Exotic Double Weapons

[Corwin]

LMAO

As well you should, my friend. As well you should.

 

[Villano]

Sheesh...Somewhere along the way my original post got hijacked and mutated.

Let's start this over:

Hey, does anyone know the name of that big a$$ japanese weapon that looks like a two-bladed katana, but isn't?

No, huh?

So, I take it then that no one would know if any stats on it were created? I could have sworn that I once saw them, but, hey, I could be mistaken.

Some people think that the weapon would be too powerful if it did 1d10/1d10 damage? Okay, I'll use the regular weapon.

Now how does that exotic weapon feat work with this blade? I see now. Thanks.

There you go.

Corwin, you seem to have misinterpreted my posts from the beginning. I was just looking for any stats on it. You took it into left field when I responded to your question about why someone would want a regular 2-bladed sword when they could have this.

The point I was making was that people do choose a light mace over a heavy one or pick one type of armor that isn't as effective as another.

And, yes, there are fighters who decide to specialize in odd weapons like dagger or shortsword simply beause they want to ("I want Skill Focus: Taxidermy!" Um, okay.).

Not if he heeded my words and simply made it a masterwork double sword and described it as having two katana blades.

Now I know you're not reading my posts. I actually said that I was going to use the regular double-bladed sword on my, oh, what was it? Aw, yes, my second post on this thread (right after the question of whether or not it was unbalancing was brought up).

The rest of the time I was just trying to explain to you the "Why choose this over that?" point.

If other people want to try to craft this weapon, they can knock themselves out. I just added the Monkey Grip suggestion in case someone did.

 

[Epametheus]

I've seen the weapon that you're talking about referred to as a Swallow. I've literally only seen the thing in Squaresoft games (specifically, Chrono Chross, Final Fantasy V (some translations call it the Twin Lance), and Final Fantasy IX), though I know the Wind Sword in Onimusha is the same style of weapon. I'm guessing that it was probably considered a horribly impractical weapon.

As a simple balance issue, a double-weapon that did damage as a katana would be flat-out superior to dual-weilding a pair of katanas (assuming that you ahve all the feats, dual-wielding katanas would give you a -4 on every attack, compared to the double weapon's -2). I guess it'd cost 800 or so gold, but a 3rd level character can usually manage that.

A perhaps more reasonable version of the Swallow would have it be a pair of masterwork Scimitar blades instead Katana blades.

 

[Corwin]

Sheesh...Somewhere along the way my original post got hijacked and mutated.

If you say so. I recall you starting out discussing how to write the weapon up, if it wasn't somewhere already.

Let's start this over:

OK.

Hey, does anyone know the name of that big a$$ japanese weapon that looks like a two-bladed katana, but isn't?

No, I don't.

So, I take it then that no one would know if any stats on it were created? I could have sworn that I once saw them, but, hey, I could be mistaken.

Come to think of it, I vaguely recall something like it in a Dragon Magazine a few years back. It was their first "Oriental Adventures" issue, not the later monk issue with the Kaiju template. I think it was the same one that had the crescent blade. I could be way off though.

Some people think that the weapon would be too powerful if it did 1d10/1d10 damage? Okay, I'll use the regular weapon.

Sounds like a good idea.

Now how does that exotic weapon feat work with this blade? I see now. Thanks.

You're welcome.

Corwin, you seem to have misinterpreted my posts from the beginning. I was just looking for any stats on it. You took it into left field when I responded to your question about why someone would want a regular 2-bladed sword when they could have this.

You seemed to be asking for help in statting it, actually. If you didn't want input in that department, I am sorry.

The point I was making was that people do choose a light mace over a heavy one or pick one type of armor that isn't as effective as another.

And I would argue that there are indeed game mechanics that come into play as a result, whether intentional or not. The light mace weilder gets to use it one handed. That is an advantage. The heavy mace guy does more damage. That is an advantage. Sure, there are flavor issues. It can even be the sole purpose for the choice. But game mechanics still surface, nonetheless.

And, yes, there are fighters who decide to specialize in odd weapons like dagger or shortsword simply beause they want to ("I want Skill Focus: Taxidermy!" Um, okay.).

And their choices will have an impact on game mechanics and how that character plays/survives. So what? I never said they couldn't or even shouldn't take such things anyway.

(And isn't this whole line of discussion further diverting from the topic of your post? - just curious )

Now I know you're not reading my posts. I actually said that I was going to use the regular double-bladed sword on my, oh, what was it? Aw, yes, my second post on this thread (right after the question of whether or not it was unbalancing was brought up).

So because I don't agree with you, I don't understand? That's presumptuous and rude.

I haven't been just responding to you. I have been discussing this with the other people in here too.

The rest of the time I was just trying to explain to you the "Why choose this over that?" point.

Which seems to be off-topic.

If other people want to try to craft this weapon, they can knock themselves out. I just added the Monkey Grip suggestion in case someone did.

And I simply responded to the fact that it wouldn't work.

 

[Villano]

Actually, the heavy mace is a medium weapon and ca be used with one hand. It also does more damage and can be used with 2 hands to increase that damage.

Uless you're small sized, there's really no reason to use the light mace. So, why do some people use it? Just because.

On the topic of weird weapon choices:

So what? I never said they couldn't or even shouldn't take such things anyway.

But you seemed to be saying that when you said:

Not fighters in plate armor.

And, finally:

So because I don't agree with you, I don't understand? That's presumptuous and rude.

No. I never said that. I said that you weren't reading my posts because you said:

Not if he heeded my words and simply made it a masterwork double sword and described it as having two katana blades.

After I said (in only my second post):

In actuality, I don't have any great problem using the standard two-bladed sword if there isn't an official one for the katana.

Obviously, I am the "he" in question. However, I had already said that I was going to be using the standard weapon anyway (unless official stats came along).

Chastising someone for not taking advice that they, themselves, had long ago already made up their own minds to use is rude.

 

[Corwin]

And yet, you continued to argue in favor of using the bastard sword as the base in a later post.

 

[Villano]

And yet, you continued to argue in favor of using the bastard sword as the base in a later post.

I assume that you're referring to:

And besides, that double bastard sword would probably be damned expensive.

I do understand concerns that a 1d10/1d10 weapon may be too powerful. But making it so expensive that you can't pick it up for several levels could help balance it out.

However, that came out of the "Why would anyone choose a regular two-bladed sword instead of this one?" discussion.

I merely offered a reason why someone would pass over it (making it so expensive that you couldn't pick it up until the damage it did would be balanced by other things...That kind of implies that it is unbalanced and shouldn't be used as the base, doesn't it?).

At no point after my second post did I say I planned on using it.

 

[Corwin]

I assume that you're referring to:

Nope. You assumed incorrectly.

I was referring to:

Well, technically, the bastard sword or katana is really a martial weapon. You just need the exotic weapon feat for one-handed use.

I've have been trying to say that you shouldn't make double-weapons out of exotic weapons because it just isn't done. That and the nested feat problem gets weird.

So to try and rationalize the katana as technically a martial weapon (a point I later refute), you show interest in continuing to make a case for using it.

You know, in the end, it's your game. Do what you like.

 

[Villano]

I've have been trying to say that you shouldn't make double-weapons out of exotic weapons because it just isn't done. That and the nested feat problem gets weird.

So to try and rationalize the katana as technically a martial weapon (a point I later refute), you show interest in continuing to make a case for using it.

Um, there's no "rationalization". It is a martial weapon. I just pointed out that the feat was to use it one-handed (at which point it becomes exotic).

I didn't argue in favor of it, just pointed it out (as part of the double exotic feat discussion).

And I agreed with you that the double exotic weapon doesn't work at low levels.

So, we weren't really arguing about anything were we?

Truce?

 

[Villano]

I've seen the weapon that you're talking about referred to as a Swallow. I've literally only seen the thing in Squaresoft games (specifically, Chrono Chross, Final Fantasy V (some translations call it the Twin Lance), and Final Fantasy IX), though I know the Wind Sword in Onimusha is the same style of weapon. I'm guessing that it was probably considered a horribly impractical weapon.

By mentioning the wind blade in Onimusha, I assume that you played it. Don't we see Nobunaga holding a similar weapon during the game? I'm too lazy, er, busy to play the whole thing again to see.

I know that a famous samurai once used one, and I think it was him.

I suppose that, if he did use it in RL, he'll probably have it in Onimusha 2.

Hopefully, he'll have a bigger part in that game (I was disappointed that, after the big build up, you don't actually get to fight him in the original).

And it does look like a pretty difficult weapon to use in battle. Probably why no one really knows about it. Most people who tried using it probably were killed.