Price for magic weapon/armor with magical enchantments

[GeraldStormbound]

There's something that's always been bothering me with magic weapon and armor pricing. My character is at the level where he has a lot of gold to spend on weapons and the cost for magic weapon rules aren't really well written.

Let's say I want a weapon with multiple enchantments, let's say with Flaming Frost and Shock enchantments.

Here's how my DM has laid it out and then I'll provide my own understanding of the whole thing:

DM ruled:

Price of Base Weapon
Price of Masterwork
Price of Magic Enchantment up to +3
Price of Flame Enchant (+1)
Price of Frost Enchant (+1)
Price of Shock Enchant (+1)

So Total: Base + Masterwork + 6 enchantment levels (+3 magical + the elemental ones)

He sees it as you buy 1 magic enchantment and unlock a "slot" which can be filled with another magical enchantment.

Here's how I see it:
Price of Base Weapon
Price of Masterwork
Price of Magic Enchantment +1
Price of Flame Enchant (+1)
Price of Frost Enchant (+1)
Price of Shock Enchant (+1)

So Total: Base + Masterwork +4 magical enchantment levels

Obviously, it would mean a huge price difference.


So, who is right?

Also, on a little sidenote, the magical enhancement to armor is to AC?

[Jackinthegreen]

Yours is the game's intended version.  You can have a +1 Frost, Flaming, and Shocking weapon.  You do not need to have a +1 for every enhancement on it.  There are no "slots" to deal with.  The game only requires the weapon have a +1 before doing any other magical enhancements.

The magical enhancement on armor is technically an enhancement bonus to the armor's armor bonus to AC.  Basically what that means is an enhancement bonus on armor is treated just like an armor bonus.  It would not be effective against touch attacks for example.

[Nanshork]

Jack's got it.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

If your DM is intending to nerf mundane armor, I'd love to see his caster-item nerfs...

[phaedrusxy]

Wow... magic weapons and armor above about a +2 or +3 equivalent are already overpriced, even with the correct interpretation of the rules. Your DM makes them completely and incomprehensibly useless.

[GeraldStormbound]

Thanks for the answers!

But I think it's not him nerfing the magical items on purpose, more because he didn't really understand the rules. The DM guide doesn't really have a really precise description (or none that I could find easily). Also, english not being his first language probably doesn't help .