Is the Greatsword the ultimate weapon?

[Frostmarrow]

I honestly think one of the reasons that the Long Sword is the default weapon for most people is because in ages past it was the weapon that was easiest to roll up on the magical weapons chart. In 3.5 the Long Sword has a 13% range on the common melee weapons chart. The only other weapon that comes close is the Dwarven Waraxe with 11% (the Great Sword has a 10% chance.). To get a Longspear first you'd have to be lucky enough to roll the Uncommon Weapons chart and even then there is only a 3% chance to roll the Longspear. Basically if you want any chance of getting a magical version of an odd weapon you'd better pay to get it made.

Agreed. Do people roll on those charts nowadays or do you commission some wizard to make the right weapon for you? (I kind of miss rolling on those charts but we stopped doing it when we relalised that a couple of crazy rolls would offset balance).

 

[Ylis]

Personally, I like the scythe. It's powerful, good for use with Disguise (pretending to be a farmer to avoid the guards hunting for you is much easier when you own a scythe rather than a greatsword), and it has some nice flavor value (I mean, come on, the Reaper carries one!).

Other than that, I've always been a longsword fan....I just never jumped on the greatsword bandwagon....

 

[Frostmarrow]

Personally, I like the scythe. It's powerful, good for use with Disguise (pretending to be a farmer to avoid the guards hunting for you is much easier when you own a scythe rather than a greatsword), and it has some nice flavor value (I mean, come on, the Reaper carries one!).

Other than that, I've always been a longsword fan....I just never jumped on the greatsword bandwagon....

Personally I chose style over stats any day. My current character, a druid, wields a bokken (wooden katana) which has the stats of a club. It's a simple, no hassle choice -and it double as a cudgel.

 

[Hardhead]

HAW HAW!!1! I BANNED animated shields from my game!!!

Christ, but they're stupid.

So did I. Gah, I hate them.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Different weapons are optimal for different characters in different campaigns. A pretty good definition of balance if you ask me.

Greatswords are ideal at low-mid level against most creatures and at high level against noncritable creatures (scythes and Falchions are slightly better at high levels against crittable creatures)....as long as those creatures fall into the category of "generally will hit as long as they don't power attack" or "always hit but don't have power attack.

Longsword/Battle Axe/Warhammer and shield are good against the "have a good chance of hitting but gets cut down to maybe 25-30% if you're using a good shield" crowd of monster or the monsters where the +2 to +9 AC bonus from a shield takes attacks from Always hits/Always hits/Usually hits to Usually hits/sometimes hits/rarely hits. They're also better choices for characters who use dodge and expertise.

Scimitars and Heavy picks get a nod here since they probably score more average damage/round against crittable foes at very high levels.

Dwarven Waraxes and Bastard Swords get higher marks in the same are but cost a feat (except for dwarves).

Dual wielding gets good marks when using Wounding weapons, double weapons (in a "I can usually full attack" situation), when fighting against favored enemies, in a situation where you have more non-strength damage bonusses (specialization, bardsong, divine power, spikes, prayer, etc) than strength damage bonusses or when sneak attacking (though I think it's somewhat overrated there since sneak attackers often need to tumble into position and that's not compatible with TWF) and gets an honorable in the Improved Shield bash "more damage than weapon+shield and way more AC than two handed weapon" situations.

Then there are the thinking warrior's weapons. Glaives have reach and tend to get more AoOs than greatswords, boosting their effectiveness when spring attacking a single foe one on one, fighting a foe with reach (you don't need to provoke an AoO), or fighting lots of smaller foes--all of whom could provoke AoOs.

Spiked chains have most of the same advantages plus the ability to trip and the ability to stay put rather than moving back in order to threaten your foes at the cost of slightly less damage, and one feat.

Guisarms (my personal favorite) have nearly all of the advantages of a glaive but trade a half point of damage for the ability to trip--a very very useful ability in 3.5.

Halberds trade slightly less damage than a greatsword for tripping ability and the ability to set vs. charge--which may or may not be useful but certainly can fit into a lot of strategies.

Heavy Flails are like halberds but get bludgeoning damage and a disarm bonus in return for a 1.5 point reduction in damage per hit vs. a greatsword

Light flails are to longswords as heavy flails are to greatswords.

Etc. Etc.

Basically, when it comes down to it, Greatswords are the best weapon for an offensively focussed fighter who doesn't mind (or can't ever avoid) getting hit and doesn't make much use of special manuevers. All the other weapons have their place though.

 

[Endur]

Most effective is a hard call to make. The big disadvantage with the greatsword is that you need two hands to wield it unless you have the Monkey Grip feat. Needing two hands means mounted combat, shipboard combat, tight spaces, climbing may all mean you can't use the weapon.

For that reason, my high level barbarian wields a long sword. But he uses the same exact style that a great sword wielder would use, fighting with his weapon in two hands.

 

[JediSoth]

Scythes get no respect.

Oh, I respect them plenty. A paladin in a game I play has a keen, holy scythe. It has other powers too (it's an intelligent weapon), plus he's a dwarf. I've seen him do upwards of 80 points of damage in a single hit with it. FEAR the Scythe-wielding Dwarf Paladin.

JediSoth

 

[Sejs]

Actually, Thorium Weapons are from the Warcraft setting.

Warcraft, right. Heh, had a bit of a brainfart there.

Now if we can only get the two settings to cross somehow... team up the Burning Legion with the various Chaos gods...

^_^

 

[barsoomcore]

Jeez, people. Greatswords? Scythes? Spiked chains, for freak's sake?

OBVIOUSLY the ultimate weapon is the KATANA.

KATANAs can cut through six inches of plate steel! They weigh one and a half pounds cause they're made of six hundred and fifty MILLION layers of secret steel that only dead people know how to make! One hit from a KATANA and people die! Everybody dies! If you accidentally brush against a KATANA your arm will just fall right off cause they're mono-molecularly sharp and the cuts they deliver will NEVER heal cause KATANAs rock! ROCK! I know cause my brother had a KATANA and this one time, at band camp, he CUT DOWN A TREE IN ONE SHOT. A big tree, too. Like a redwood. Seriously.

Jeez. What kind of Internet discussion board IS this, anyway? Greatswords? Sheesh.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Jeez, people. Greatswords? Scythes? Spiked chains, for freak's sake?

OBVIOUSLY the ultimate weapon is the KATANA.

KATANAs can cut through six inches of plate steel! They weigh one and a half pounds cause they're made of six hundred and fifty MILLION layers of secret steel that only dead people know how to make! One hit from a KATANA and people die! Everybody dies! If you accidentally brush against a KATANA your arm will just fall right off cause they're mono-molecularly sharp and the cuts they deliver will NEVER heal cause KATANAs rock! ROCK! I know cause my brother had a KATANA and this one time, at band camp, he CUT DOWN A TREE IN ONE SHOT. A big tree, too. Like a redwood. Seriously.

Jeez. What kind of Internet discussion board IS this, anyway? Greatswords? Sheesh.

Katanas can only do those things in the hands of a ninja.

Sheesh, I thought everybody knew that.