Can someone explain weapon enchanting (and pricing) in simple terms?

[Noonsaliwah]

I'm completely confused about how to transform, say, a greatsword into a greatsword+2 with a 'Shocking Burst' enchantment!

I've read the srd (quick link- http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm ) over a few times, and I just don't get it. Can someone please just break it down simply for me?

[Bryn]

Weapons are priced according to their bonus (ie, +1, +2, whatever). This bonus can be simply a +n enhancement bonus, or it can be something else, like Shocking per se. These something-elses are worth a certain amount of weapon bonus.

So, a +2 Shocking weapon is priced as a +3 weapon, as the shocking enhancement is worth 1 point of weapon bonus. To take the example of your Greatsword, that is 18,350gp, since the Greatsword adds 350 gp to the price of a +3 weapon (18000).

[Dark_Wind]

All right, lessee...

First, only masterworked weapons can be magic (which costs 300gp + the weapon's base price). Second, the magic enchantment is priced according to its effective enhancement bonus, as shown on the table in the DMG. This is determinmed by adding the weapons enhancement bonus to the bonus cost of any special enchantments. A +2 shocking burst greatsword is priced as a +4 weapon (+2 for the enhancement bonus, and another +2 for the Shocking Burst), or 32000gp. Armor works the same way, but it's cheaper.

Two notes:

1) In order for a weapon or suit of armor to be enchanted with special abilities, it must first have an enhancement bonus of at least +1. So, you can't have just a flaming greatsword (which, if it could exist, would cost 2000gp), it has to be a +1 flaming greatsword (which costs 8000gp, because it's priced as a +2 weapon).

2) Some armor enchantments (as well as some non-core weapon enchantments) are not given an effective bonus but are instead given a set price. In that case, just add the cost of the enchantment directly to the cost of the weapon.

[Shazzbaa]

Um, I have question too. Can you actually take an existing weapon that you've grown attached to and get enhancements added to it, provided it's already a masterwork weapon?

[Maclav]

Um, I have question too. Can you actually take an existing weapon that you've grown attached to and get enhancements added to it, provided it's already a masterwork weapon?

Yes, the rules for such are in the magic item creation section.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...ngNewAbilities

[Shazzbaa]

Yes, the rules for such are in the magic item creation section.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...ngNewAbilities

OKAY! Thanks. I somehow missed that. "Bah!" say I, to my DM and his leftover rules...