Elvin thinblade: Cool racial weapon or Exploited Powergamer Ploy?

[Saeviomagy]

I love the posts from all of the elf haters. Really, I do.

Dwarves get thier special heavier axes. Gnomes get thier hooked hammers. Elves can have thier damned special heavier rapiers. Jeez.

Actually I dislike the idea of the dwarven Waraxe too (but I do like the hooked hammer and Urgrosh), but at least it has some justification for being harder to wield - it's a heavier weapon than a regular battleaxe, but not as heavy as a greataxe. Hence people can use it effectively, but it takes two hands without training.

But the elven thinblade is a weapon that is identical to a rapier in form and function, but does more damage and can't be effectively used by anyone who doesn't have the proficiency. And there is basically no explanation why. Hence my comments that it was 'elven' just 'cause, and it was better just 'cause it was elven.

 

[Wormwood]

The only 3.5 rule that I flatly refuse to play with is Weapon Familiarity.

Therefore, elven thinblades and dwarven waraxes are simply cool exotic weapons that just happen to contain a racially-themed name. But everyone still has to pay a feat to use 'em properly.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I went with cool because its not unbalanced IMO, its a long sword with a 1 step threat range increase well inline for what exotic weapons usually give.

I think its lame that its elven because its just a fripin bigger rapier. Lame, lame, lame. Hey a spiked bow, that let an archer threaten a nearby area ok, or the woodland blade a blade that somehow was built so it ignored some cover and concealment penalties gained from natural suroundings. Those at least seem elfie this doesn't in the lsightest seem elfie.

Small bitch about racial anything, the core books should have either 0 racial weapons or a equal number for each race, same with pretige classes, and this includes humans. It's retarded beyond all regonition that apparently only elves and dwarves are fancy enough to develop a prestige class that only there race can enter. Where's the halfing love in the core, why should they have to wait for some lame probably unabalnced splatbook and hope that the dm lets it in. It really is silly to pretend your balancing races when you ignore the hidden benefits.

 

[Darmanicus]

Small bitch about racial anything, the core books should have either 0 racial weapons or a equal number for each race, same with pretige classes, and this includes humans. It's retarded beyond all regonition that apparently only elves and dwarves are fancy enough to develop a prestige class that only there race can enter. Where's the halfing love in the core, why should they have to wait for some lame probably unabalnced splatbook and hope that the dm lets it in. It really is silly to pretend your balancing races when you ignore the hidden benefits.

I totally agree with ya, humans seem to lose out re race specific prestige classes and weapons.

I do however think that the thinblade is ok. I myself have a cohort dual wielding lightblades, the shortsword variant.

 

[Vaxalon]

I've never seen anyone take it.

 

[Bagpuss]

Up until it's inclusion, only 2 core races didn't have racial weapons, not including the half-races, and they were the Halfling and the Elf.

And halflings got the skiprock at the same time I believe.

 

[cleavthorn]

The thinblade, is in fact, not like a rapier. It is more a cousin of an epee.

It has a triangular shaped blade designed for piercing (whereas you can make effective slashing attacks with the blade of a rapier).

You would still use many similar tactics and maneuvers, but the blades are very different in function and form.

 

[ecliptic]

Here is what I turned the elven thinblade into.

Just made it slashing.

 

[Krieg]

Heh, and here I thought the scimitar was already statted.

 

[aurance]

The thinblade, is in fact, not like a rapier. It is more a cousin of an epee.

It has a triangular shaped blade designed for piercing (whereas you can make effective slashing attacks with the blade of a rapier).

You would still use many similar tactics and maneuvers, but the blades are very different in function and form.

"...a rapier slice against the chest is not going to cut into the pectorals or even come close to entering the ribcage. This also applies to the abdomen, collarbone, or sides. It would hurt if it managed to penetrate a doublet (jacket), but would do little else."

- John Clements, Renaissance Swordsmanship.

Rapiers are not effective cutting weapons. It's pretty obvious from the blade shape and kinetics that they are excellent thrusting weapons, but extremely poor for cutting. Aside from obvious mechanics of the blade, no period manual shows anything resembling a cutting attack with a rapier.

They also ranged upwards of 48 inches overall length or above, depending on the comfort of the user. Reach is extremely important for a thrusting sword. Which still begs the question then - what the heck is a thinblade? What does it look like? I can't picture it in any function that a proper rapier wouldn't fulfill.