Making magic weapons while not a spellcaster

[Asheram]

I'm trying to find this alternate rule, or feat, or whatever that I've seen a while ago.
It was something that you invested gold and xp into a weapon in order to upgrade it, and it was not ancestral weapon, nor legacy weapons...
Trying to find it for a player in my campaign.. she needs a certain weapon, but I don't want to just Give it to her. If you could lend a hand then I'd be moste grateful.

[Grumman]

There's Battlesmith, a Dwarf-only PrC that lets you craft magic arms and armour. Otherwise, I'd simply suggest that you find a spellcaster to do it.

[sonofzeal]

(edit) nevermind

[Nero24200]

Theres a feat in the DMG2 called "Bonded Item", sounds just like what you're looking for. You pick an MWK item and you gain the ability to enchant it, substituting your HD for caster levels. It's been a while since I looked but I beleive there were a few other minor things it came with.

[DragoonWraith]

If she has any skill at UMD, it's probably not unreasonable to give her the Artificer Item Creation ability (use UMD to make magic items whose spells you lack, DC 20+Caster Level). The Warlock version (Imbue Item) is much better, at DC 15+Spell Level for Arcane or DC 25+Spell Level for Divine (Artificer has an advantage with Divine spells below 6th level, but the DCs are even for 6th level Divine spells, higher for 7th, 8th, and 9th level Divine spells, and all Arcane spells).

Otherwise, a friendly spellcaster could maybe provide the spell? I mean, that's not really how the rules work, but you could maybe have her spend all the time/money/XP, and the friendly caster just come over and cast the appropriate spell at some appropriate moment during the creation of the item...

[The Dark Fiddler]

Theres a feat in the DMG2 called "Bonded Item", sounds just like what you're looking for. You pick an MWK item and you gain the ability to enchant it, substituting your HD for caster levels. It's been a while since I looked but I beleive there were a few other minor things it came with.

You needed to meet certain prerequisites to perform the ritual needed to give the weapons the properties, such as land the killing blow on an undead with a CR 2 higher than your ECL.

[Bibliomancer]

There's also an exalted feat called Ancestral Weapon, which creates a personal weapon (price limited by level) by sacrificing gp in a religious ritual every level or so. It can only be used by the user, however.

And you don't need to meet any prerequisites besides being exalted.

[Asheram]

Theres a feat in the DMG2 called "Bonded Item", sounds just like what you're looking for. You pick an MWK item and you gain the ability to enchant it, substituting your HD for caster levels. It's been a while since I looked but I beleive there were a few other minor things it came with.

Ah! that's the one!

Edit... D'oh! My mistake. Sorry.

[Shpadoinkle]

The OA samurai class has the ancestral daisho class feature, that lets him enchant his katana and wakizashi however he wants.

There's also the Ancestral Relic feat in the Book of Exalted Deeds that's basically the same thing, except it can apply to any item as long as it's a masterwork item that used to belong to a family member.

[Bang]

You're the DM. What do you want a rule for?

Anyway, there's Item Familiar. It lets a character pretty much do whatever they like with a specific item. You might want to tweak certain aspects of it. (The feat gives some pretty significant skill boosts and increases stat gains, which some people think is a problem.)

[Asheram]

You're the DM. What do you want a rule for?

hehe. It's a bit silly, but I don't really want to handwave a thing when there might be a rule for it somewhere.

[taltamir]

reading over bonded item it seems to... well, suck.
1. It costs the same as normal crafting, except only the owner may contribute the XP (and gold and all the other stuff).
2. It has weird prereqs (defeat a dragon, etc)
3. You are very limited on what you can do
4. You can only have one bonded item giving one benefit
5. If you bond a second item or give a new benefit to your item it LOSES the previous power...
6. It only works for you, can't sell it.

What the OP describes reminds me of the "moon blades" (or whatever it was called) from various stories (as in, fantasy books; not DnD supplements). magical blades that only the owner can touch, gain one new power per owner. Inherited by their children...

And I think I saw a CLASS somewhere that uses exactly that.

[holywhippet]

Does the player have any kind of crafting skills? You could arrange for them to find a magical scroll that can create a certain enchantment - it would require a certain ritual to be performed (apply oils, cover in diamond dust, whatever). If they have weapon crafting skills they could make their own weapon to enchant, otherwise they'd need to buy a masterwork weapon.

This also lets them have an enchanted weapon of a type they favour.

Rules? You are the DM, you are a law unto yourself.

[DragoonWraith]

Oooh! That's an idea: make a Manual for it! A la the Golem Manual. Just make it buff your Caster Level completely to where you need it to be, by itself, and make it a Command Word item.

[Myrmex]

You could just let non-casters take the craft arms&armor feat, using HD in place of CL. Then you could have them go on a quest to get the right stuff to make the item (unicorn hair, star metal, gorgon's blood, whatever).

[Cieyrin]

You could just let non-casters take the craft arms&armor feat, using HD in place of CL. Then you could have them go on a quest to get the right stuff to make the item (unicorn hair, star metal, gorgon's blood, whatever).

Very 2nd Ed but flavorful. I approve.

Battlesmith and Ironsoul Forgemaster both have Secrets of the Forge, which grants Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a feat and counts your class level x3 as your CL for crafting purposes. You'll need to get somebody else for the spell requirements, which isn't that big a deal. No spellcasting required, though Dwarf only, which is solved by going Stoneblessed early on. You could take both if you wanted, though why you'd need a CL of 45 for Magic Arms and Armor creation, I have no idea. And this is possible pre-epic to boot.

[FMArthur]

Have you seen the Kensai class in Complete Warrior? It is basically about making a magic weapon. Over 10 levels, you get a +10 weapon and some other class features.

[taltamir]

i am also a bit confused on why a warrior with no experience in magic or artifice thinks he can enchant a sword like a wizard. Can we get a bit more background on the character, motivation, and what exactly they want?

[herrhauptmann]

i am also a bit confused on why a warrior with no experience in magic or artifice thinks he can enchant a sword like a wizard. Can we get a bit more background on the character, motivation, and what exactly they want?

They might've just read "A Crystal Shard." Bruennor, while he is an accomplished smith, is no caster, or even a devout layman. Yet he's able to craft and enchant Aegis Fang.

[taltamir]

They might've just read "A Crystal Shard." Bruennor, while he is an accomplished smith, is no caster, or even a devout layman. Yet he's able to craft and enchant Aegis Fang.

A master smith is something different... I thought they want to buy a masterwork sword and enchant it... not craft it from "magical ore".

Actually I would say enchanted ore is the solution... either formed naturally or via a wizard's enchantment, it cost the same as the market price for that enchantment. (while a wizard crafting a sword uses XP + half market price GP, this is the cost of full market price GP, like buying from another wizard, compensating for the cost of the "magic)
If the person "forges" a sword from a magical ore, it is magical. Simple.

So instead of going to ye olde wizard tower and paying Y gold for a +3 enchantment on a sword, they buy magical ore for Y gold and forge it into a +3 sword. Don't forget to account for cost of forging a masterwork sword to begin with.

[Asheram]

i am also a bit confused on why a warrior with no experience in magic or artifice thinks he can enchant a sword like a wizard. Can we get a bit more background on the character, motivation, and what exactly they want?

It's more that I as a GM wants to (temporary) give that ability to a character.
I could've sworn I saw it somewhere, where you could make a magical weapon as long as You were the one to use it.
But since no one here knows about it, I must be mistaken...

And as I said, I don't like to handwave things when there might be a rule about it.

[Yuki Akuma]

Artificer!

Well, they're not spellcasters...

>.> I'll go over here now.

[Cieyrin]

They might've just read "A Crystal Shard." Bruennor, while he is an accomplished smith, is no caster, or even a devout layman. Yet he's able to craft and enchant Aegis Fang.

Bruennor is a Battlesmith! <_<;;

[bosssmiley]

Fix Craft (and UMD) so that non-casters can craft magic items if they have the appropriate feats and class foci. Fighters and Dwarves craft beatsticks and armour, Elves and Rogues create sneaky stuff, etc.

(simples)

@vvvv: Pathfinder? Oh lawd noes! Buhlman roots through trash and slaps his name on his finds. Use the Book of Gears version mate.

[Keshay]

It's more that I as a GM wants to (temporary) give that ability to a character.
I could've sworn I saw it somewhere, where you could make a magical weapon as long as You were the one to use it.
But since no one here knows about it, I must be mistaken...

And as I said, I don't like to handwave things when there might be a rule about it.

What do you mean "No one knows"? You've been presented with several options that meet the description you gave.

Bonded Item, Ancestral Weapon, Kensai, OA Samurai: All of these allow a non-caster to enchant their own weapon, for the use of only that character. Surely, between all of thsoe options you could use one or mish-mash the rules together to get what you're thinking of.

I personally like Ancestral Weapon, just drop the <good> requirement if they are non-good (I see no reason for it, evil folks have ancestors too, unless there already is a corresponding feat in the BoVD...). Viola, you have a personal enchanted weapon whose properties are depnedant solely on what the character wishes to imbue. The expense? A monetary sacrifice and time meditating (1 day/100gp I believe). If the "Ancestor" flavor does not fit, change it to whatever does fit.

That pretty much sounds exactly like what you were asking for.

[taltamir]

It's more that I as a GM wants to (temporary) give that ability to a character.
I could've sworn I saw it somewhere, where you could make a magical weapon as long as You were the one to use it.
But since no one here knows about it, I must be mistaken...

And as I said, I don't like to handwave things when there might be a rule about it.

you did, this describes bonded item to a T, its just that bonded item utterly sucks.

[Asheram]

That pretty much sounds exactly like what you were asking for.

I do apologise for asking so vaguely, but they're still not the one that I'm looking for.
But thank you, everyone, for your help in this. :) I appreciate it a lot.

I'll just have to figure something out with these DM powers of mine.

[Cieyrin]

Fix Craft (and UMD) so that non-casters can craft magic items if they have the appropriate feats and class foci. Fighters and Dwarves craft beatssticks and armour, Elves and Rogues create sneaky stuff, etc.

(simples)

So use Pathfinder's Master Craftsman feat, then?

[Paulus]

Or let them take the appropriate Magical Craft feat, -regardless of rereqs- forge the weapon, but they have to hire someone to cast the spell they need?

after all, spell casting services are listed in the phb.

This just lets you fudge the preexisting feat, gives them the opportunity to craft the stuff, and you make them burn a feat and cash on the spell.

Should work if you ask me.

[taltamir]

Or let them take the appropriate Magical Craft feat, -regardless of rereqs- forge the weapon, but they have to hire someone to cast the spell they need?

after all, spell casting services are listed in the phb.

This just lets you fudge the preexisting feat, gives them the opportunity to craft the stuff, and you make them burn a feat and cash on the spell.

Should work if you ask me.

A good amount of items are IMPOSSIBLE to craft UNLESS you have some pretty exotic multi classing (some of which illegal due to class limitation) or if you use the "cooperative crafting" rules... which basically says "anyone can provide the spell, you can use a scroll to provide the spell, anyone can provide the alignment, the race, the XP, the prereq feats and the crafting feats... as long as they all work together".
Which, I think, is an "optional ruleset" found in the core. And as I said, necessary for many items to be even possible to craft.

just rule that enchanting magic item is a set of skills that anyone can learn, but requires sources for various things, such as magic spells being cast at the item, to work.