Yeah, you know, it, we've all complained about it, but the Shuriken is indeed ridiculous. It's enchanted like ammunition (so a single Shuriken costs 1/50th the normal magic item cost), and of course breaks if you throw it... but why throw it? There's so many good enchantments to put on such a weapon if you're just going to hold it in your hand. Consider the fact that a +1 Shurkien with 9 points of magic item mods costs just 4kgp. This is absolutely amazing for anyone who might normally have a hand free, such as most arcane casters. In fact, the bonuses are so good it makes fighting with a single one handed weapon a decent plan.
Note that for any ability that requires actually hitting something in melee (such as Spell Storing) you'll actually need to use Crossbow Bolts, which allow melee attacks but are not as cool as Shuriken. If your DM says they'll break even when used to poke yourself in melee, make them out of Aurorum (a metal that recombines after a full round when broken). Congrats, you have magic syringes!
Note that many DMs will find this to be TO, especially when dealing with unique weapons refashioned as Shurikens. By RAW this all definitely works for non unique weapons, but it's unclear if you're allowed to put the enchantment of the Luckblade (for example) on a ranged weapon. I've included all special weapons whose effects aren't obviously thematically tied to their shape... use them at your peril, and I have noted which of these are unique weapons. Also, I'm assuming here that any effect that triggers on attacks or says "when you attack" such as Dragondoom only works if you attack with the weapon (so I'm mostly not using it except where a melee with an improvised weapon would be acceptable, such as vs friendly folks and objects).
Some of the fun mods to play with, spoilered due to huge size:
[spoiler]Agility: From OA, this enchantment gives a +6 Resistance Bonus to Reflex Saves while held... for just under 400 gp on a Shuriken. Don't mind if I do.
Balance: This OA enchantment gives the wielder of the weapon a +8 competance bonus to balance checks. Oddly, it says you get the bonus "while carrying the weapon" but that the bonus is give to "its wielder." Whatever, it's cheap enough to add this to your pretty little offhand Shuriken. Note that this is a 3.0 book, so the cost should be increased accordingly due to the 3.5 increase in skill bonus prices... but it would still be less than 200gp.
Blurring: Also from OA, this puts a permanent Blur effect on the wielder while held for just 1000gp on a Shuriken.
Blindsighted: This usually worthless +2 enchantment gives you 30' Blindsight 3/day for one minute. But here it's so cheap you might as well have a few +1 Blindsighted Shurikens just in case you think an invisible creature is about.
Consumptive: This one's tricky, as it does 1d8 negative energy damage on a hit, but only to living targets. However, if you're living and have Tomb Tainted Soul, you can just melee yourself with it over and over to heal up. Not that negative energy healers are low on options for limitless healing, but this is cheap and easy and doesn't require a caster, so there's that.
Dagger of Defiance: Unique weapon, but as a Shuriken it costs just over 100gp and gives a +3 resistance bonus on saves vs enchantments and fear.
Defending: Use Greater Magic Weapon to make the thing +5, and now you get +5 AC for this +1 Enchantment.
Dispelling: Three times per day you can use this to Dispel Magic the creature or object you tap in melee with this. Not so great for hitting hostile creatures with, but it can dispel stationary magical effects with a melee effect and thus not break. Greater Dispelling works even better... this is a great way for a Rogue to deal with pesky Arcane Locks and similar effects, and is much cheaper than a Wand of Knock.
Displacement: From OA, this enchantment gives you a permanent Displacement effect when held, for 2kgp on a Shuriken. That's right... 50% miss chance for 2kgp.
Elemental Power (all): From the DMGII, these effects are pure gold. The Elder Elemental Powers (one for each element) take a +4 bonus, and require an appropriate elemntal power (So, Elder Air Elemental Power also requires Shocking, and the basic +1, so you'd need an effective +6 weapon for the whole package). Once per day as a standard action you can summon an Elder Elemental for 17 rounds... enough to devastate any lower level encounter. You can get one such Shuriken for less than 2kgp. Get enough for every encounter of the day!
Everbright: It only costs 40gp to add this to a Shuriken. 2/day you can blind all creatures within 20 feet of you for 1 round (DC 14 Reflex) as a standard action. Okay, it's a crappy effect, but it's only 40gp!
Fiercebane: For a +2 enchantment (you need Bane+this), this could be quite handy. It glows whenever a designated foe type (pick from the bane list) comes within 60 feet, even if you can't see or detect it. There's no listed way around this, and you could have one of these for every type of creature, so you could always know when someone gets within 60 feet. Unfortunately, enemies could theoretically see the glow, but it's still quite handy. And since it doesn't matter if you're holding the weapon or not, you can just sew a bunch of fine sized fiercebane shuriken to the inside of your wrist guards, along with handy stitched in labels telling you which creature type just got too close.
Flame Tongue: A unique weapon, but MIC lets you put those enchantments on other types of weapons. As a Shuriken you can still do 4d6 fire damage as a ranged touch attack once per day for just 200gp. It's great for sneak attack types... just buy a bunch of these. Also, since it's flaming, it works like a zippo lighter (light your campfire, warm your hands, use it as a torch, light your farts, whatever).
Flying: From OA, this enchantment lets you fly for 50 minutes like the fly spell three times per day. The weapon itself pulls you up, so you might want to use an arrow for better comfort. It'll run you about 300gp.
Flying Phoenix Sword: This unique weapon from OA has a bunch of mods you don't care about, but also gives a +4 enhancement bonus to strength while "in hand." At a little over 1kgp, that's quite nice.
Forceful Skylance: This unique weapon fires a CL 5 Magic Missile effect three times per day, and as a Shuriken costs about 150gp.
Frost Brand: Another unique weapon, this one as a Shuriken protects you from 10 points of fire damage per round and can automatically extinguish fires, including stuff like Wall of Fire with a Dispel check. As a Shuriken it's just over 1kgp.
Furious: From OA, this enchantment effectively gives you Greater Rage if you had Rage and the full +8/+8/+4 version if you already had Greater Rage. You do have to wield the weapon though, so you'll need an extra hand somehow if you want to wield a two handed weapon and get this bonus. It's a +2 bonus.
Holy Avenger: MIC lets you put this as an enchantment on another type of weapon (like the Shuriken), thus allowing the party Paladin to use Greater Dispel Magic once per round with a caster level equal to his class level. It also gives SR 5+ Paladin levels to the wielder and everyone nearby... whatever. But for around 3kgp as a Shuriken, it's a steal.
Illuminating: Magic weapons usually give off light of their own, but just in case it costs just 10gp to have an Illuminating Shuriken that gives off 40 feet of light.
Illusion Bane/Theft: This +1 enchantment lets you touch a single illusion to dispel it, and the +2 synergy gives it the ability to steal and store any illusion you touch with it. Now as a standard action you can cast the illusion you just stole. Consider having the party caster fire off any leftover illusion spells with durations at the end of the day, stealing them, and using them as standard actions in the future when they might be next needed. Just get a bunch of these as illusion batteries. Note: using this trick with a Shadowcraft Mage is downright cruel.
Initiative: From OA, this enchantment gives you a +2 luck bonus on initiative... and works if you're just carrying (as opposed to wielding) the weapon. It's absolutely worth keeping a +1 Shuriken of Initiative on your belt. And it costs just 400gp to add to any Shuriken.
Intelligent Items: They get 120ft blindsense which makes them great as detectors, and can instantly warn you of danger. Plus they can operate their abilities without you, including abilities such as resurrecting you or always on detect thoughts. And there's no need to even equip them, just keep one in your pocket or sewn to your sleeve and you're good to go. Normally these are really expensive but as Shurikens you can afford a full powered one easily at level 4!
Luck Blade: It's a unique weapon, but MIC lets you build these as other base weapon types. Either build it without wishes (440gp) for the ability to reroll one roll of your choice per day and gain a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws just for possessing (not holding) the item, or get that same effect plus 3 wishes for just under 3kgp. Yes please.
Mace of the Dark Children: This unique weapon gives you a +3 profane bonus to Rebuke Undead and makes you two levels higher HD related Rebuke calculations. And it's around 150gp as a Shuriken.
Mace of Terror: Yet another unique weapon, 3/day this lets you use a 30ft cone fear effect (DC 16 will partial). Normally it sucks by the time you get it, but you can afford it much earlier when it costs less than 1kgp.
Manifester: 5 power points per day for about 450gp? And people said psionics weren't broken...
Manticore Greatsword: For about 100gp this unique weapon as a Shuriken becomes a Shuriken that shoots Shurikens. Okay, it's not that amazing, but it does let you shoot six spikes that act as 1d6 20ft range +1 enhancement bonus thrown weapons as a full round action once per day. Thematically, this thing actually works better as a Shuriken than as a Greatsword... and if you make it out of Oerthblood, it'll seriously damage an enemy's saves for one round, as the spikes are explicitly the same material as the weapon.
Morphing: This one's just stupid. It works on thrown weapons, and lets you reshape the weapon into any melee or throw weapon of the same size and type (in this case, your size, light weapon). Craft your super weapon as a Shuriken, then change it into a melee weapon you wanted (Gnomish Quickrazor, Kukri, whatever). Note that your DM will probably kill you if you try to make a +2 Feycraft Life Drinking Lifestealing Morphing Keen Abyssal Bloodiron Shuriken for under 2kgp and then turn it into a Kukri.
Parrying: This +2 bonus gives you a +1 Insight bonus to AC and a +1 Insight bonus to saving throws as long as you are holding the weapon. Nice.
Pick of Piercing: This unique weapon as a Shuriken costs around 400gp and, 3/day, automatically destroys any force object (such as Wall of Force) with a touch attack.
Power Storing: This +1 bonus lets you store a 5 point power in your weapon, delivered when you strike someone with it. Throw in a nice 5 point buff, then stab yourself with the bolt when you need it.
Rod of Celestial Might: It's a unique weapon, but this thing lets you summon an Avoral Guardinal (as Summon Monster 7) once per day if you're within 60 feet of an evil outsider. It's under 1kgp as a Shuriken, and amazingly good if you happen to be an evil outsider (go Tieflings!).
Rod of Defiance: This unique weapon reduces the Turn Resistance of all nearby undead by 4 (to a minimum of 1) as long as you're holding it. As a Shuriken it's barely over 100gp, and is obviously amazing for any Dread Necromancer, Cleric, Factotum, or similar class.
Rod of Freedom: Another unique weapon, this thing gives a +4 moral bonus against charm and compulsion . It can also break charms and compulsions on creatures, but you'd have to melee them which may be hard while charmed. As a Shuriken it's barely over 300gp.
Rogue Blade: Also unique, this weapon lets you blink for 6 rounds twice per day. As a shuriken it's about 220gp.
Silent Moves: Simply carrying a Shuriken of Silent Moves gives a +10 circumstance bonus to Move Silently... you don't have to wield it. This is from a 3.0 book though (OA), so its true base price should be +10kgp. Of course, on a Shuriken that's still 200gp, and obviously a major boon to any stealth character.
Spell Storing: Have the party Cleric cast an appropriate cure spell, or perhaps Vigor, into your bolts at the end of the day when he's got unused slots left. Now just melee yourself (or a party mate) with the bolts, which won't break it (only throwing it does so). Cheap healing, here we come. A +1 Spell Storing Shuriken is just 40gp, and is a great reusable healing battery. Of course, it uses spell slots to do this, but if you weren't going to use them anyway...
Spellstrike: It's like Defending, but it works for saves vs spells and spell like abilities. How does an untyped +5 to saves sound to you? And it's so cheap!
Spider Fang: It's unique, but this thing will cut through webs and move through webs, plus it can create a web like curtain once per day. As a Shuriken it's cheap enough to be actually useful, at around 100gp.
Targath: This material from Eberron Campaign Setting costs just 3gp for a Shuriken made of the stuff, and just gives you a straight +2 on fort saves vs disease. Why not?
Trident of Warning: Another unique weapon, this is amazing for underwater campaigns. As a Shuriken it costs just over 200gp, and automatically detects aquatic predators within 680 feet.
Vanishing: It costs 160gp to add this to a bolt. Stab yourself with it to teleport 60 feet once per day. Neat.
Warlock's Scepter: It's unique, but it's obvious for any Warlock or blasting caster. +1 profane bonus on ranged touch attacks while holding it? Heck yeah. It also can pump up your Eldritch Blast damage, up to +4d6 once per day. As Shurikens you could easily get a bunch of these... they're just 160gp.
Warning: +1 enhancement bonus for +5 Initiative? Awesome![/spoiler]
Some example combo items:
The protector: +5 Defending Spellstrike Parrying Shuriken of Warning. For 4kgp, you get +5 Initiative when it's held, and your choice of +5 AC or +5 to saves vs spells and spell like abilities. You get an additional +1 Insight to AC and +1 Insight to Saves too.
Knowledge Charms: Fine sized +1 Bane [Creature Type] Fiercebane Manifester Shuriken. Designed to be sewn on to a psionic character's sleeve, you can have one for every creature type. When they glow, there's a creature of that type within 60'. Also, you get +5 power points per day for every one of these you have (just grab one to use 5 power points off it). They're 850gp each.
Spellbreakers: Dispelling/Greater Dispelling +1 Crossbow Bolt of Illusion Bane/Theft. Just tap one of these bolts on anything with a spell effect on it... if it's an illusion you'll steal it for later use, if not you just destroy the spell. You get three uses of Dispel Magic, three of Greater Dispel Magic, and plenty of illusion specific dispelling. And it's only around 2kgp. Every Rogue should have one. Take that Arcane Lock!
Medivac Syringe: Spell Storing Vanishing Crossbow Bolt. Have the party Cleric cast an appropriate healing spell or protective buff into the bolt to charge it. Now you can stab yourself with it to get an emergency heal and a 60 foot teleport to somewhere perhaps a touch safer. If you've got Tomb Tainted Soul, use Consumptive instead and now you don't need the Cleric... and can keep stabbing yourself for more healing (but the teleport move is once per day).
Shuriken of the Duelist: A +5 Parrying Displacement Defending Shuriken of Initiative and Warning makes a great offhand item for a one handed melee character. +6 AC, +1 to all saves, and 50% miss chance, along with +7 initiative? Yeah, I'll take it. It's around 6kgp.
JaronK
