[3.5] Permanently Enchant Improvised Weapon

[Thurbane]

Just a thought experiment: is there a way to make an improvised weapon permanently magical, in the same way you would a masterwork standard weapon? Say Bob the Fighter has a favourite table leg or shovel that he wants to make into a magical weapon.

The main hurdle I can see, is that there aren't rules for an improvised weapon being masterwork, which is a requirement for making the weapon magical.

Looking for a solution that involves no homebrewing, no 3rd party material, and as little cheese as possible.

Cheers - T

[Soranar]

According to the SRD

Masterwork items are extraordinarily well-made items. They are more expensive, but they benefit the user with improved quality. They are not magical in any way. However, only masterwork items may be enhanced to become magic armor and weapons. (Items that are not weapons or armor may or may not be masterwork items.)

So

-you can totally make a masterwork anything (table, chair, whatever you feel like)

or

-you can just ignore the masterwork item rule since an improvised weapon is not a weapon or armor

[Soranar]

and here's the masterwork item rule (again from the SRD)

Creating Masterwork Items
You can make a masterwork item—a weapon, suit of armor, shield, or tool that conveys a bonus on its use through its exceptional craftsmanship, not through being magical. To create a masterwork item, you create the masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The masterwork component has its own price (300 gp for a weapon or 150 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 20. Once both the standard component and the masterwork component are completed, the masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.

so if you want to make a shovel knight, there's a rule for that

[Telonius]

Here's the wording from Kensai:

"The kensai chooses one of his weapons (it must be one for which he has the Weapon Focus feat) to become a signature weapon. Most kensai choose either a sword or bow for this weapon, but even a kensai’s natural weapons can be chosen. If the weapon is a manufactured one, it must be of at least masterwork quality."

So if the weapon selected isn't a manufactured weapon, this suggests that the "masterwork" requirement isn't there. Pick up a random stick, rock, or pack animal's jawbone, and have that be your signature weapon. (You'd need to spend some feats on proficiency and weapon focus on it, as well).

Unfortunately it doesn't quite satisfy the "permanently" part, if you mean "magic for whoever picks it up." But it's permanently as long as you have it.

[AvatarVecna]

Just a thought experiment: is there a way to make an improvised weapon permanently magical, in the same way you would a masterwork standard weapon? Say Bob the Fighter has a favourite table leg or shovel that he wants to make into a magical weapon.

The main hurdle I can see, is that there aren't rules for an improvised weapon being masterwork, which is a requirement for making the weapon magical.

Looking for a solution that involves no homebrewing, no 3rd party material, and as little cheese as possible.

Cheers - T

The way I've kludged into it via the rules isn't going to fly with everybody, but I think it's a reasonable enough reading of the rules. The basic idea is that a weapon needs to be masterwork to be enchantable, and there are certain special materials that are so cool, any weapon made out of them is automatically masterwork quality. Initially I went with adamantine, but adamantine can only be applies to armor/weapons. Mithril, on the other hand, can be applied to any item primarily made out of metal, and has the same "auto masterwork" clause. Mithril door? That's an improvised weapon. Mithril weapon is automatically masterwork. That door is a masterwork weapon. That door can be enchanted with weapon enchantments.

[Saintheart]

Just a thought experiment: is there a way to make an improvised weapon permanently magical, in the same way you would a masterwork standard weapon? Say Bob the Fighter has a favourite table leg or shovel that he wants to make into a magical weapon.

Buy a Permanent rune (FRCS) of Greater Magic Weapon, scribed on the palm of Bob the Fighter's glove. Runes activate on touch and an object must trigger the rune if the spell affects only objects. Not only Bob's favourite table leg, but any nonmagical weapon he picks up, is now magical whenever he grips it, and why would you want it to be magical if it's not being used?

[Darg]

Well, the easiest way is to take a melee/ranged weapon and use it as an improvised ranged/melee weapon.

Another option is to simply enhance a staff and shape it into something else. It's no longer a staff, but it's still magical as it wasn't broken.

The kensai trick was already mentioned.

[Troacctid]

If you spend two days imbuing it with weapon magic, does it really still count as "improvised"?

[Gruftzwerg]

1) Vow of Poverty could be abused here.
Exalted Strike basically turns anything into a magical weapon.

2) Shining Blade of H.
Can add Shock, Holy or Brilliant Energy to any piercing or slashing weapon.

[RaiKirah]

If you craft your Masterwork Tool out of Aurorum (BoED) then you can take Drunken Master and not worry about breaking your now extraordinarily expensive improvised weapon since it will restore itself after sundering.