Keen Mace?

[quaidbrown]

I know the DMG says that keen weapons can only be slashing or piercing. Is there an equivalent or alternative for bludgeoning weapons?

Is there something that maces can have that swords can't?

It seems like a rather arbitrary rule... because they chose the world "keen" (which means sharp) to indicate increased crit range, and it's hard for a mace to be "keen", then a mace can't have increased crit range?

I think things like this contribute to everybody using the same handful of weapons (longsword), and never choosing a flavorful weapon just for fun. I'm making a fighter/wizard that uses 2 light maces, and I noticed this particular oddity.

Any thoughts?

 

[quaidbrown]

One thing I thought of is an item I saw somewhere, Rod of Destruction, I think. It functions as a light mace and on a confirmed crit, DC 17 or be disintegrated. Something like that. Is this lack of keenity? for maces a balance issue because of items like this? I bet that there are slashers and piercers that do similar things.

 

[tzor]

I don't have the books in front of me and this may have been a 3E thing dropped in 3.5E but I believe that disruption was a bludegon only ability carried over from the legendary mace of disruption in eariler editions.

 

[quaidbrown]

Disruption

A weapon of disruption is the bane of all undead. Any undead creature struck in combat must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or be destroyed. A weapon of disruption must be a bludgeoning weapon. (If you roll this property randomly for a piercing or slashing weapon, reroll.)

Strong conjuration; CL 14th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, heal; Price +2 bonus.

 

[Beckett]

Some book, I think one of the Forgotten Realms books, has a weapon quality called Impact. Identical in every way to keen, but it works on blunt weapons. Spell Compendium also has a spell, Weapon of Impact, which is just like Keen Edge, except for blunt weapons.

It does seem rather arbitrary that Slashing/Piercing weapons have a core crit enhancer, but Bludgeoning don't, especially since Bludgeoning tend to be the subpar choice- compare Great Club with Great Sword or Great Axe.

 

[IcyCool]

Weapon of Impact. I think it was in the Forgotten Realms stuff. It was the exact same thing as Keen (price and all), except it only affected Bludgeoning weapons.

 

[SMDVogrin]

Some book, I think one of the Forgotten Realms books, has a weapon quality called Impact. Identical in every way to keen, but it works on blunt weapons. Spell Compendium also has a spell, Weapon of Impact, which is just like Keen Edge, except for blunt weapons.

Impact, Magic of Faerun, pg 140. Identical to Keen in every way, except it applies to bludgeoning, and it requires the Weapon of Impact spell rather than Keen Edge in order to create.

 

[werk]

It's symantics, and they intentionally confounded it for no reason that I can see and it's been 'corrected' in supplimental materials.

I allow them the same on all weapons, it's only fair.

 

[BlackSeed_Vash]

there is also the option of using a "ring mace" from the AEG. That is assuming the DM allows weapon enchants casts onto a ring.

 

[Araciel]

yeah i just rule that the keen/impact ability is gained from the same spell that i call Criticize...SNRK