D&D 5E Excalibur! DnD!

In Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters, we also include some important magical artifacts. Here's THE magical artifact.

 

[NotAYakk]

Just say no to +4 items.

It is easy, boring, and mechanically stronger than other less boring choices. You can make crazy items that are still bounded by +3.

Also max dice? Just make it deal an extra 1d8 (1d10 if two handed). Who wants to roll fewer dice!

 

[Reynard]

Also max dice? Just make it deal an extra 1d8 (1d10 if two handed). Who wants to roll fewer dice!

Max dice actually maintains balance better. It's more damage on average of course, but it doesn't push the numbers into a weird place by way of sheer luck. Remember that the wielder of this sword is likely to be making 3 or 4 attacks per round, increasing the chances of unusual results. If the True King of Britain is a champion fighter half orc, extra dice starts to get really wonky.

 

[NotAYakk]

Max dice actually maintains balance better. It's more damage on average of course, but it doesn't push the numbers into a weird place by way of sheer luck. Remember that the wielder of this sword is likely to be making 3 or 4 attacks per round, increasing the chances of unusual results. If the True King of Britain is a champion fighter half orc, extra dice starts to get really wonky.

If your sword deals +1d8 slashing damage, that extra dice doesn't get added by the half orc feature.

It does get multiplied on a critical. But 1d8 maximized on a critical is 2d8 maximized, which is 16; 2d8 critical is 4d8 with is 18, pretty much the same.

Fixed damage is great for minor monsters, but give players (and DMs on boss monsters) dice to roll. Because rolling dice is fun.

 

[Mike Myler]

Any stats for watery tarts?

Maybe so. Maybe not.

The sword has three charges when it is found. The wielder may expend a charge to cast one of the following spells:

1. Detect Coconuts in Temperate Climate
2. Repress the Masses (or Mass Repression)
3. Defy the French

At the start of each day, Excalibur will recharge 1d4 charges until it has 3 charges again. Should the player roll more than 3, then sword will regain only enough charges until it has 3, and three is the number of charges it will have.

Thou shalt not count 2 charges, unless you are in the process of continuing to count to 3, which is the specified number. Once the sword has three charges, do not bother proceeding to 4.

5 is completely out of the question, as it is much higher than 3, being the holiest of numbers...

It's very much the Holy Grail of magic swords.

Well now you're just being silly. I mean really.

Is speaking the command word a free action? Guess so, but doesn't specify.

I think you should run your manuscript through and catch all such unclarities

You know I don't think it is a free action because there are no free actions in 5e, there are just actions you can take on your turn that are obliquely referenced and don't factor into the simplified action economy of action, move, bonus, and reaction. I don't know for sure though! You should ask the people that wrote that line of rules for the Sword of Sharpness in the 5E Systems Reference Document.

Seriously though the manuscript has been getting improved and edited from the scratch documents I save my column work on.

If your sword deals +1d8 slashing damage, that extra dice doesn't get added by the half orc feature.

It does get multiplied on a critical. But 1d8 maximized on a critical is 2d8 maximized, which is 16; 2d8 critical is 4d8 with is 18, pretty much the same.

Fixed damage is great for minor monsters, but give players (and DMs on boss monsters) dice to roll. Because rolling dice is fun.

In my experience watching idly as someone rolls pointlessly to see how long it takes to hack through a doorway using their sword is not the most satisfying thing in a session. That feature only works against objects for this reason.

 

[Mercurius]

"Kay! DId you free Excalibur from the stone?"

(pause)

"Yes!" (rethinks). "No, Arthur did."

 

[Mercurius]

Just say no to +4 items.

It is easy, boring, and mechanically stronger than other less boring choices. You can make crazy items that are still bounded by +3.

I think it makes sense for truly legendary items - like Excalibur. I'd even consider doing +5 for god-like items, like Mjolnir.

I mean, why not? This is fantasy.

 

[Morrus]

I think it makes sense for truly legendary items - like Excalibur. I'd even consider doing +5 for god-like items, like Mjolnir.

I mean, why not? This is fantasy.

Oh, we have Mjolnir!

 

[Aaron L]

Looks great to me! Nice to see the Sword of Sharpness ability included as a wink to both Monty Python (of course) and the movie Excalibur (lot of chopping limbs off, did the idea of Excalibur doing that originate with those two movies?) and also the original Deities & Demigods version of Excalibur, which I imagine itself was a reference to Holy Grail since that movie has seemed to have been a ubiquitous favorite of D&D players for as long as I can remember. Also nice to see the inclusion of Excalibur's scabbard that prevents wounds from bleeding, which a lot of people either forget or aren't aware of.

 

[NotAYakk]

I think it makes sense for truly legendary items - like Excalibur. I'd even consider doing +5 for god-like items, like Mjolnir.

I mean, why not? This is fantasy.

You can make it legendary without that.

A +3 to hit weapon that deals +2d8 slashing is ridiculously awesome, but doesn't break the +3 accuracy cap.

Vs AC 30 at level 20 with 29 str and +6 prof (+15 to hit, +13+2(duelist) to damage), a longsword +4 does 1d8+19 damage per hit (23.5), +1d8(4.5) from crit, hits 30% crits 5% for 7.3 damage per swing.

A +3 to hit +2d8 damage sword is +14 to hit, 3d8+15 (28.5) damage per swing, +3d8 (13.5) on crit. Hits 25% crits 5% for 7.8 damage per swing.

Replacing +1 to hit +4 to damage with +2d8 slashing on a long sword barely moved the DPR (0.5 per swing).

In some situations the damage will be better, in others the accuracy. But by accepting the rule that +3 is as high as it goes, you don't break a core assumption of 5e. Why do so needlessly? There are so many more fun ways to make a legendary weapon awesome.

 

[Mercurius]

You can make it legendary without that.

A +3 to hit weapon that deals +2d8 slashing is ridiculously awesome, but doesn't break the +3 accuracy cap.

Vs AC 30 at level 20 with 29 str and +6 prof (+15 to hit, +13+2(duelist) to damage), a longsword +4 does 1d8+19 damage per hit (23.5), +1d8(4.5) from crit, hits 30% crits 5% for 7.3 damage per swing.

A +3 to hit +2d8 damage sword is +14 to hit, 3d8+15 (28.5) damage per swing, +3d8 (13.5) on crit. Hits 25% crits 5% for 7.8 damage per swing.

Replacing +1 to hit +4 to damage with +2d8 slashing on a long sword barely moved the DPR (0.5 per swing).

In some situations the damage will be better, in others the accuracy. But by accepting the rule that +3 is as high as it goes, you don't break a core assumption of 5e. Why do so needlessly? There are so many more fun ways to make a legendary weapon awesome.

Yes, but I think they include some of that other stuff.

I just like the idea that a +4 makes an item extra special - even if only symbolically. Obviously +3 is special, but we're talking about Excalibur...

(If I remember correctly, Excalibur was a +5 Sword of Sharpness in the original Deities & Demigods)