D&D (2024) What, exactly, is a 5e "scimitar"?

[Yaarel]

D&DD uses bizarro arms andarmor and infectted all fantasy since.

Any nonfirearm weapon or armor from 0BC to 1700AD is a "Standard Fantasy" weapon or armor. Legioaires vs Ninjas vs Knights vs Pirates vs Kung Fu Monks.

Heh. My first concern is "what the hell is this"?!

My second concern is what weapons are appropriate for a specific setting − whether a world setting or a local setting.



@Sepulchrave II

Yeah, for me, the phrase "Ottoman Period" is identical to the "Modern Period", in the same sense that the Renaissance Period is modern.

These smaller agile curved swords are untypical, or dont exist at all, during the Medieval Period. But once one gets into the Modern Period like a full suit of plate armor in the 1500s or a pirate ship in the 1600s, then these agile curved sword fit well enough in the setting.

The rapier (actually a very thin longsword) is similarly modern.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

@Sepulchrave II

Yeah, for me, the phrase "Ottoman Period" is identical to the "Modern Period", in the same sense that the Renaissance Period is modern.

These smaller agile curved swords are untypical, or dont exist at all, during the Medieval Period. But once one gets into the Modern Period like a full suit of plate armor in the 1500s or a pirate ship in the 1600s, then these agile curved sword fit well enough in the setting.

Fair enough, although if you're trying to find a non-anachronistic equivalent, you might be hard-pressed.

Form follows function, as they say, and there's a reason the shamshir, paramerion etc. are 3-4 feet long, as they're designed to be used with a downward slashing motion from horseback.

If you can find a function for a 2-3 foot medieval light curved slashing sword, then you'll be able to find a form. Otherwise, I'm afraid it's just a D&Dism.

 

[Horwath]

This is why I use this table.

Weapon traits&damage is 1st to be picked. It's important for game math.

then you flavor your weapon to whatever real life or fantasy can be closest to your design of character.

Weapon traits	Simple weapon damage	example	Martial weapon damage	example
1Handed, Versatile	d8(d10)	mace	d10(d12)	longsword
1Handed, Thrown	d6	javelin	d8	trident
1Handed, finesse	d6	long knife	d8	rapier
1Handed, light	d6	club	d8	arming sword
1Handed, reach, Versatile	d6 (d8)	spear	d8(d10)	partisan
1Handed, finesse, light	d4	dagger	d6	shorsword
1Handed, finesse, reach	d4	whip	d6	dagger whip
1Handed, finesse, thrown	d4	dart	d6	throwing hammer
1Handed, light, thrown	d4	pillum	d6	throwing axe
1Handed, finesse, light, thrown	d3	throwing knife	d4	chakram
2Handed, heavy	2d6	warmace	2d8	greatsword
2Handed	d12	greatclub	2d6	claymore
2Handed, heavy, reach	d12	pike	2d6	pole-ax
2Handed, reach	d10	longspear	d12	glaive
2Handed, finesse	d10	bo staff	d12	elven courtblade
2Handed, finesse, reach	d8	elven spear	d10	spiked chain

 

[Charlaquin]

It’s a curved sword that’s light enough to dual-world. Beyond that, the description is pretty much up to the player or DM.

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

They're weapons that almost never get used because they cost 25 GP and the functionally identical, except pierceing, Shortsword is only 10GP. Few L1 characters are rich enough to want to pay the extra 15 GP, and few higher level characters every bother to switch.

 

[Yaarel]

Fair enough, although if you're trying to find a non-anachronistic equivalent, you might be hard-pressed. ... Otherwise, I'm afraid it's just a D&Dism.

Heh. Now I can only imagine a "Druid" wielding a cutlass. Aarrgh, matey.



Here is a list of modern weapons and armor. For me, the 1500s onward is modern. But the 1400s can be either medieval or modern, depending on where one is.

MODERN ARMOR
Plate: 1500s, but breastplate over chain is 1300s

MODERN WEAPON
Longsword: mainly 1400s, but odd ones 1100s
Greatsword (Zweihänder): 1500s
Rapier: 1500s-1600s
Scimitar (Cutlass): 1600s-1800s, but odd ones 1500s
Pike (12-25 feet): 1400s-1500s, but ancient ones
Glaive: 1400s-1600s, but Japan naginata 1100s on

 

[Tonguez]

Its a thin curved single edge blade of persian design used by swashbucklers, and desert rogue-princes, that druids can sub for a sickle.

 

[Minigiant]

They're weapons that almost never get used because they cost 25 GP and the functionally identical, except pierceing, Shortsword is only 10GP. Few L1 characters are rich enough to want to pay the extra 15 GP, and few higher level characters every bother to switch.

5e simplified weapons too much. Even Grognards think it's too simple.

The 4e scimitar was a longsword that was High Crit instead of Versatile.
The 3e scimitar was a shortsword that crit on and 18 or better.

One D&D should bring back keen or high crit and give it to scimatar. Or bring back Scimitar Dance that deals DEX mod damage on a miss

 

[MNblockhead]

For a nonmagical weapons table to be meaningful, I prefer to have a reallife analogue in mind, better yet a historical one. But there seems to be none for the "scimitar" the 5e Weapons Table describes.



Compare the "falchion". Most falchions come from the Renaissance Period. The artwork from illuminated manuscripts can sometimes be highly stylistic thus the shapes and lengths of the blades might not exist in reallife. That said, here are some examples of weapons called "falchions" in Renaissance artwork from the latter 1400s. (The image is unsourced but is in a credible context in a forum discussion.)

Three of the six appear to be normal sabers. One looks like a stylized saber. One looks like it might be a reuse of a damaged saber. The one at the right seems realistic and its blade looks unusually broad.

Huh... To me, the 3rd and 4th ones from the left seem to be demonstrating cutting actions. Piercing in the 3rd and slashing in the fourth. The lines representing the cut.

 

[Hriston]

I do think of the seax as more of a stabbing weapon, but then again I don’t care much about historical accuracy. (But I will die on the hill of metallurgical accuracy…)

If it wasn’t obvious from my use of the word sword, I was thinking more of a long seax rather than a scramseax, which I believe would fall into the dagger category in D&D.