When Enchantments Go Wrong
Or what happens when enchanters use unsuitable materials.

Some times a caster uses unsuitable materials for enchanting. Whether he tried to go cheap and use an apprentice's attempt at a weapon or was gulled into buying a flawed item, the full enchantment will not take unless the material is suitable. The result is often a minor magical item, but is seldom what the caster intended. If he was lucky and observant, he noticed the problem by the time he spent 5% of the enchantment's cost.

Minor weapons typically have both a weapon power and a curse. Weapons without curses would be significantly more rare. Minor weapons hit as a magic weapon, with the character's normal attack roll and normal damage for the weapon type unless noted otherwise. Minor weapons are intended for low level characters unable to afford, find, or steal better or for low magic campaigns. In high magic campaigns minor magical weapons may be commonly available for sale at prices around 200% of a masterwork weapon's price.

Minor Weapon Powers
  • Sturdy: weapon has double normal hardness and hit points
    Sharp: +1 Damage (enhancement bonus)
    of Accuracy: +1 Attack (enhancement bonus)
    Fast: +2 Initiative
    Light: +1 Reflex Save (resistance bonus)
    of Endurance: +1 Fortitude save (resistance bonus)
    Calming: +1 Will Save (resistance bonus)
    of Woe: eerie vibration causes opponents hit with the weapon to suffer a -1 Will Save for one round
    of Skill: +2 competence bonus to selected skill (Ex. Jumping, Tumbling, Running, etc)
    of Light: glows giving light as a torch
    Lucky: re-roll one missed attack (with this weapon) per day


Minor Weapon Curses
  • Flimsy: -1 hardness and -2 hit points
    Heavy: -1 Reflex Save
    Inflicted: -1 Fortitude Save
    Uncertain: -1 Will Save
    Dull: -1 Damage
    Slow: -2 Initiative
    Clumsy: -1 Attack


Sample Minor Weapons
  • Flimsy Dagger of Tumbling: +2 to wielder's Tumbling skill, -1 to dagger's hardness and -2 to dagger's hit points
    Heavy Sharp Sword: +1 Damage, -1 Reflex Save
    Slow Greataxe of Woe: eerie vibration causes opponents hit with the weapon to suffer a -1 Will Save, wielder suffers a -2 Initiative