D&D General The rapier in D&D

[pawsplay]

Sometimes I wonder at one point it was decided that a rapier was a suitable weapon for fighting dragons.

 

[Azzy]

Sometimes I wonder at one point it was decided that a rapier was a suitable weapon for fighting dragons.

The earliest inclusion of the rapier in an official D&D/AD&D product (that I know of) is 2e's The Complete Fighter's Handbook. Someone could correct me if it appeared earlier than that.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I prefer to call it the canolier.

 

[Reynard]

Sometimes I wonder at one point it was decided that a rapier was a suitable weapon for fighting dragons.

Is the rapier really any less appropriate than a hand crossbow or a lucern hammer for fighting dragons.

 

[TheSword]

I prefer to call it the canolier.

???

I like to call it the Elven Longsword.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sometimes I wonder at one point it was decided that a rapier was a suitable weapon for fighting dragons.

It was meant to let people play as swashbucklers, scientifically proven to be the sexiest of all melee combatants.

It should probably not be present when the archetype is not otherwise supported (like by having the swashbuckler rogue subclass in the 2024 PHB).

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Sometimes I wonder at one point it was decided that a rapier was a suitable weapon for fighting dragons.

Are you thinking of an actual rapier, or of a fencing foil? I used to think that foils were rapiers.

Thinking further, even just thinking of size/scope, most weapons sized for Medium creatures, seem unsuitable to harm a Gargantuan dragon. Can a dagger even get through the subcutaneous layer of a dragon's flesh if it slipped between scales and hide? If a dragon charges through trees in a forest, those collisions are far more powerful than what most bludgeons can deliver.

 

[DEFCON 1]

As far as 5E was concerned... they wanted a Finesse weapon that could do 1d8 damage. But to make sure that level of Dexterity-based dual-wielding did not overpower the other fighting styles they made several hoops to jump through in order to get there-- made it a martial weapon, required Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style, and required the Dual-Wielder feat. Only a PC that had all three could make true use of dual-wielding two 1d8 weapons that could add DEX mod to attack and damage.

To me though... as soon as you allow for that possibility, then there's no reason to constrict the appearance of the weapon to just the "rapier". If you allow that level of mechanics, then you might as well allow for any manner of what the weapon is and what it looks like. Let a dwarf dual-wield 1d8 "hammers" using DEX. Let a pirate dual-wield 1d8 "sabres" using DEX. Etc. etc.

 

[Desdichado]

Frankly, I think that in order to fight dragons, except for exceptionally small ones, you should have some kind of fantasy ordinance, like ballistas with magical or blessed bolts or something like that, and large weighted nets to hamper its ability to fly, and otherwise a whole host of special gear. Is a rapier any less appropriate than a knightly sword or a warhammer, or even a Viking battle-ax? Most of the ordinary D&D weapons are barely suitable for killing an elephant or rhinoceros, much less a dragon.

 

[Charlaquin]

I just headcanon them to estocs