Increasing Enhacement Bonuses

[ByOdin'sBeard]

Okay, so I've stumbled across something that I've never really thought of before.

A couple players want to further increase the power of their weapons, all well and fine.

According to DMG pg.288: "A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do so is the same as if the item was not magical. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 sword."

So if the character has a +1 longsword, and wants to make it a +2, he only pays the 2,000gp cost of it?

Or does that excerpt only apply to the special abilities, and not the enhancement bonuses? Does making a +1 longsword into a +2 longsword still cost 8,000gp? Can you even increase the enhancement bonus of a weapon after initial creation of the item?

Never had this pop up in like 6 years of DMing, and am thoroughly confused.

[Aracor]

No, you pay the DIFFERENCE between the new cost and the old cost.

So if they have a +1 sword and want to either make it +2, OR make it +1 Spell Storing (as an example), they'd need to pay 6,000 gold (8000 for a +2 weapon minus 2000 for a +1 weapon), and it would take 6 days to do it.

[ByOdin'sBeard]

No, you pay the DIFFERENCE between the new cost and the old cost.

So if they have a +1 sword and want to either make it +2, OR make it +1 Spell Storing (as an example), they'd need to pay 6,000 gold (8000 for a +2 weapon minus 2000 for a +1 weapon), and it would take 6 days to do it.

Thanks! Absolutely baffled me, and after reading your reply, and then the quote again, it states that pretty clearly lol. Appreciate the help on that!