how would you price this enchantment?

[Alveanerle]

As a newbie DM I am seeking advice on pricing of a specific weapon enchantment.
The enchantment activates upon hitting creature with blood flowing in its body. For next few hours (usually until next midnight) the weapon gains additional +1 magical enhancement (not higher than +5) versus the same creature type, and looses 1 magical enhancement versus everyone else.

>>skip irrelevant part<<

Would it be ok to price it as +0.5 of weapon enhancement bonus?

[freeze43]

If it's both for damage and caster level checks, I would say that its a pretty strong enchancement. It's difficult to determine because there are so many classes etc, and more often than not the clever player will take full use of bonuses. I would say CL 16 or so with normal pricing comparative to a weapon in that field.

[Alveanerle]

I ment it to be just the additional +1 magical enhancement to attack/damage of the weapon for one foe type, versus -1 magical enhancement to attack/damage versus all others. Ment to be used on fairly low levels.

[freeze43]

If it was actually permanent and the team found it affixed to one foe type that was unchanging... then yes it could be a low-mid level item.
However this is all a character has to do to use the benefits and lose the problems:

Let's say you're facing a bunch of Orcs. Have the sword kill the Orcs, then they have an enchancement weapon for the rest of the campaign that will be useful on the proviso he kills orcs every few hours or so.

Alas! There are, I dunno, Ogres or something that would mean the sword recieves a penalty. Things are looking dire for our hero until... he goes to the wagon and pulls out a normal sword.

Basically what I'm saying is that this weapon is all-boon, with an easily avoided problem.

[Alveanerle]

Well, the bonus/malus resets at midnight.
Say you have it on a +1 longsword.
You're facing 2 orcs and an ogre.
You hit the orc first.
Until midnight the sword becomes +2 longsword vs orcs, and masterwork longsword (non magic enhancement) versus everything else.
Yes the character can drop this one and draw another weapon, but then there is always a problem with unattended longsword on the floor, move action to draw another one, possible encumberance problems, etc.

Also, on low levels (3 atm), characters won't neccesarily have more than one magical weapon (characters have high rate of consumables burning, effectively staying below WBL). Actually, at this level, magical weapons are... umm... a scarce resource. They should be happy if one person in the party has one.

I thought of this item as "possibly the best magical item they are able to gain for some time", and they will have to pay for its repair in the first place, too.

[Jasdoif]

Also, on low levels (3 atm), characters won't neccesarily have more than one magical weapon (characters have high rate of consumables burning, effectively staying below WBL). Actually, at this level, magical weapons are... umm... a scarce resource. They should be happy if one person in the party has one.

I thought of this item as "possibly the best magical item they are able to gain for some time", and they will have to pay for its repair in the first place, too.So your drawback doesn't really exist, because even with the drawback it's no worse then any other options they have.


Regardless, don't price anything with a non-integer +bonus. It's more trouble then it's worth. If you feel it should cost +0.5, I suggest you just make it 1,000gp on top of the weapon's regular price (ie a +3 weapon with this will cost 19,000gp instead of 18,000gp) and call it good.

Also, be aware that magic weapon, a 1st level spell for cleric/sorceror/wizard, will give a +1 enhancement bonus to a weapon and thus override the drawback if the base weapon is +1. If this is a problem and you have a PC capable of casting the spell, make the weapon resist it (and the caster will know the spell failed).

[Alveanerle]

Regardless, don't price anything with a non-integer +bonus. It's more trouble then it's worth. If you feel it should cost +0.5, I suggest you just make it 1,000gp on top of the weapon's regular price (ie a +3 weapon with this will cost 19,000gp instead of 18,000gp) and call it good.

Also, be aware that magic weapon, a 1st level spell for cleric/sorceror/wizard, will give a +1 enhancement bonus to a weapon and thus override the drawback if the base weapon is +1. If this is a problem and you have a PC capable of casting the spell, make the weapon resist it (and the caster will know the spell failed).

Thank you for both tips - the weapon is already in game, and they had to pay for its repair too.