Minotaur + Executioner's Axe = OMG!

[BASHMAN]

Minotaurs (and bugbears) can use weapons a size larger than themselves. An executioner's axe does d12 damage, and is high crit and brutal 2. A Minotaur using one does 2d6 damage, +12 crit, and rerolls any 1 or 2s on each d6. So the minimum damage is 6 per hit.

On a brute strike, the minimum damage is 18+STR bonus!

I do like the Brutal weapon property, btw-- that would be the best way to handle firearms IMO (or add some Armor Piercing property to weapons).

 

[blargney the second]

Yeha, I've been contemplating getting one of those for my minotaur fighter ever since I saw it in the preview article. It's just dreamy.
-blarg

 

[robotsinmyhead]

I've been diggin the idea of using a Minotaur for the oversized weapons, but this is really the first time it's really presented itself well. I'm sure there's a nice niche for a Bugbear Ranger with an oversized Greatbow somewhere too

 

[mickdlee]

Sounds like a nice little combo that I will have to add to my Horde Game. I do have one question though. I am trying to work out your damage calc. Perhaps I am reading it wrong but why do you get 2d6 + 12 on a crit. My understanding is that the crit gives 12 damage in place of the 2d6. So the minimum is 6 + STR (i.e. min 3 on each die).

Perhaps I missed a memo.

 

[Saben]

The Executioner's Axe has the High Crit property. High Crit does an extra 1[W] (per tier) in addition to "normal" critical damage.

Crits by this big-boy will do a minimum of 18 damage.

 

[mickdlee]

Ahhh there it is... I thought High-Crit was crit on 19-20... Thanks for the clarification.

 

[devoblue]

IMO this is where WOTC stuffed up.

The invented brutal, and decided that for d10 and d12 it was fairly rare, so they wanted 2s rerolled for them. They could have had a rule that says brutal rerolls 1s for d4, d6, and d8, and 1s and 2s for d10 and d12. They didn't. Instead they called it brutal 1 and brutal 2 without considering changing weapon sizes.

IMC, were I use a helper program that I've written, I've houseruled that already.

 

[cmbarona]

I've been wondering about this too, and I agree that WOTC missed this point. However, i imagine that they had their reasons for not making the Brutal property so universally applicable, perhaps because they take advantage of this mechanic elsewhere in some way (or will later), such as an item that increases the Brutal property by 1. I've been thinking of making a house rule that Brutal weapons shift by 1 if the weapon die increases or decreases. So Brutal 2 on 1d12 becomes Brutal 1 on 2d6, and vice versa. Haven't done the math on it yet, though.

 

[Horatio]

An idea how to interprete the weapon descritpion.
Large Executionier Axe damage die is 2d6. Both d6 are considered as 1 damage die. You may be throwing multiple dice, but those are considered as "one weapon die".

When you roll the damage, you score a number from 2 to 12. If the number happens to be 2, you reroll both dice. So, effectively, the damage become 3-12 (the same as previously).

Now I know this is really questionable, but it's a nice way to avoid unnecesery "superpower".

 

[Baumi]

WOTC didn't overlook it or did something wrong. No PC Class can use oversized weapons (yet) so there is no problem.

Minotaurs and all other Races from the MM are for NPC's! While it is possible (and fun) for a Player to use it, it should only be done with great care from the GM, if he allows it at all.