[Senko]

I was browsing some other systems and I noticed that most magic weapons in addition to their fire damage, life stealing damage, x damage (and names like Doombringer ender of worlds) have some non mechanical descriptive effects. Such as their being lighter, stronger, masterwork items (as in beautiful blades not encrusted in jewels). At first I thought that had no real place in the shadowrun weapon focus system then it occured to me Harlequin is meant to have fought a great dragon with Excalibur and a normal even a modern (as in 2070 forged) weapon would chip/break on a great dragons scales so it got me wondering are they? I'm curious what people think does making a sword/axe/x a weapon focus make it stronger or lighter than a normal weapon of its type. So that a claymore for example wont break if you accidentally hit a nearby wall when swinging it around?

[Jack_Spade]

There's a difference between a weapon focus and an artifact.
Weapon foci can benefit from the fact that many crafters design and build them from scratch for easier artificing. They can therefore create weapons of much higher quality. But there is no reason to make them indestructible.

[Senko]

Oh I'm not saying indestructable or even one ring in the fires it was forged in indestructable just say a copper blade as strong as an iron one or a Damascan steel blade as strong as a modern one made one with steel that no impurities. That is you hit a wall with it and it'll be fine (or slice through it with modern construction ) but you hit a great dragons scales and it'll chip, bend or even break, same with a concrete wall you may knock some chips out of the wall but you'll wreck the blade doing it. Excalibur is something special players aren't going to get it just indicates that there may be something a bit more about weapon foci that isn't really represented in the mechanics if you see what I mean?

[Sendaz]

Earthdawn does some of this.

In the Five Kingdoms, their version of an oriental setting, the samurai's katana is forged of several True Elements which give it some added touches.

The True Air used makes the blade lighter than normal while the True Earth makes it much more difficult to damage and so on...

[RowanTheFox]

My primary NPC has a swept hilt rapier weapon focus forged in true fire. It's always warm to the touch on the physical plane (not enough to hurt), and glows on the astral like it was just pulled from a hot forge. It's high force, but not indestructible. However, she's also not dumb enough to swing it at a wall...or a dragon, for that matter. 

[Senko]

Interesting so the "average" weapon focus is no diffeerent from a normal weapon of it type but  if you have a kind GM you can go on a quest to find a pure element to make it a little more that works. I rather like that your NPC EiraHaexa has a fire weapon that does pretty much what I thought it would. I would have thought air would make them lighter not water though stilll . . .

Water: Lighter.
Earth: Stronger/harder
Fire: Warm to the touch and glows on the astral.

I need to find out about the other elements air, lightning, wood, steel, cold and the like depending on which system of elements you use. Not a google search I"ll be attemping on this laptop that' so slow and mucks up my typing.

[RowanTheFox]

Interesting so the "average" weapon focus is no diffeerent from a normal weapon of it type but  if you have a kind GM you can go on a quest to find a pure element to make it a little more that works. I rather like that your NPC EiraHaexa has a fire weapon that does pretty much what I thought it would. I would have thought air would make them lighter not water though stilll . . .

Water: Lighter.
Earth: Stronger/harder
Fire: Warm to the touch and glows on the astral.

I need to find out about the other elements air, lightning, wood, steel, cold and the like depending on which system of elements you use. Not a google search I"ll be attemping on this laptop that' so slow and mucks up my typing.

It was a graduation gift. I always thought water would make a weapon focus ice cold, and air would make it lighter.

[Senko]

I agree on the air and that water one makes sense especially given the opposition between fire and water. I know there's a lot of elements from different cultures earth, air, fire, water, aether, wind, sky, wood, metal, void and of course they all have different interactions. I believe in a Chinese one fire opposes metal which opposes wood which opposes earth which opposes water which opposes fire. So lots of potential ideas and opportunities there.

[Moonshine Fox]

Back in 3rd ed, I had a mage who was a mathmagician. He made a powerful weapon focus that had a complex equation on the blade etched in purified virgin ruby dust. As the blade moved, the equation on the blade changed. Adding little extra touches like that to some foci would be pretty cool and i can't see them as particularly game or setting breaking, especially if you take the time to forge it yourself.

[Sendaz]

THE POWER OF PI COMPELS YOU!!!!

[farothel]

As GM I would allow all modifications to a weapon or weapon focus which are purely cosmetic in origin, as long as it doesn't affect the weapon.  If for instance the player wants a big juwel in the pommel or runes etched in the blade (even with some stuff in them to make them glow in the dark), sure, no problem.  I will however add to the cost of the weapon for such personalised mods and also if they very obvious, the player has to take the 'Distinctive style' negative quality.  For vehicles there exists a modification called pimped ride (at least it did in 4th edition, don't know if it still exists today), so creating something similar for weapons should be an option.

Other mods are also possible as long as they don't affect game statistics.  If for instance the player wants his weapons to be slightly lighter, or longer or shorter (say 10%) then this is possible without any problems (weapon focus weapons are melee weapons and they come in enough variety to be able to take this into account).  maybe have the player pay a little more or wait a little longer as this is a more specific weapon and therefore it takes longer (or costs more) to have it delivered.

You could also rule that a weapon focus gets its rating added to any tests it has to take (like a test to see if it breaks).  That makes them much more durable than regular weapons of the same type (especially the high rating ones) but not unbreakable.  The magic infused into the weapon adds to its strength, but only up to a point.  Even artifacts can be broken, although they might go boom if you do.

[Magnaric]

Hmm...now you have me wondering if my Dwarf melee adept got his hands on a tiny bit of True Earth to add to a crafted weapon focus, it might increase its AP potential. Harder, more unbreakable material means it can hold a sharper edge.

Or True Water perhaps adding to the Elemental Weapon (Cold) effect on it. I may have to run this by my GM at some point...