DRAGON Mag Exotic Weapons (Was: Elven Thinblade?)

[kreynolds]

A large scimitar woud deal 1d8 damage (afaik)...

Yup.

 

[Hypersmurf]

So you see.. the thinblade is exactly the same. If you wanted to, you could wield it in two hands and gain 1.5x strenth bonus, and it is only +1 damage over its non-exotic counterpart.

Problem is, it could be argued that you'd lose the benefits of Weapon Finesse while doing so.

I don't have the Dragon Magazine, but Weapon Finesse states that it can be used with a rapier "provided you can use it in one hand".

As a DM, I wouldn't allow a rapier to benefit from Finesse while being used two-handed (even though the character 'can use it one hand'). Likewise a Thinblade.

Maybe that's just me, though.

-Hyp.

 

[kreynolds]

Maybe that's just me, though.

Nope. I'm right there with ya'. I just can't think of a two-handed weapon that requires and/or can benefit from finesse.

 

[Victim]

The spiked chain can be finessed, IIRC.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Nope. I'm right there with ya'. I just can't think of a two-handed weapon that requires and/or can benefit from finesse.

It works for the Iaijutsu Master. They're speed-based, not strength-based, so it makes sense that they gain the ability to use Weapon Finesse with a Katana, which is normally not finessable. So it doesn't require finesse, but definitely benefits from it.

 

[James McMurray]

Not exactly: A large scimitar woud deal 1d8 damage (afaik) and would be a martial weapon.

Sorry, I was confusing the Falchion and the Scimitar. My upgrade was based on the assumption that a Scimitar did 2d4, rather than 1d6. Doh!

 

[James McMurray]

2.) You can wield any weapon of your size or one size larger in two hands and receive the benefit of 1.5x strength bonus. So using a bastard sword in two hands gives a +1 damage bonus over using a longsword in two hands.

So you see.. the thinblade is exactly the same. If you wanted to, you could wield it in two hands and gain 1.5x strenth bonus, and it is only +1 damage over its non-exotic counterpart.

(btw, rules are on pg 97 of PHB under one-handed and two-handed)

-The Souljourner

That's true by the rules, but I find it hard to picture somebody using a rapier or thinblade two-handed. No one in our group hasss yet to try it, and I doubt I would allow it. Of course, no one in our group uses longswords two-handed. If they want a two-handed weapon they go for one that is designed to be used that way.

Since we don't use it, I had completely forgotten the rule for using one-handed weapons in two hands.

 

[Deset Gled]

It works for the Iaijutsu Master. They're speed-based, not strength-based, so it makes sense that they gain the ability to use Weapon Finesse with a Katana, which is normally not finessable. So it doesn't require finesse, but definitely benefits from it.

True. However, I think it's worth mentioning that its a specific class ability to apply Weapon Finesse to this one specific two handed weapon. To allow a a character to do it normally with just Weapon Finesse alone seems beyond the scope of the feat. Personally, I'm not sure if I would even agree with a homebrew feat allowing this to work (though I would allow a homebrew PrC to do it with a different weapon).

 

[The Souljourner]

2 things - Using a rapier or rapier-like weapon in two hands is not all that hard to imagine. In lots of movies you see guys with rapiers put their offhand over their main hand and plunge it into their foe's stomach, or reverse the grip and plunge it down into someone... it's not the normal way you use the rapier, for sure, but it doesn't seem totally inappropriate either.

Second, as for gaining the benefits of weapon finesse while doing so.... weapon finesse says "you can choose a rapier, provided you can use it in one hand" .. doesn't say you have to be using it in one hand. However, it does mention that "since you need your second hand for balance, if you carry a shield, apply the shield's armor check penalty to your attack rolls."

I think if you really wanted to be technical, it doesn't actually say you can't use both hands... however, I think that's probably what they meant.

-The Souljourner

 

[Hypersmurf]

2 things - Using a rapier or rapier-like weapon in two hands is not all that hard to imagine. In lots of movies you see guys with rapiers put their offhand over their main hand and plunge it into their foe's stomach, or reverse the grip and plunge it down into someone... it's not the normal way you use the rapier, for sure, but it doesn't seem totally inappropriate either.

It also looks more like a Str-based than a Dex-based attack, of course

Second, as for gaining the benefits of weapon finesse while doing so.... weapon finesse says "you can choose a rapier, provided you can use it in one hand" .. doesn't say you have to be using it in one hand.

Aargh. Yeah, that's exactly why I said "it could be argued", and "as a DM, I wouldn't allow" - it doesn't say you have to be using it in one hand, only that you must be able to... but I would rule that it only works one-handed

-Hyp.