Magic Item Crafting Rules

Having an Item Crafted

The player must provide the materials to create the item. The cost of these materials is subtracted from the base cost of the item, and then a diplomacy check is made against the appropriate merchant DC.

Weapons

The base pathfinder weapon rules: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons

A magic weapon is enhanced to strike more accurately and deliver more damage. Magic weapons have three types of improvements that may be applied to them:

Enhancements

Magical enhancements range from +1 to +9. As a firm rule, the maximum enhancement a weapon may have is equal to one quarter of the campaign level, round up. Thus, +1 weapons are possible at levels 1 to 4, +2 at 5 to 8, +3 at 9 to 12, +4 at 12 to 16, +5 at 17 to 20, +6 at 21 to 24, +7 at 25 to 28, +8 at 29 to 32, and +9 weapons at 33 to 35. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Properties

Magic Item Properties are additional effects a weapon grants or performs on top of the normal functionality of a mundane version of that weapon. The limit to the total value of all weapon properties that may be added to a weapon is the same as the limit for weapon enhancements: One quarter of the campaign level, rounded up. Thus, +1 weapon properties are possible at levels 1 to 4, +2 at 5 to 8, +3 at 9 to 12, +4 at 12 to 16, +5 at 17 to 20, +6 at 21 to 24, +7 at 25 to 28, +8 at 29 to 32, and +9 weapon properties at 33 to 35. At level 36, all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Materials

Mundane weapons are assumed to be made of good quality steel, similar to historical Damascus or Wootz. Cheap weapons made of crude iron, bronze, or bone are also possible. More expensive weapons of fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithral and adamantium. Some GM's may have campaign-specific special materials available also. In all cases, only ONE material may be used in the construction of a single weapon.

General rules

Weapons with enhancement bonuses apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat, on all attacks made. As a result, at higher levels enhancement bonuses may be used multiple times per round. All magic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonuses on attack rolls do not stack with their enhancement bonuses on attack rolls.

As an optional rule, a weapon may be enchanted in such as way as to 'trade' some of the enhancement bonus for weapon properties, and vice-versa. You may trade two points of either enhancement bonus or weapon properties to gain one point in the other type of improvement. This process may be done twice, so that you may trade away a maximum of 4 points of enhancement or properties for an extra +2 of the opposite. This optional rule will allow +9 weapons to be available as low as level 25. Magic weapons must always have a minimum of a +1 enhancement. The maximum value of weapon properties before Apotheosis is 11 at level 33+. The maximum weapon enhancement is hard-capped at +9 before Apotheosis. Swapping abilities in this way does NOT lower the cost of the weapon: All points of ability must be paid for, even if some are 'lost' in swapping. Sorry all you power gamers out there.

Weapons come in two basic categories: melee and ranged. Some of the weapons listed as melee weapons can also be used as ranged weapons. In this case, their enhancement bonuses apply to both melee and ranged attacks.

Weapon properties count as additional bonuses for determining the market value of the item, but do not modify attack or damage bonuses (except where specifically noted). A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus weapon properties, including those from character abilities and spells) higher than half the campaign level, rounded up. Thus, total +2 weapons are possible at levels 1 to 4, +4 at 5 to 8, +6 at 9 to 12, +8 at 12 to 16, +10 at 17 to 20, +12 at 21 to 24, +14 at 25 to 28, +16 at 29 to 32, and +18 at 33 to 35. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and a weapon may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

A weapon with a weapon property must always have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Weapons cannot possess the same weapon property more than once.

Caster Level Required To Make Weapons

The caster level required to make a weapon with a weapon property is given in the description of the property. If a weapon has more than one weapon property, the caster level required to place the weapon properties is the highest of all the properties. For a weapon with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level required to make the weapon is three times the enhancement bonus. Thus, it requires a third level caster to make a +1 weapon, sixth level to make a +2, etc. If a weapon has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the caster level requirements must be met.

Additional Damage Dice

Some magic weapons deal additional dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are considered bonuses and are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit.

Additional Base Damage Dice

Some magic weapons gain improved or additional base damage dice. These dice do not improve with level as normal base damage dice do, but are multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit.

Ranged Weapons and Ammunition

The enhancement bonus from a ranged weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus from ammunition. Only the higher of the two enhancement bonuses applies. Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon. Weapon properties of a ranged weapon do stack with weapon properties of ammunition, assuming there is a minimum +1 enhancement on the ammunition. As always, no weapon may ever have the same property twice. If ammunition and a ranged weapon have the same weapon properties, only count the property once.

Magic Thrown Weapons

Weapons designed for throwing, such as the throwing axe or the careen (but not weapons with the ammunition property, such as skiprocks), gain the Lesser Returning property for free if they have an enhancement bonus or magic property worth an enhancement bonus of at least +1. If they have an enhancement bonus of +2 or greater (or magic properties equivalent to +2 enhancement or greater), thrown weapons gain the Greater Returning magic property for free. These properties cost nothing extra, and never increase the overall cost of additional upgrades, but they do count against the maximum possible enchantments the weapon can have.

Magic Ammunition and Breakage

Magical ammunition follows the standard rules for recovering expended ammunition. If the attack hits, the arrow, bolt or bullet is expended and not recoverable. If the attack misses, there is a 50% chance that the piece of ammunition is recoverable.

Light Generation

30% of randomly generated magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell. These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can't be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some weapons always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions. If a weapon is specially crafted for hire, whether or not it gives off light is chosen by the player.

Hardness and Hit Points

Each +1 of a magic weapon’s enhancement bonus adds +2 to its hardness and +10 to its hit points. See also Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points. Weapon properties usually have no effect on hardness or hit points. Special materials almost always have an effect on a weapon's hardness and hit points.

Activation

Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by wielding (attacking with) it. If a weapon has a weapon property that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter a command word (a standard action). A character can activate the special abilities of 50 pieces of ammunition at the same time, assuming each piece has identical abilities.

Magic Weapons and Critical Hits

Some weapon properties and some specific weapons have an extra effect on a critical hit. This special effect overcomes immunity to critical bits. Criticals rolled with these weapons function against creatures not normally subject to critical hits. In such instances, on a successful critical roll, apply the magic weapon's special effect, but otherwise resolve damage as though it were a normal hit.

Weapons for Unusually Sized Creatures

The cost of weapons for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium varies (see Equipment). The cost of the masterwork quality and any magical enhancement remains the same.