Shadow Sheath - Finally Solving Thrown Weapon Action Economy Issues

The Shadow Sheath is my new favourite weapon ikon. NOT because it adds a bunch of damage to thrown weapons (thats nice and all), but because it solves the most annoying action economy issue with thrown weapons! Here is the ikon paraphrased:

Applies to: one-handed thrown weapon of light Bulk or less

You can spend 1 minute to load a weapon meeting the shadow sheath’s weapon usage requirements into the sheath, which is hidden somewhere on your person. As long as the shadow sheath is on your person, you can Interact to draw an exact copy of the weapon ... These copies retain the runes and abilities of the hidden weapon... A copy disappears shortly after leaving your hand (or being used for a thrown Strike).

Immanence: You can Interact to draw a weapon from the shadow sheath as a free action. Your Strikes with a weapon produced from the shadow sheath deal 2 additional spirit damage per weapon damage die (3/weapon dmg dice if off-guard).

Transcendence: If you miss, you can draw and strike again at the previous MAP (and they're off-guard to this attack) then draw as a free action a new version of the weapon.

This is what the thrower's bandoleer should have always been! You can just 'draw' your weapon as a free action any time all the time so you can just always start a multi action activity/special single action, draw for off turn reactions without spending an action, etc. This opens up so many feats otherwise forbidden to other thrown builds (or that are otherwise too action taxing to use effectively) that don't function with quick draw type feats (shurikens need not apply here). Things like:

  • Exacting Strike - Fighter - Level 1 - press action that if you fail your strike you don't increase your MAP so a third strike could provide a much better chance at hitting.
  • Rebounding Toss - Fighter - Level 2 - throw and have it bounce off an enemy into another enemy.
  • Nimble Reprisal - Champion - Level 1 (strike at range with your champion reaction.
  • Scout's Charge - Scout Archetype - Level 4 - 2 actions to stride + feint + strike (though the feint doesn't technically work at ranged -> you'd need some other things for that).
  • Skirmish Strike - Ranger/Rogue - Level 6 - step/strike or strike/step
  • Megaton Strike - Inventor - Level 6 - Basically a ranged power attack with an unstable boosting option.
  • Penetrating Projectile - Barbarian - L16 - Basically throw your weapon in a 30ft line and deal damage AOE style to anyone in the path
  • Instructive Strike - Thaumaturge - L4 - Strike and get a free recall knowledge with +2 if you hit.
  • Many many more!

I know there will be quibbling about the +2/+3 per weapon damage dice, but that is not the best part about this thing! Its finally the removal of returning runes or thrower's bandoleers or all the awful quick draw feats!

The class further enables this ikon through some key low level feats:

  • L1 - Twin Stars -> Lets you split a weapon ikon in two. Now you can have one weapon in your sheath and 1 out for constant switch hitting! It gains the twin trait as well! Great for starknife users or Tamchal Chackrams.
  • L2 - Hurl at the Horizon -> +10ft to a thrown weapon OR make any 1H melee weapon into a 15ft thrown weapon (Maybe we make our own twin aldori dueling sword, MC into rogue for strong arm to make it 25ft!). Or just get your 1D8 chakram out to 30ft (or a 70ft boomerang).
  • There is even another L10 feat that can give up to two weapon ikons the returning rune (but why bother!).

This ikon even combo's well with a variety of other passive off turn ikons like:

  • Gaze sharp as steel (+2 AC against ranged attacks until you can put the spark back into your weapon, but the transcendence is 1 action and gives your next ranged attack a +1d6 to 3d6 damage).
  • Mirrored Aegis (+1 AC and a 1 action transcendence to give +1 to AC/reflex/various force/void/spirit/vitality effects for 1 minute)

These let you 'turtle up between turns', spend the action to transcend and shift your spark back to the shadow sheath and keep on throwing.

Its obviously great for multi-classing as well because you can use those various feats above. John Xena Warrior Prince(ss) can throw his 'rebounding toss' chakram and have it bounce off enemies without a higher level feat/stance (woo keep point blank shot baby!). We can remake Vax from Vox Machina convincingly now (I know don't talk about critical role!). Maybe Rongar's prowess at throwing knives is a little more divinely inspired than you remember (man that show was bad!). Finally I can rebuild an urban barbarian that is DEX heavy and switch hits with chakrams/other weird finesse weapons. You can be a creepy assassin that throws shadow weapons that 'leave no trace' (i.e., assassinate and run away!).

Anyways, thank you to the Paizo author that made the drawing of the weapon a free action interact so we aren't stuck trying to make all these lovely press/activity feats work by begging a GM (or just you know... being sad in PFS).

EDIT: Bombs are thrown items of like bulk (Infinite Bombs of one type?) Probably RAI and RAW it won't work (although it isn't explicitly called out via the wording, probably being consumable would be 'an activation'.