Sundered Double weapon

[Macbrea]

I have a question when someone sunders a weapon like a quarterstaff +3/+2 flaming exactly how is this handled?


Do you need:

1. A +3 sword to break either end
2. A +2 sword to break the flaming end but bonces off the other end
3. Any weapon to break the middle of it in half
4. A +5 weapon because both sets of enhancement bonuses add in the case of breaking it.
   [/list=1]

 

[The Sigil]

I have a question when someone sunders a weapon like a quarterstaff +3/+2 flaming exactly how is this handled?


Do you need:

1. A +3 sword to break either end
2. A +2 sword to break the flaming end but bonces off the other end
3. Any weapon to break the middle of it in half
4. A +5 weapon because both sets of enhancement bonuses add in the case of breaking it.
   [/list=1]

1. 
   I believe the answer is...
   
   You need a +3 weapon in all cases. A successful sunder on the weapon - at any point - breaks it and therefore ruins ALL enchantments on it (i.e., sundering the +2 "end" also spoils the magic in the +3 "end" because the item has been broken). The required bonus is +3 (the higher of the two bonuses but NOT the sum - both are enhancement bonuses and bonuses of the same type do not stack). Otherwise, a +3/+3 double weapon would be unsunderable (except by artifacts) because it would be effectively +6.
   
   -----
   
   Alternatively (and I personally play it this way), if you wish to allow the item to be partially usable after a sunder... where sundering one end does not affect the other end (IOW, to completely disable a double weapon, it must be sundered twice)
   
   You need a +3 weapon to sunder the +3 end. If you do this, the +2 flaming end is still usable.
   
   You need a +2 weapon to sunder the +2 flaming end. If you do this, the +3 end is still usable.
   
   I would further rule that you cannot sunder the middle - you must sunder either end. Otherwise, you are simply going back to the first ruling... one sunder ruins the whole weapon.
   
   I believe this is fair given that a +2/+2 double weapon is twice as expensive as a +2 normal weapon, and should therefore take twice as much work to disable.
   
   --The Sigil

 

[Macbrea]

The reason I was curious on this was can a normal person actually break a staff of power (+2 quarterstaff) over their knee?

Since, they do not possess an ENHANCEMENT bonus needed to sunder a weapon on their body I would think not. The rules to the weapon states that it can be purposely broke but how?

 

[Jeremy]

Well if you've just seen star wars, then you can sunder a double weapon and at least one of the ends will work perfectly even though the diagram states that important pieces are in the middle of a lightsaber.

 

[The Sigil]

Answer...

The reason I was curious on this was can a normal person actually break a staff of power (+2 quarterstaff) over their knee?

Since, they do not possess an ENHANCEMENT bonus needed to sunder a weapon on their body I would think not. The rules to the weapon states that it can be purposely broke but how?

Think of "Retributive Strike" (breaking the staff) as a one-shot power that the staff's wielder may use... just like activating a spell or whatever. IOW, it's not "just" your knee that does the breaking, but you are calling upon the staff to break and the somatic component is smacking the staff into your knee.

--The Sigil