D&D 3E/3.5 Fullblades in 3.5

[rrealm]

Did the fullblade from the Arms and Equipment Guide change when it went from a 3.0 weapon to 3.5? I sort of recall something about a MW bastard sword. Can someone confirm this and provide a URL or page #. Thank's in advance.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Did the fullblade from the Arms and Equipment Guide change when it went from a 3.0 weapon to 3.5?

The Fullblade has not appeared in a WotC 3.5 book, to my knowledge.

But in 3E, it was basically described as a 2d8 weapon designed for a Large creature, that could be wielded in one hand with an EWP or in two hands as a martial weapon, and that happened to be usable by a Medium creature with an EWP in two hands.

Which describes a 3.5 Large Bastard Sword pretty much exactly.

(Unless you use the nonsensical FAQ answers about bastard swords not really being one-handed exotic weapons despite the PHB, etc, etc.)

So my advice is to scrap the separate weapon, 'Fullblade', and just use a Large Bastard Sword. It fits the 3.5 Weapon Sizing system much better that way - an 'Ogre's Greatsword' should be a Large weapon, even if it's not technically a greatsword

-Hyp.

 

[rrealm]

Thank you for the suggestion. You're a good man.

 

[rrealm]

One of my player is playing a half-giant with a "fullblade" which is now, a large bastard sword. My player says that he can use a Huge bastard sword doing 3d8 damage with no penalty since he is a half giant. Is this correct?

 

[Hypersmurf]

One of my player is playing a half-giant with a "fullblade" which is now, a large bastard sword. My player says that he can use a Huge bastard sword doing 3d8 damage with no penalty since he is a half giant. Is this correct?

The Powerful Build ability states that the half-giant can wield Large weapons without penalty.

A Huge weapon is not a Large weapon; Powerful Build as written has no effect.

-Hyp.

 

[rrealm]

Ack....

Just found out my player has taken the feat Exotic Weapon (Bastard Sword).

Is this correct?:
Since he is a half-giant with Powerful Build, he can use a large bastard sword with two hands, and only two hands, if he does NOT take the EW feat.

But with the feat, he can use a large bastard sword in one hand or a huge bastard sword in two hands, and only two hands.

damage for a 1d10 sword increase to 2d8. 2d8 moves up to 3d8?

 

[Darklone]

He can, but he suffers a -2 penalty to hit.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Since he is a half-giant with Powerful Build, he can use a large bastard sword with two hands, and only two hands, if he does NOT take the EW feat.

By the letter of Powerful Build? No. But by the apparent intention of Powerful Build, based on the sample NPC half-giant? Yes.

Basically, it looks like they didn't word Powerful Build to say what they actually meant

But with the feat, he can use a large bastard sword in one hand or a huge bastard sword in two hands, and only two hands.

Even less clear. By the letter, definitely not.

As far as the apparent intention... well, we don't have an example of a Half-Giant using a Huge weapon, so it's not clear what the designers intended.

What's written: A Half-Giant can wield Large weapons without penalty.
What seems to be intended: A Half-Giant can wield Large weapons as if he were a Large creature.
What might be intended: A Half-Giant can wield any weapon as if he were a Large creature.

In the second case, he can wield the Large bastard sword in one hand, but he has no special ability to wield Huge weapons, so he can't use the Huge bastard sword at all.

In the third case, he can wield the Huge bastard sword just as well as any other Large creature.

That's where we hit the disagreement between the PHB and the FAQ, of course, which confuses matters even more.

... is this helping?

damage for a 1d10 sword increase to 2d8. 2d8 moves up to 3d8?

Right. That's a nice simple answer. A Huge bastard sword deals 3d8 damage.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

He can, but he suffers a -2 penalty to hit.

Or a -4 penalty. Or not at all, for about three potential reasons

Powerful Build is ambiguous; Bastard swords, while clear in the PHB, are disputed in the FAQ.

Using Powerful Build with a bastard sword makes things decidedly murky.

About the only way to make things more confused would be to add Monkey Grip into the mix

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

As clear as a thri-kreen using two greatswords in TWF style with Power Attack?