bring back Decapitation!

[Walking Dad]

No save or die, please. I like character development and dislike raising characters every second session.

 

[avin]

I had one very high level 3e campaign that went a bit nuts with vorpal weapons, expanded crit ranges, and fortified armor.

Ah, the memories.

I'm fine with that, it's D&D, ressurrection wasn't really a problem

 

[ExploderWizard]

Vorpal cut off the head, sharpness could cut off every limb BUT the head.

Sharpness could cut off the head but another limb was more likely to be the target based on the limb table in the weapon description.

I am behind the idea of bringing this back. The excitement generated by just the possibility of seeing something go snicker-snack!! cannot be matched by mere bonus damage no matter how much it is.

If there is nothing in the game that bypasses the slog through piles of hitpoints then I'm not interested in buying it.

 

[mmadsen]

Bring back the ol sword of sharpness and the terrifying vorpal sword. Those were a hoot to have around. Cut off a monsters head on a role of a 19 or 20. What could be better then that?

Really, you should be able to chop off a monster's head without a vorpal weapon.

If you look at 3E's vorpal enhancement, it's really a bad deal -- unless your goal is put some fear into complacent high-level characters. A 1-in-20 chance of killing on any hit is nowhere near as lethal as the plain longsword's 1d8 damage -- unless you're facing someone with lots of hit points (more than 90) or healing magic.

 

[DEFCON 1]

You don't need the game to do it for you if you want Vorpal weapons in the game. Use your creativity and imagination and just make one yourself if it means that much to you.

 

[keterys]

I'm fine with that, it's D&D, ressurrection wasn't really a problem

Not really - death was actually so common that they setup hirelings with potions of true resurrection, so when they died, they'd contingency teleport back home, get fed a potion, then they could bracelet of friends back in. Death was almost meaningless, except for the action to get a friend to help you out. I even saw people occasionally choose not to heal cause death just wasn't that big a deal.

It was also a bit hilarious having things like pit fiends put on fortified plate and get +9-13 AC along with the immunity to crits.

I'll admit, I'd forgotten some of the tragic ripples to the games that these kind of rules could do, but it's all coming back now.

 

[Guest 85555]

Bring back the ol sword of sharpness and the terrifying vorpal sword. Those were a hoot to have around. Cut off a monsters head on a role of a 19 or 20. What could be better then that? A great weapon, good as the fantastic holy avenger in the hands of a paladin. Or a trombone in the hands of a bard.

foolish_mortals

Absolutely. Love these kind of weapons.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I'm fine with the idea, as long as they're distinctly optional (along with anything else that's instant death).

 

[kitsune9]

Bring back the ol sword of sharpness and the terrifying vorpal sword. Those were a hoot to have around. Cut off a monsters head on a role of a 19 or 20. What could be better then that? A great weapon, good as the fantastic holy avenger in the hands of a paladin. Or a trombone in the hands of a bard.

foolish_mortals

Rock on!

 

[Hassassin]

A 1-in-20 chance of killing on any hit is nowhere near as lethal as the plain longsword's 1d8 damage -- unless you're facing someone with lots of hit points (more than 90) or healing magic.

... or Damage Reduction or Fast Healing or a contingency or...