D&D 5E Moonblade properties: do they stack?

[Voi_D_ragon]

Just wanted to know how a Moonblade with effects that gave it more than a +3 bonus would work; let me explain.
You can get up to a +3 bonus with the runes by rolling on the table; but what if you then roll the property that makes it work as a Defender? The Defender specifically says "you gain a +3 bonus to attack and damag rolls with this magic weapon" same thing with the Vorpal Sword. So the thing is, by RAW, a Moonblade can give you up to a +9 bonus on attacks and damage. How do you think it should work?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

You'd have to be crazy to think that any magic weapon in 5E was intended to give a +9 bonus.

 

[Charles Rampant]

When using random tables, a certain amount of finessing the results is usually necessary.

 

[Gwarok]

Just wanted to know how a Moonblade with effects that gave it more than a +3 bonus would work; let me explain.
You can get up to a +3 bonus with the runes by rolling on the table; but what if you then roll the property that makes it work as a Defender? The Defender specifically says "you gain a +3 bonus to attack and damag rolls with this magic weapon" same thing with the Vorpal Sword. So the thing is, by RAW, a Moonblade can give you up to a +9 bonus on attacks and damage. How do you think it should work?

I've basically assumed that the "Defender" property if part of the weapon merely allowed whatever bonus it did have to be used as AC instead, same with the vorpal property. As mentioned, +9 is pretty absurd, but your question does highlight some practical and logical limits with respect to the RAW concept.

 

[Ed Laprade]

Just wanted to know how a Moonblade with effects that gave it more than a +3 bonus would work; let me explain.
You can get up to a +3 bonus with the runes by rolling on the table; but what if you then roll the property that makes it work as a Defender? The Defender specifically says "you gain a +3 bonus to attack and damag rolls with this magic weapon" same thing with the Vorpal Sword. So the thing is, by RAW, a Moonblade can give you up to a +9 bonus on attacks and damage. How do you think it should work?

I'd go with either no +4 or higher, or just say no stacking bonuses, but allowing other effects, as they don't stack. I suspect that's what they had in mind, but didn't say explicitly.

 

[pukunui]

Considering that the basic property says "Reroll if the moonblade already has a +3 bonus", I'd read that as meaning that +3 is the max. There is no weapon in 5e with a + higher than that, although they do say you can go higher if you really want to. I'd personally cap it at +3.

 

[Al2O3]

I don't recall moonblades, but they might be relevant if I get started with my worldbuilding project. Is a moonblade from the more-than-legendary part of the DMG or from some other source? If they are from the DMG I might return with opinions on the original question after I've read it.

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[aco175]

If the moonblade is +3 already, you have the +3 to make the defending property work the way it was meant. A +1 defender kind of makes it not worth it and takes too much time to use.

 

[pukunui]

Is a moonblade from the more-than-legendary part of the DMG or from some other source?

It's one the examples of sentient weapons in the DMG.

 

[Al2O3]

Now I had a look at it. By "functions as" I would say the bonus is not included, or possibly that the bonus from e.g. Defender is included up to +3. But I see no indication that it should be more than +3 in any case.

I think it should work by either rerolling any of the basic properties already rolled or allow two runes to be no more than decoration. In any case the runes are there to say something about the history of the sword and of elves.

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