Blade of the Eldritch Knight?

[Terramotus]

Our group has a question about the Blade of the Eldritch Knight from the Adventurer's Vault 2.

It has a Property that states, "When you use a standard action to make a melee attack with this balde your melee reach increases to 5 for that attack."

The Swordmage of the group is of the opinion that this would then make all melee attacks have a reach of 5, including at-wills, encounter powers, and daily powers.

I, as the DM, think that's insane, and think that the intent was to state that when you use a standard action to make a melee basic attack. Because that's the only way that you can spend a standard action to just make a melee attack.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ryujin]

Sounds like it would work for any melee attack that requires spending a standard action. This means that it wouldn't work for opportunity attacks, interrupts, reactions, or attacks that are given as free actions, that are not performed on the character's turn.

 

[keterys]

As written, it applies to at-wills, encounters, dailies, etc that require a basic action and are of the Melee Weapon type.

As intended, they may have accidentally omitted the word "basic". Be pretty hard to know on that without errata or a designer saying something.

 

[CCamfield]

I was comparing it with the General's Weapon just last week. It seems too good.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I, as the DM, think that's insane, and think that the intent was to state that when you use a standard action to make a melee basic attack. Because that's the only way that you can spend a standard action to just make a melee attack.

It IS insane, and as the DM, you can tell him to stick AV2 in a place where he can't read it. That's your prerogative, and it's my recommended course of action.

 

[abyssaldeath]

What level is it? My guess would be Epic because this weapon is far better than the Farslayer and that one is 13th.

 

[Obryn]

What level is it? My guess would be Epic because this weapon is far better than the Farslayer and that one is 13th.

It's 15/20/etc. So, on the high end of the +3's.

And yeah, it's pretty hugely good. It's basically Farslayer that you can use your regular attacks through.

I'm still trying to let it process, though. At the end of the day, I'm not sure if it's just surprising or actually overpowered... I can certainly imagine scenarios where it would rock, but I'm wondering if it just violates my expectations instead of actually rocks on toast.

-O

 

[DracoSuave]

It's any melee attack you use that has a range of Melee weapon and that you spent a standard action to do.

It does not matter if the attack would normally be a standard action, it only matters that you actually did it.

But any attack that has a range of Melee 1 or Melee touch is not affected.

 

[Regicide]

It's very good but it's a sword, you won't be flanking, you won't have threatening reach etc. etc. and it's not really giving you the extra damage that other weapons would.

 

[Mort_Q]

It's part of a Paragon Tier item set for Swordmages (AV2, p.114).

One of the other items in the set (Dimensional Gauntlests) gives the wielder of the sword melee reach 2 and threatening reach.

I've not played a Swordmage... but a quick look shows that a large number of their powers are close bursts... I'm not sure it's broken, but it is a nice item.