Anyone forsee problems with a spell-sword?

[Spiritchaser]

I have a bladesinger who currently used only one sword.

He could use a focus-staff in one hand and a sword in the other to get a bonus attack that way but... Yuck.


Am I breaking anything I can't think of by having the party face off against (hopefully defeat and subsequently loot) a foe with a short sword that functions as an arcane focus?

[Armagarm]

I don't really think that would be breaking anything. You could say that it has a crystal built into the pommel or at the base of the blade or something like that.

[clash]

Honestly I feel like that ability should have been wrapped into the warcaster feat, which admittedly doesnt function how its supposed to for any arcane casters and barely functions for druids.

[Aembrosia]

I dont know why i had to read that as many times as i did to understand what is going on.

So we kill the baddy and get his magic sword. Now the bladesinger can do TWF and still cast spells without warcaster. A magic item replacing a portion of a feat.

Yeah sure. That seems fine.

Atunement slots are a kind of resource.

[Spiritchaser]

I dont know why i had to read that as many times as i did to understand what is going on.

So we kill the baddy and get his magic sword. Now the bladesinger can do TWF and still cast spells without warcaster. A magic item replacing a portion of a feat.

Yeah sure. That seems fine.

Atunement slots are a kind of resource.

Given that he can already do this with a non magic arcane focus staff... I hadn't actually intended this to me a "magic" sword. I'd like to limit magic weapons for now (he can find one later)

[lunaticfringe]

Arcane Gish can totally get weapons turned into arcane Foci in my games. It just make things easier. This Item waives some Material Component requirements, BUT only these! It must be some sort of Stick or Ball! Nothing Else Works! Only Sticks!

Seems really Arbitrary.

[Aembrosia]

So no resource on a non magic item. We're just removing one of the balancing agents for the edge case bladesinger.

Nah. Its still not going to matter. Go for it. He could be acheving the same effect with an interact with object in his movement to draw his sword when he wants to TWF and stow it when he wants to cast.

Having a cool toy, magic or not, is more fun than performing game mechanics.

[lunaticfringe]

Real Word precedent (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athame) for Arcane Focus Weapons. Most common are daggers but swords are used as well. They cost more in my games, Weapon Cost + 20 (cost of the Orb) for the special materials involved in the rituals to convert them into a Focus.

[JackPhoenix]

Arcane Gish can totally get weapons turned into arcane Foci in my games. It just make things easier. This Item waives some Material Component requirements, BUT only these! It must be some sort of Stick or Ball! Nothing Else Works! Only Sticks!

Seems really Arbitrary.

Or, you know, free hand (bladesinger can't use shield or 2 handed weapon anyway) and component pouch

[CursedRhubarb]

Could always go with the crystal focus and have it set in a ring.

Then you can greet the BBEG with "At last we meet for the first time for the last time."

[Arkhios]

Given that he can already do this with a non magic arcane focus staff... I hadn't actually intended this to me a "magic" sword. I'd like to limit magic weapons for now (he can find one later)

You know, a magic weapon doesn't exactly have to bestow any bonuses to attack and damage rolls. Just being an uncommon magic item that can be used as a spellcasting focus isn't going to break the magic item balance you hope to maintain.

You could even say that the weapon has a "Broken Enchantment" minor property, explaining that the weapon is unable to bypass nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage resistance until its magic has been reinforced by someone who knows the special methods necessary to repair magic items, and that it's almost unheard-of skill. This could even be worth a quest, once your group is at the point when you want them to have weapons that are more usable against creatures with certain resistances.

[Joe the Rat]

Having a weapon that can by design be used as an arcane focus seems perfectly reasonable. I mean, you can already use certain foci as weapons (rods are basically clubs, and a staff is a staff). Adding cost to combine items would fly for my games.


Real Word precedent (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athame) for Arcane Focus Weapons. Most common are daggers but swords are used as well. They cost more in my games, Weapon Cost + 20 (cost of the Orb) for the special materials involved in the rituals to convert them into a Focus.
I was just coming in to mention the Athame. I introduced this ages ago for our resident Eldritch Knight, though he has since upgraded to a Narwhal Horn Wand.