Japanes Sword Additions and Corrections

[Anubis]

3: 'What something feels like depends on too many factors to care about. We are talking about mass, plain and simple. I have no trouble holding a 45 pound barbell by the end upright, or even at a 30 degree angle.

Thank you for killing your own credibility. This right here tells the world that you haven't paid any attention and have no freaking clue what you're talking about. Why? Simple. No NORMAL person could POSSIBLY hold a 45 pound barbell upright OR at an angle for any period of time without it falling right there, unless of course you're built like Bill Goldberg or something with that much strength.

Hahaha . . . Holding a 45 pound barbell upright at an angle . . . Are you stupid or do you just not know what 45 pounds feels like? Thanks again for killing your credibility. You can leave now. Hahaha!

 

[Xeriar]

Thank you for killing your own credibility. This right here tells the world that you haven't paid any attention and have no freaking clue what you're talking about. Why? Simple. No NORMAL person could POSSIBLY hold a 45 pound barbell upright OR at an angle for any period of time without it falling right there, unless of course you're built like Bill Goldberg or something with that much strength.

Hahaha . . . Holding a 45 pound barbell upright at an angle . . . Are you stupid or do you just not know what 45 pounds feels like? Thanks again for killing your credibility. You can leave now. Hahaha!

For one, explain to me how holding a 45 pound barbell vertically in two hands is that much more difficult than holding it in the middle, unless you're a klutz.

For two, I bench 300 pounds dude. I can max out half the machines at Bally's and have a goal set to max all of them eventually

Hell, I do dumbell fly/rotations with 25 pounds in each hand. That certainly feels like hell. I'm doing far more their with 50 pounds than holding a 45 pound barbell at a mostly upright angle.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Er... that's what I said too. You might be confusing me with Shadowrun Man, who suggested the 3d4 damage.

Sorry I missed the attribution. I've changed it.

 

[Shadowrun Man]

Why dont we try and keep this thread on the topic, it kinda keeps gettin side tracked, a lot. Threads kinda get closed that way beside for other obvious reason, like the Shadowrun D20 in the D20 Modern forum. Okay now back to the real subject of this thread, Japanese swords in D&D.

Well who else has any suggestions on the damage dice of a Katana besides the 1d10 that is in the book. I am still tryin to figure out what the damage dice of the No-Doshi (no Anubis dont even bother postin a response to this one), I figure it would be like 3d6 or something like that. I am still workin out the special qualities and rules for it, but it is a exotic weapon and can only be wielded in two hands (can't use monkey palm with it either). And to correct my last response, the weapon I used to determine the dice was the Falshion not a Scimitar, my bad.

I like the folded steel blade idea, instead make the enhancement cost based on the lenghth or size of the weapons blade. Like small blades would run around an additional 200gp, medium blades would run 400-600gp or so, and larger would run some where like 800-1000gp. I think that would work out much far better then the straight 1000gp for all blades if I remember correctly. I like how it works, a lot, by adding +1 to damage , and doubling hardness of the said blade.

 

[Xeriar]

Ack! It's No-Dachi or No-Datchi, dude

No Doshi is 'my foot' or something like that.

It's basically a Falchion. No reason to make it anything different. It's important to keep weapons in line with the those from the PHB. There isn't a reason to make it an exotic weapon since there isn't really a special set of techniques for it (it's a long, curved backsword).

If you really wanted to have a folded steel enhancement, just treat it like a +1 enhancement (for heavens sakes don't double the hardness) - +1 to attacks as if masterwork, +1 enhancement and +2 to hardness.

Katanas still break.

 

[Shadowrun Man]

True, the Katana can break too, but that can be said for other swords too. So keep the Katana at 1d10 damage dice, just increase the crit to 18-20/x2 and that would be fine, and count it as having the holded steel blade enhancement, that works for me. And make the No-Datchi the Japanese version of the Falshion, that works for me, thanks Xeriar.

I actually like your version of folded steel blades better then the original one, better balanced. It reflects the increased survivability of the blade, but still makes it breakable. I'll try and get my GM to instate it into are current campaign. Thanks again Xariar.

 

[Staffan]

True, the Katana can break too, but that can be said for other swords too. So keep the Katana at 1d10 damage dice, just increase the crit to 18-20/x2 and that would be fine, and count it as having the holded steel blade enhancement, that works for me.

That would make it flat-out better than a bastard sword, which IMO is a no-no. I'd recommend 1d8 damage with threat range 18-20, and do the 1/2 hand thing the bastard sword does (martial in 2H, exotic in 1H).

If you want to represent the exceptional katanas of legend, just make them magical. There was supposed to be some mysticism inherent in making them anyway, so it does fit with the legend.

 

[AdamBank]

All I know about swords I learned from the History Channel and similar "authorities." But at least one truth rings out clear to me: weapons and armor inform one another. In other words, a particular weapon and/or attack style is designed to defeat a particular armor and/or defense style. Side X comes up with a new weapon design (or fighting technique) that eats up Side Y, so Side Y gets busy designing a defense that meets Side X's Latest Greatest Invention, and on and on.

This basic reality, however, directly conflicts with the fantasy of D&D, where the whole point of the fantasy is to have paladins fighting samurai and Caribee pirates fighting ninjas in a static world. This fanatasy, and these arguments, are central in geek culture--wolverine vs. batman, Star Destroyer vs. Enterprise, wootz longsword vs. katana, pirate vs. ninja--but they are, ultimately, unanswerable.

BTW: If 12th and 13th century European weapon and armor technologies were so hot, how did the Mongols kick so much European butt?

 

[Xeriar]

That would make it flat-out better than a bastard sword, which IMO is a no-no. I'd recommend 1d8 damage with threat range 18-20, and do the 1/2 hand thing the bastard sword does (martial in 2H, exotic in 1H).

I have to second this - or use 2d4.

Honestly, the Bastard sword is a pretty mean weapon, and, oddly, people practiced in kendo do very well with a bastard sword.

The difference, largely, is that the bastard sword was designed to crush armor and the katana to peirce flesh.

IRL, a blow from a bastard sword meeting your clavical will kill you, and if you're unarmored, will likely make it past your heart. That's about as good as a katana would seem to do...

 

[Staffan]

I have to second this - or use 2d4.

Well, 2d4 is what the falchion does, which is a solely two-handed weapon. The katana should do a bit less, and 1d8 is a wee bit less than 2d4 (on account of having a lower minimum).