Enchanted weapon vs. Undead

[Longman]

I'd make it do full damage plus 3, as well. Your player has a decent argument - it was designed to kill undead and has some kind of holy magic radiating out of it. It should ignore normal rules for skeletons.

Anyway you can always just add in more skeletons.

[Solomoriah]

I like Smoots answer in this case.. Solo's seems to punish the entire weapon instead of just the part where its not a bludgeoning weapon. Roll the 1d8 and half the damage then add the +3 is how I would do it..

In my opinion, the magic makes a cutting weapon cut better. Cutting skeletons is less than fully effective... so I apply the penalty across the board.

[Woe]

I'd do the same as metroknight. Magic items are rare, and I bend the rules with them. Much like magic armor bends the rules for encumbrance, I'd ignore penalties for most weapons. I'd rather see a sword named "Sword of Holy Vengeance (+1)" do better than a bartender's shillelagh. I'd especially want to see a "Broadsword of the Ancient Emperors (+4)" do better than a greatclub.

And no, don't add more skeletons. Add green slime. That stuff is horrid!

[jackel]

I would half the damage then add the +3, but that is my way. Your way is what is best for you and YOUR game. Everyone does things a bit differently.

[Metroknight]

Yup Jackel. That is the great thing about OSR systems and BFRPG in particular. They let the GM setup his game to reflect his type of play easy. I know my style is not like Solo or Smoots or other peoples because it is my style.

Back to the subject at hand. Combine the two (skeletons and green slime) to have the slime growing on the skeletons. This would provide the slime will additional movability and ways to spread as they would want to find other food sources (green slime consume as they grow). That combo might not be something that was done on purpose when the skeletons were created but it could have happened when the walking bone pile moved through an area where the slime hung out at. Slimes attack sources of vibration under them (If I remember correctly) so why wouldn't it drop on some skeletons patrolling/wandering the area?

[SmootRK]

I prefer a consistent method for such things, but can make special cases when something pops up with an obvious incongruity.

Now, the skeleton's main mojo is that it takes half-damage from edged weapons... I am not going to take that away just because somebody got a magical weapon with a generic vs Undead enchant on it. A weapon specifically designed to combat skeletal foes is more likely to be a mace or hammer with a similar magical feature... which is actually (imo) more valuable because it would generally affect any undead equally in this way.

So, that is the reason for special treatment. I don't want to take away the special of the skeleton, while still trying to give a boost because of the enchant. It is more of a compromise.

[Solomoriah]

Except for Zombies...

[Dimirag]

Skeletons and some undead are the primary cause I use for why the clerics don't use edged weapons (and to fight in a non-deadly way).

By reading the skeleton and zombie description it seems that the magical bonus is always reduce except for arrows and sling where it does not suffer any penalty, so I guess halving the non-magical damage and then adding the bonus is a more streamline way.

I'm tempted to reduce the magical bonus form projectiles to +1 when hitting these monsters

[Longman]

Back to the subject at hand. Combine the two (skeletons and green slime) to have the slime growing on the skeletons. This would provide the slime will additional movability and ways to spread as they would want to find other food sources (green slime consume as they grow). That combo might not be something that was done on purpose when the skeletons were created but it could have happened when the walking bone pile moved through an area where the slime hung out at. Slimes attack sources of vibration under them (If I remember correctly) so why wouldn't it drop on some skeletons patrolling/wandering the area?

Totally. More to the point, the green slime would not affect your magic sword so you could harvest some of the slime on your sword and use it to attack other enemies. You could have the skeletons trail along behind you as you went into combat and then dip the sword into their slimy ribs when you wanted to make a slime attack.

[HalfOgre]

The player and I discussed the subject the other night and we decided to continue using my way (half damage). After all a 16 STR score the +3 enchantment equates to a minimum of 6hp of damage per blow.
Green slime tainted skeletons,Hmmmmm.