D&D 3E/3.5 Greater Magic Weapon 3.5

[Quixon]

Posted this on General board but think it belongs here...sorry...

In the Dragon Mag # 306 3.5 article it has a small blurb about Greater Magic weapon spell, the current version (which may or may not be the version that makes the revision) the spell gives +1 per 4 caster levels instead of +1 per 3 that it does now.

 

[gfunk]

I don't think the power issue of GMW will be such a big deal anymore with the 3.5e DR system. Since you now need special weapons to penentrate DR rather than a +x weapon, GMW won't seem so unbalanced now.

 

[Hypersmurf]

[shrug] It's only 2000gp for Heward's Handy Golfbag. GMW's more important than ever to bump up the enhancement on your 6-iron...

-Hyp.

 

[bret]

It will be annoying for Paladins, since their caster level is only half of their class level.

Rather than having a maximum of +3 bonus, they would now have a maximum of +2 bonus.

 

[Quixon]

Really sucks at 15th level lol-old way +5, new way +3, lose a +2. All the munchkin cleric archers would also take double the loss as they will lose the extra plus from both arrow and bow(not that I think this is a bad thing).

 

[Endur]

I had been hoping that they would get rid of the GMW + for a quiver of arrows and make it per arrow.

Oh, well, +1 per 4 levels isn't a bad compromise.

 

[hong]

I had been hoping that they would get rid of the GMW + for a quiver of arrows and make it per arrow.

That's actually one of the uses of GMW that I think is good, because it allows archers to threaten things with DR. If it was per arrow, it would be useless for that purpose. It's the stacking of bow and arrow enhancement bonuses that makes it bad.

Oh, well, +1 per 4 levels isn't a bad compromise.

I was hoping for something like the resistance spells in Savage Species, actually. Major resistance gives a flat +3 resistance bonus to saves and is a 2nd level spell; superior resistance gives a +6 bonus and is 5th level. The current ramping up of spell benefits with caster level is something that should be seriously looked at for 4E, I reckon.

 

[Darklone]

I was hoping for something like the resistance spells in Savage Species, actually. Major resistance gives a flat +3 resistance bonus to saves and is a 2nd level spell; superior resistance gives a +6 bonus and is 5th level. The current ramping up of spell benefits with caster level is something that should be seriously looked at for 4E, I reckon.

Agreed. But I like the +1 per 4 levels.

Let's make a list how 4th edition should look like?

 

[green slime]

I'd prefer per arrow myself...

Then at least archers would be encouraged to spend cash on magical arrows, and would tend to use them sparingly, which would also avoid the stacking bonus madness for most encounters, but allow it when it really matters (and at a humungous cost...)

Which is preferable IMO... YMMV

 

[hong]

I'd prefer per arrow myself...

Then at least archers would be encouraged to spend cash on magical arrows, and would tend to use them sparingly, which would also avoid the stacking bonus madness for most encounters, but allow it when it really matters (and at a humungous cost...)

This effectively cripples archers against high DR opponents (of which there are many at high levels).

If you want to tone down archers, then take away bracers of archery, remove stacking of bow and arrow bonuses, tone down Point Blank Shot, and/or have GMW not confer an actual bonus to attack and damage rolls. All of these effectively reduce the power of archers, without rendering them ineffectual later on.