[spell] Magic Weapon

[Areia]

So, I did some testing with magic weapon to be triple sure, and it turns out that, even at grandmaster skill level, it grants only a +1 bonus for quite a short time.

Here is the entry for magic weapon on SRD, and here is greater magic weapon, for reference.

To summarize, magic weapon...

• is a level 1 spell for everyone who gets it,
• requires only a holy symbol as a component,
• confers a flat +1 bonus to the weapon's hit and dam rolls,
• and lasts for one minute per level.

Greater magic weapon, on the other hand...

• is a level 3 spell (4 for clerics),
• requires material components,
• confers up to a +5 bonus on the weapon's hit and dam rolls,
• and lasts for one hour per level.

I very much do not feel like FK needs the greater version, certainly at least not as it's written in SRD. Coding in new spells is not generally doable, anyway. I know, however, that setting skill/spell levels is very doable, and I think setting components might be, too. So if possible, I would love to see the spell we do have, which is the lesser version in effect but the greater in level and componentry, be taken down to level one for everyone (wizard, cleric, and paladin) and have its components changed to a holy symbol.

This spell could see more use in the suggested (SRD) form, especially given the weapons out there of special material or exotic type that do not, or extremely rarely, come enchanted. Paladins and fighter-friends of wizards and clerics could benefit by having, say, their cold iron weapon be made magical for the upcoming demon fight. Even low-level priests and especially wizards could gain a little bit of a bump given their dependancy on weapons and the relative rarity of magical staves and daggers. It is almost never used as is, likely, because of too-high limitations for too-little gain.

Thanks for reading.

[Harroghty]

Coding in new spells is not generally doable, anyway.

Incorrect. We can add new spells.

[Areia]

Oh. Well, that's good to know. I imagined spells were more on the hard code side of things. In that case, bless weapon would be amazing, too *cough*.

Keeping on topic for now, though, even knowing that the greater version could be added, I'm not sure it should be. At least not until +3 and +4 weapons are a thing, which I don't see happening ever.

[Grenwyn]

How would this compare to the duration of, e.g., weapon of energy? Would it be easier to share the boons with party members?

Especially at middle levels where this would be more relevant.

[Areia]

The SRD puts its duration at 1 min./level, which is the same duration of spells like bull's strength. It's difficult to say how durations usually translate here, but magic weapon at GM seemed shorter than a strength spell. Still, even as it is, I have had casters use it and weapon of energy on my fighters' weapons before, and cast them on fighter buddies' weapons on my casters, with little issue.