A Five Foot Vorpal Sword vs A Ten Foot Neck

[kitsune9]

Pretty much what the others posters who are stating that it's magic is my answer. I can suspend the logic and realism when playing rpgs. It's doesn't hurt my head to try rationalize or place the situations in real-world context so I just go with the flow.

 

[Umbran]

"...One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!"

Even in the original text, there's indication that there's at least two strokes involved in taking off the Jabberwock's head. And, given D&D's abstract combat, I have no problem with that cinematic description being one attack.

 

[Sunseeker]

ANY sword can behead a foe whose neck is less wide than your blade is long. The whole point of a Vorpal sword is that it should snicker-snack though anything's neck, regardless of size because it's magical that way.

I suppose though, an adequet compromise would be to figure in "fatal wound" style damage if it didn't because at half the width of a neck, it will slice through arteries, throats, and even spines. Any of which when severed, spell imminent doom(a turn or less to survive) for the victim.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
​

Hmmm, there's actually nothing in the text to indicate that the beheading occurs at the neck. This suggests to me that a REAL vorpal sword is one that could just as easily behead a dragon by hacking at the beast's knees or tail.

Gnome: I stab the giant king in the ankle, because that's all I can reach.
Gnome:*rolls* Critical hit!
DM: The giant king's head pops off.
Gnome: Woot!

Exactly how this occurs I leave as an exercise for the reader.

 

[Umbran]

Hmmm, there's actually nothing in the text to indicate that the beheading occurs at the neck.

Actually, there's nothing in the text to say that the killing and the beheading are the same action. Given that it is a poem, we are expecting at least a little poetic license.

 

[Corathon]

Its never come up in my campaign. My own neck is about 5" in diameter, so a proportionately-sized human with a 10' neck would be 144' tall. I assume that a dragon would be somewhere in that ballpark also. My players have never squared off with Godzilla.

If it did come up, I'd rule that the head was not sliced off, but that the creature was still dead (due to cut jugular or carotid or spine). I guess that I'm a contrarian.

 

[Diamond Cross]

The D&D equivalent to Godzilla is the Terrasque.

 

[RangerWickett]

Yes! Magical weapon versus magical creature means something *mAgicaL* must happen!

That said, however, on a failed Reflex roll the PC takes 20d6 damage when the head falls on him.

I quoted your post just so I could see how many brackets of vBulletin code you had to use. Cyan, Dark Orange, Orange, Lime, Magenta, Yellow, and Plum. Plus, gasp, Comic Sans!

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I quoted your post just so I could see how many brackets of vBulletin code you had to use. Cyan, Dark Orange, Orange, Lime, Magenta, Yellow, and Plum. Plus, gasp, Comic Sans!

I couldn't have done it without the help of the Bracket Fairies.
Really, they're the ones who deserve all the credit!
.

 

[MortalPlague]

I couldn't have done it without the help of the Bracket Fairies.
Really, they're the ones who deserve all the credit!
.

Still, it takes skill to wield the fickle fairies so adeptly. Almost as much skill as to wield a vorpal sword.

Which, by the way, cuts heads off. Why deny the PC such sheer, unbridled joy as to behead their foe in spectacular fashion?