been meaning to ask if it was a good bust to a TWF build or not.

I don't know about that class, but you could use your off-hand unarmed to TWF with this feat, maybe a spiked gauntlet. I'm not sure what is considered "wielding a weapon" in this sense.

[j_spencer93]

I can't think of that class but i know it is out of a dungeon magazine.

[Riculf]

Powerful Build treats you as Large therefore one-handed weapons would now classify as light (although limitations for light weapons probably now apply).

[Crake]

Read the item again, it says you can wield both at no penalty, so there is no penalty. Also there's a dmg rule that a medium longsword is the equivalent of a large short sword and a small greatsword. Page 27.

You should probably note that the rule is actually an optional rule. If your DM uses it, then power to you, but it is not the default rule.

[Darrin]

Feycraft (+1500 GP, DMGII) can make a longsword finessable, but it drops the damage to 1d6, making it almost indistinguishable from a shortsword.

EWP: Elven Thinblade and Oversized TWF costs two feats, but you can dual-wield a pair of thinblades that are finessable and power-attackable.

Strongarm Bracers with two large-sized shortswords is probably best, and doesn't cost any feats.

[prufock]

Large sized shortsword is not inappropriate size for a large sized creature. Also you're not reading the item. A human wearing these bracers could wield Large or Medium weapons without penalty.
It isn't a large shortsword, it is a medium longsword. The rule you cite is a variant that we can't assume is in play. However if it is, there is no -2.

[Troacctid]

Ooh! I know why this is relevant! Cleric of Heironeous with the War domain! You want feats like TWF that require a light weapon, but you're locked into your god's favored weapon!

[j_spencer93]

I like that item, not sure how i will use it yet though

[Tohsaka Rin]

So, one problem I notice with my players, is that they tend to not read an entire entry once they've found what they think supports their idea/what they're looking for.

If you read the entire entry on Strongarm Bracers, it says you take no penalty for wielding weapons for your normal size. But I have something better...

Since it's from the SRD, I can legally quote in full.



The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.

Bolding for emphasis, since it's rather wordy. Granted, it says giants, but Powerful Build is Powerful Build.

Since it's in the player's character's advantage to NOT be treated as large while wielding a longsword, he is treated as medium, so as to take no penalty.

Why do I mention all this? Just buy/get a damn wish/miracle, and ask for Powerful Build. It doesn't take up a slot, and it's better in nearly every way possible.

[j_spencer93]

Couldn't i also just be goliath to get that?

[Flickerdart]

Why do I mention all this? Just buy/get a damn wish/miracle, and ask for Powerful Build. It doesn't take up a slot, and it's better in nearly every way possible.

Granting racial abilities isn't in the safe list.

[j_spencer93]

safe list???

[Flickerdart]

safe list???

Wish has a list of "safe" wishes explicitly within the spell's power. Other wishes are basically up to the DM to grant or pervert with an undesirable partial fulfilment.

[j_spencer93]

I would think a specific racial ability would be doable. especially simply asking to have powerful build.

[Kudaku]

Pathfinder has the Effortless Lace item, (essentially) makes a 1h weapon light for ~2k. Found in the giant hunter book, I believe.

[Crake]

I would think a specific racial ability would be doable. especially simply asking to have powerful build.

As reasonable as it sounds, it's still entirely up to your DM, which the playground doesn't like to rely on.

[j_spencer93]

on the side of caution, makes sense.