Sword enchantments question

[Jesse30]

Hello friends!

I have a quick question regarding a few weapon enchantments I have on my sword.

First enchantment is called (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapon-special-abilities/called):

Second Enhancement is Anchoring (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapon-special-abilities/anchoring)

Now my question is as follows, if I were to say be falling off a cliff, or down a pit, and I had dropped my sword before I fell, could I call it to my hand, then use the anchoring ability to stop in mid air. Essentially artificially creating a way for me catch myself at a moment's notice? Or if I get knocked away from someone, could I use the anchoring ability to stop myself from being moved to far?

Also if I was to stab someone through the chest, are they anchored from moving in anyway or is it only forward?

Lastly, if I call my sword in close proximity to someone, say pointing my wrist at their face, if I called the blade, would it just materialize stabbing them?

Thanks again!

Jesse

[Gallowglass]

Both calling a weapon and using an anchoring weapon as an immovable rod (not as part of an attack) are swift actions, and you only get 1 swift a round.

So if it was a tall cliff, you could call it with your swift action on the round you start falling, then anchor it the next round with your second swift action. Perhaps a lenient DM would let you use a standard action to anchor it. "I attack the invisible air!" but that's not RAW, just RANP (rules as non-preposterous)

In both cases, if I was the DM, i'd call for some kind of check to not lose your grip on the suddenly immobile sword as it stops and your momentum tries to yank your shoulder out of socket. Not sure if I'd call for a reflex save, athletics check, acrobatics check, strength check, but there would be some check.

I don't think I'd let you use your sword to keep you from suffering knockback because, again, it uses a swift action which happens on your turn, not on the enemies turn. If you could find a way to turn it into an immediate action, or if you were holding an action to do so when attacked, I'd let it fly because I like to see players think of novel ways to use items other than the norm.

If you stab someone they are anchored from moving in any way without destroying the weapon or making the DC 30 strength check.

No, I would not allow you to materialize the sword inside someone's head by pointing your hand at them and calling it. That's pretty common sense not how teleportation effects work in D&D. I'm pretty sure you can find rules that prohibit summoning or teleporting things inside of creatures. If you tried to force it, I suppose I would treat it like dimension dooring blindly into a wall. The sword gets ejected into the closest free space and the sword takes damage. Or I guess I would allow it as fluff to what you are obviously doing -> swift action to call the sword and attack action to hit the enemy. If you hit and you want to describe it as "the sword appears, its blade cutting deep into the orc's face" rather than "the sword appears as I swing it and cut deep into the orc's face" that's fine, but it would still take both the swift and attack action.

[Jesse30]

Both calling a weapon and using an anchoring weapon as an immovable rod (not as part of an attack) are swift actions, and you only get 1 swift a round.

So if it was a tall cliff, you could call it with your swift action on the round you start falling, then anchor it the next round with your second swift action. Perhaps a lenient DM would let you use a standard action to anchor it. "I attack the invisible air!" but that's not RAW, just RANP (rules as non-preposterous)

In both cases, if I was the DM, i'd call for some kind of check to not lose your grip on the suddenly immobile sword as it stops and your momentum tries to yank your shoulder out of socket. Not sure if I'd call for a reflex save, athletics check, acrobatics check, strength check, but there would be some check.

I don't think I'd let you use your sword to keep you from suffering knockback because, again, it uses a swift action which happens on your turn, not on the enemies turn. If you could find a way to turn it into an immediate action, or if you were holding an action to do so when attacked, I'd let it fly because I like to see players think of novel ways to use items other than the norm.

If you stab someone they are anchored from moving in any way without destroying the weapon or making the DC 30 strength check.

No, I would not allow you to materialize the sword inside someone's head by pointing your hand at them and calling it. That's pretty common sense not how teleportation effects work in D&D. I'm pretty sure you can find rules that prohibit summoning or teleporting things inside of creatures. If you tried to force it, I suppose I would treat it like dimension dooring blindly into a wall. The sword gets ejected into the closest free space and the sword takes damage. Or I guess I would allow it as fluff to what you are obviously doing -> swift action to call the sword and attack action to hit the enemy. If you hit and you want to describe it as "the sword appears, its blade cutting deep into the orc's face" rather than "the sword appears as I swing it and cut deep into the orc's face" that's fine, but it would still take both the swift and attack action.

Awesome! This response is well thought, and I can see a lot of analysis was made! Thank you so much!

I agree with everything you have said, though now I have a new question.

If I was to call the blade, using my only swift action in a turn, and then grasp the blade on it's crossguard as say, handles, would it be more likely I could succeed on catching myself once I anchor?

Also can I call the blade once I have made it immovable? I was going for a quasi- thor's hammer kinda thing if you cant tell haha!

Thanks again!

[Flickerdart]

If I was to call the blade, using my only swift action in a turn, and then grasp the blade on it's crossguard as say, handles, would it be more likely I could succeed on catching myself once I anchor?
The blade's handle is designed to be held, even when it's soaked in blood and grasped in gauntlets. The crossguard is not. You may very well bend or break it off.

[The Great Wyrm]

If you're falling, and then try to catch yourself on an immovable rod, your arms might well get ripped off. It's a similar situation to: https://what-if.xkcd.com/133/

[Gallowglass]

>If I was to call the blade, using my only swift action in a turn, and then grasp the blade on it's >crossguard as say, handles, would it be more likely I could succeed on catching myself once I >anchor?


Well, I don't know if there are RAW answers to your questions. Assuming you call it on round one and said "I want to grab the sword with both hands and hold it in such a way to make it easier to brace myself when I make it immobile next turn" I would probably give you a bonus to the reflex save, strength check, acrobatics check or whatever I decide to have you roll to not have your arms ripped out of the sockets or lose grip on the sword when it yanks you to a stop. As opposed to if you didn't say anything of the sort other than "I call the sword, then I anchor it to stop myself." In real life, as someone else pointed out, if you fall 60 feet then grab a pole to try and stop yourself, you are pretty much guaranteed to fail. But this is heroic fantasy and you are a medieval superman, so why not let you try it.


>Also can I call the blade once I have made it immovable? I was going for a quasi- thor's hammer >kinda thing if you cant tell haha!

I don't see anything that keeps you from teleporting an immovable rod. so I don't see any reason why you couldn't call it. I suppose it would just appear in your hand but still be locked in the air, just at a new point in space. Neither the sword, nor the rod say what kind of action it takes to dismiss the anchor (another swift? free?) so that's another point of contention.

FYI, some people have crafted some really neat "immovable rod equipment tricks" that you might want to look through and see if you are inspired.

www reddit com /r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/2cs122/something_different_master_of_immovable_rods/

[Jesse30]

>If I was to call the blade, using my only swift action in a turn, and then grasp the blade on it's >crossguard as say, handles, would it be more likely I could succeed on catching myself once I >anchor?


Well, I don't know if there are RAW answers to your questions. Assuming you call it on round one and said "I want to grab the sword with both hands and hold it in such a way to make it easier to brace myself when I make it immobile next turn" I would probably give you a bonus to the reflex save, strength check, acrobatics check or whatever I decide to have you roll to not have your arms ripped out of the sockets or lose grip on the sword when it yanks you to a stop. As opposed to if you didn't say anything of the sort other than "I call the sword, then I anchor it to stop myself." In real life, as someone else pointed out, if you fall 60 feet then grab a pole to try and stop yourself, you are pretty much guaranteed to fail. But this is heroic fantasy and you are a medieval superman, so why not let you try it.


>Also can I call the blade once I have made it immovable? I was going for a quasi- thor's hammer >kinda thing if you cant tell haha!

I don't see anything that keeps you from teleporting an immovable rod. so I don't see any reason why you couldn't call it. I suppose it would just appear in your hand but still be locked in the air, just at a new point in space. Neither the sword, nor the rod say what kind of action it takes to dismiss the anchor (another swift? free?) so that's another point of contention.

FYI, some people have crafted some really neat "immovable rod equipment tricks" that you might want to look through and see if you are inspired.

www reddit com /r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/2cs122/something_different_master_of_immovable_rods/

Thanks again! I have 22 strength also, not sure if that matters.

[Flickerdart]

Strength is only half of the equation - not only do you need a certain strength to grab on and stop it from slipping out of your fingers, you also need to avoid tearing your arms off.

[Crake]

Perhaps a lenient DM would let you use a standard action to anchor it. "I attack the invisible air!" but that's not RAW, just RANP (rules as non-preposterous)

This isn't too far from a viable answer, which is actually to attack yourself (for nonlethal damage of course). This prevents the whole arms getting ripped off issue, because your whole body is anchored.

[ExLibrisMortis]

You can use a standard action to ready a swift action, and then take the readied action immediately. That gets you around the 1 swift/turn limit, and it's not like you were using that standard for anything else, when falling down a cliff.

[Crake]

You can use a standard action to ready a swift action, and then take the readied action immediately. That gets you around the 1 swift/turn limit, and it's not like you were using that standard for anything else, when falling down a cliff.

Unfortunately it doesn't, because you are still only limited to 1 swift action/turn, doesn't matter when you use it. All readying does is let you potentially use it out of turn order. If you use your readied action to use the swift action immediately after your turn, then you would forgo your next swift action, similar to how using an immediate action would work, but he doesn't have that long unless the fall is particularly long.

[ExLibrisMortis]

The rules on readying state that you may use the action you have readied whenever the stated conditions occur. That is a more specific rule than the general 'one swift (or standard, move) action per round' rule, and therefore has priority. If it didn't allow you to break the normal limit, you wouldn't be able to take a readied standard action, because you don't get two standards in a round either.

[Crake]

The rules on readying state that you may use the action you have readied whenever the stated conditions occur. That is a more specific rule than the general 'one swift (or standard, move) action per round' rule, and therefore has priority. If it didn't allow you to break the normal limit, you wouldn't be able to take a readied standard action, because you don't get two standards in a round either.

It doesn't take priority over the rule because it doesn't affect the rule at all. You are limited to a single swift action per turn. You can use that swift action as part of a readied action, sure, but that doesn't allow you to override the 1/turn limit in any way. Technically a readied action cannot be triggered on your turn anyway, as it says "The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun." So as I said, it would let you take your next turn's swift action before your initiative has come around, but you would have then used your swift actio for that turn, and would not be able to use it when your initiative comes around, kinda like using an immediate action. And again, it doesn't matter either way, because, unless it's a particularly long fall, at the end of his turn he's gone splat.

[ExLibrisMortis]

How do you even use a swift action as part of a readied action? That's not a thing you can do. Readying an action takes a standard action, regardless of the type of the original action. You fall a given distance (150 feet by the 'stalling in flight' rules, no specified amount by the falling rules) on your first turn, you then use a swift action to activate called, you use a standard to ready an action to activate anchoring, you end your turn and you immediately take your readied action. Problem solved, only one swift action used.

I take your point on using a readied action on your turn, but that's not too relevant, as only an immediate action can interrupt the fall in the first place. If you have time to use a swift, you have time to use a standard, and both happen after you fall 150 feet, or 300 feet if it's past your first turn falling.

[tomandtish]

If you're falling, and then try to catch yourself on an immovable rod, your arms might well get ripped off. It's a similar situation to: https://what-if.xkcd.com/133/

When I was 17 I was working in a theater. Lights were hung in a giant ladder-like configuration from 10 feel to 45 feet above the floor. There were small (2'x2') platforms at various levels. I was working on the one at the top level, wiped my brow, and stepped back.

Somehow I snagged my arm in the rungs at about the 15 foot mark. It slowed me enough that I did not sustain serious injuries to my legs, etc. when i landed (in fact, I never actually fell over since the person I was working with basically caught me when I reached the stage). However I did dislocate my shoulder severely enough that I had 9 months of physical therapy after 2 months of healing, and I never did get the full range of motion back. And note that this was only about 20 foot of falling.


Thanks again! I have 22 strength also, not sure if that matters.


Strength is only half of the equation - not only do you need a certain strength to grab on and stop it from slipping out of your fingers, you also need to avoid tearing your arms off.

Agreed. Arguably three checks (if you decide to use ability checks): DEX to grab it (moot since you call it to you), STR to hang on, CON to avoid substantially injuring yourself.