[Math] Is the Great Scimitar balanced?

[Mike Sullivan]

It's probably slightly overpowered, but not enough to worry about.

My thinking:

Falchion is 2d4, same crit thresh. That means that the difference between a Falchion and this sword is 2 points of damage, pre-Criticals.

So it's effectively spending one feat to give you +2 to damage.

So that's the same as Weapon Specialization.

But WS is a feat that requires 4th level in a particular class, while Exotic Weapon Prof is much easier to get. So XWP in this weapon is too good.

But, honestly, I doubt it's enough to matter in your game.

(PS: The after-crits expected damage of this weapon is:

7 * 1.15 = 8.05 w/o keen or imp. crit
7 * 1.30 = 9.1 w/ keen or imp. crit
7 * 1.45 = 10.15 w/ both keen and imp. crit (3.0 rules only!)

The falchion is:

5 * 1.15 = 5.75 w/o keen or imp. crit
5 * 1.3 = 6.5 w/ keen or imp. crit
5 * 1.45 = 7.25 w/ both keen and imp. crit (3.0 rules only!)

The greatsword is:

7 * 1.10 = 7.7 w/o keen or imp. crit
7 * 1.20 = 8.4 w/ keen or imp. crit
7 * 1.30 = 9.1 w/ both keen and imp. crit (3.0 rules only!)

If you really want the math. Note that the falchion and the scimitar give a more favorable rate on other damage bonuses (like str and enhancement) than the greatsword).

 

[Destil]

Just a quick aside: the falchion is a great scimitar. They just gave it the wrong name. But what your player has proposed is fine an exotic weapon.

 

[Hardhead]

Thanks. By the way, could you explain this math to me? Specifically, how do you get the chance to crit part?

 

[Hardhead]

I think what I'm going to do is change it's die type to 1d12. I like that suggestion, since Power Attack will magnify it's damage lead over the Greatsword even more.

 

[Mike Sullivan]

Thanks. By the way, could you explain this math to me? Specifically, how do you get the chance to crit part?

The percentage of hits which are critical hits is always equal to the (effective) crit range of the weapon, divided by 20. So, if you have a weapon which threatens crits only on a 20, 5% of its hits will be critical hits. One that threatens on a 19-20, 10%, 18-20, 15%, etc.

Note that that's effective threshhold. If your threshhold is 12-20, and you hit on a 16+, then for that hit, your effective threshhold is 16-20 (25%), not 12-20 (45%).

Basically, the reason for that is that to determine whether or not you make a critical hit, you roll two dice. If one is a hit, and the other is in the critical threshold, then you've done a critical hit. Thus, it follows that your odds of making a critical hit with each attack are (your odds of rolling a hit on a d20) * (your odds of rolling into your critical threshold on a d20). Since all of your critical hits are also normal hits, and your odds of hitting at all = (your odds of rolling a hit on a d20), then it follows that (your odds of rolling into your critical threshold on a d20) is the percentage of your hits which are critical hits.

 

[Camarath]

This weapon would be mechanically identical a Heavy Falchion. Heavy weapon are descirbed in Magic of Faerun in the special materials section.

 

[Dr. Talos]

2. It's mathematically equivalent to the Mercurial Greatsword (S&F) 2d6 20/x4 and 2d6 18-20 are equivalent. The mercurial greatsword got a lot of complaints on the grounds that it's a silly concept but very few on the grounds that it's unbalanced.

It is not a silly concept once you realize the source for a mercurial greatsword and read the theory behind its operation. It comes from Gene Wolfe's tetraology Book of the New Sun. The mercury provides balance to the sword as it is raised and momentum to the blow as it is lowered executioner style.

 

[Geoff Watson]

It's fine, might even be a bit weak. +1 to Crit range is hardy worth a feat (compared with Greatsword), though since it is cumulative with Improved Crit that should be OK. It's good compared with a Falchion, but not overpowered.

It's from Sword and Fist, BTW.

Geoff.

 

[Hardhead]

This weapon would be mechanically identical a Heavy Falchion. Heavy weapon are descirbed in Magic of Faerun in the special materials section.

Heavy Weapons also cost a *lot* more than regular ones.

 

[Camarath]

Heavy Weapons also cost a *lot* more than regular ones.

Just pointing out that it is mechanically the same as a (exotic) weapon that there are already provisions for, so it would seem to me the be resonable.