D&D 5E (2014) 5e Bastard Sword

[Quickleaf]

When I think of a "bastard sword", the connotation is that the wielder is half-swording, that is, fighting with one hand on the grip and one hand on the blunt lower section of the blade above the cross guard. That particular grip I associate with a visceral style of fighting that involves crossguard disarms, using the sword to perform body throws and limb/weapon entanglement, making attacks with the pommel, and other close quarters maneuvers.

Thus, I'd think if you want the *feel* of half-swording with a "bastard sword" a Battlemaster fighter (or the feat granting Battlemaster manuevers) would be a good place to look. Use a longsword with those maneuvers, re-skin it as necessary and you are good to go.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

Bastard Sword: +2 longsword (cursed). While wielding the Bastard Sword in combat, the users alignment becomes NE and his charisma drops by 4 points. Furthermore, if there is an opportunity for the wielder to gain advantage by harming or betraying an ally, he must make a will save or the sword will compel him to act on the opportunity. All cursed effects persist only as long as the weapon is wielded in combat.

 

[Staffan]

Bastard Sword: +2 longsword (cursed). While wielding the Bastard Sword in combat, the users alignment becomes NE and his charisma drops by 4 points. Furthermore, if there is an opportunity for the wielder to gain advantage by harming or betraying an ally, he must make a will save or the sword will compel him to act on the opportunity. All cursed effects persist only as long as the weapon is wielded in combat.

Alternatively:

Sneaky Bastard Sword
Weapon (longsword), very rare (requires attunement)
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this weapon.
This weapon is surprisingly light for its size, and gains the finesse ability. In addition, as long as the weapon is drawn and held in hand, the wielder gains advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

 

[Henry]

Or even:

Tough Bastard Sword
Weapon (longsword), rare (requires attunement)
This weapon is made of a dull gray metal, but quite resilient. Anyone wielding this sword in combat gains proficiency with constitution saves, or all constitution saves have advantage if the wielder is already proficient with constitution saves.

Someone else can do the "ugly", "cheeky", and "old dirty" versions.

 

[S'mon]

Medieval arms & armour people call the D&D 'bastard sword' a 'long sword' - because it's longer than the average sword. With 5e, D&D has finally caught up!
5e already has a bastard sword, it is (correctly) called the 'long sword'.

What 5e D&D does not have is a traditional medieval 1-h sword or 'arming sword', what previous AD&D-based editions (but not Classic) called a 'longsword'. This would be a d8 weapon with a hilt too short to use 1-handed, possibly slightly shorter blade than the long/bastard sword, and on average slightly cheaper.

 

[Charles Wright]

The term had nothing to do with "bastard children".

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/34748/origin-of-the-term-bastard-sword

 

[spinozajack]

The term had nothing to do with "bastard children".

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/34748/origin-of-the-term-bastard-sword

Well, not quite. Epee batarde is listed in the description having given confusion to its dual nature, as the raison d'etre for its name. So it's definitely an analogy to the term bastard relating to which surname to give an illegitimate child. Meaning a sword who's a hybrid between a longsword and an arming sword has some aspects of both, but can't properly be called either. So it gets a new name, bastard!

I think it's cool.

Definitely cool how 5th edition did it. Now I wish that if I took the duelist style that it wasn't a strict downgrade in damage to drop my shield and wield it two-handed. Meaning if you try to "specialize" in longsword use, you should give up one of its best qualities, it's versatility.

 

[Kalshane]

Well, not quite. Epee batarde is listed in the description having given confusion to its dual nature, as the raison d'etre for its name. So it's definitely an analogy to the term bastard relating to which surname to give an illegitimate child. Meaning a sword who's a hybrid between a longsword and an arming sword has some aspects of both, but can't properly be called either. So it gets a new name, bastard!

I think it's cool.

Definitely cool how 5th edition did it. Now I wish that if I took the duelist style that it wasn't a strict downgrade in damage to drop my shield and wield it two-handed. Meaning if you try to "specialize" in longsword use, you should give up one of its best qualities, it's versatility.

I'm thinking on upping the two-handed damage on the versatile weapons to 1d12 to actually make it worth switching (since as you said, it actually is a worse option if you have Dueling Style currently.) Greatsword and Maul will still be left at 2d6 (since that's still better, if not by much, than 1d12) and I'm trying to decide whether to change the greataxe to 2d6 or give it a new quality called "Deadly" that maximizes the first damage die on a critical hit. (If I do the latter, I'd also give that property to the War Pick, since it's another weapon that lacks in comparison to others.)

 

[spinozajack]

I'm thinking on upping the two-handed damage on the versatile weapons to 1d12 to actually make it worth switching (since as you said, it actually is a worse option if you have Dueling Style currently.) Greatsword and Maul will still be left at 2d6 (since that's still better, if not by much, than 1d12) and I'm trying to decide whether to change the greataxe to 2d6 or give it a new quality called "Deadly" that maximizes the first damage die on a critical hit. (If I do the latter, I'd also give that property to the War Pick, since it's another weapon that lacks in comparison to others.)

Cool houserule. I think it's probably simpler to just say duelist style applies to weapons used one handed or versatile weapons used two-handed, with the same 1d8 + 2 damage, and maybe a re-roll on natural 1s as a bonus to damage for giving up your shield.

That would make longsword + duelist + two hands = greatsword average damage (7 dpr). Although that would make a battleaxe with duelist used versatile better than a greataxe. Probably better to remove the rerolls of natural 1. Or make greatswords and greataxes both do 1d12 and greataxes get something on a crit, greatswords a bonus to hit on an OA. (When using the style).

I love how easily modded 5e is, but it makes me wonder why some of these issues weren't better designed in the first place. A duelist's main downside is that one handed weapons aren't heavy, so GWM doesn't apply. If you're playing without feats, two-handed weapons are quite substandard compared to duelist or dual wielder. I guess this doesn't matter for most tables, but I believe the basic D&D rules should be the most balanced and sensible, then when you add feats you let your belt out a bit more.

I also think that greatweapon damage should be higher compared to duelist. 1d8 +2 / 2AC is a lot better than 1d12 reroll a single 1 or 2, in basic D&D. I think that's rather unfortunate. I personally wouldn't play a great weapon user in basic D&D. It's too much of a survivability downgrade for too little damage boost.

 

[Herobizkit]

Inglourious Basterd Sword

This Red Steel sword bears a diamond-speckled silver and cobalt hilt. It functions as a +2 Bane sword when used against slavers and oppressors of the wielder's home nation.

The wielder also tends to drift to Lawful Neutral and swell with moral superiority and self-aggrandizement.