Putting "Vorpal" on a bow

[MerakSpielman]

My player just got his bow enchanted with the Vorpal ability.

I told him this was just fine, but it would only work if he equipped his bow with arrows that did slashing damage. Such arrows are available in the Kalamar setting, and they cost 1gp each.

So off he goes with his new vorpal bow.

So, my question is, is this just totally munchkin? Should I not have allowed it? His archer is already about as min-maxed as you can get... I wonder if he fully realizes how expensive Vorpal is...

 

[Darkness]

Well, by the RAW, vorpal is a Melee (only) Weapon Ability so slashing or not, putting it on ranged weapon is not intended. There is a ranged slashing weapon in the PHB/DMG, the throwing axe, and the DMG doesn't allow putting it on that either.

Balance-wise... It seems rather strong, as an archer can often get off more attacks, and thus has more chances for a natural 20, than a melee combatant (who has to move around more to get in position).
If that's a concern to you, you could limit it to 30' range or less, like the precision-based stuff.

 

[drnuncheon]

Clearly he's watched Princess Mononoke one too many times.

Some outs:

Vorpal is not on the ranged weapons table. Some people interpret this to mean that ranged weapons cannot be vorpal - although I for one could easily see a throwing axe or a Xena-style chakran decapitating someone, and it does not share the ki focus text of 'only melee weapons may have the ki focus ability'.

You may also want to note that vorpal, unlike the energy and bane abilities, does not have the text saying that missile weapons impart this ability to their ammunition - thus any arrows fired would not be vorpal even if the bow were.

J

 

[drnuncheon]

Well, by the RAW, vorpal is a Melee (only) Weapon Ability so slashing or not, putting it on ranged weapon is not intended. There is a ranged slashing weapon in the PHB/DMG, the throwing axe, and the DMG doesn't allow putting it on that either.

Actually, it doesn't seem to be specifically prohibited, you just won't find one randomly. At least, I can't find any text that says that the entries on the table are the only possibilities - and if you follow your reasoning a little farther, there are no uncommon magical ranged weapons because there's no table for them.

Balance-wise... It seems rather strong, as an archer can often get off more attacks, and thus has more chances for a natural 20, than a melee combatant (who has to move around more to get in position).

True, although melee weapons are more likely to have a wider threat range (19-20 for swords, 18-20 for scimitar) which very well might more than make up for that. Most archers I've seen don't get 2x or 3x the number of attacks that the melee-ers get.

EDIT: I'm remembering 3.0 rules apparently, when vorpal was activated on a critical and not only on a natural 20.

J

 

[Darkness]

Uncommon ranged weapons and weapon special abilities are apples and oranges, mate. I'm certainly willing to consider going beyond the tables, but I'm not impressed by such silliness.

melee weapons are more likely to have a wider threat range (19-20 for swords, 18-20 for scimitar) which very well might more than make up for that.

It certainly will not, given that vorpal activates on a natural 20, not on a mere crit.
(edit - Ok, I see you've seen it already.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

At least, I can't find any text that says that the entries on the table are the only possibilities...

Well, the section "Creating Magic Weapons" states "A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any of the abilities listed on Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities or Table: Ranged Weapon Special Abilities."

The implication is that special abilities come from the tables, and given that the tables are specific to Melee/Ranged, it follows that when you create a magic weapon and give it an ability from the Melee Weapon Special Ability table, it has to be a melee weapon for it to apply...!

-Hyp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, the section "Creating Magic Weapons" states "A magic weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any of the abilities listed on Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities or Table: Ranged Weapon Special Abilities."

The implication is that special abilities come from the tables, and given that the tables are specific to Melee/Ranged,

Alternatively, the implication is that if you want to give a weapon an ability that isn't listed on the tables, it doesn't need to have at least a +1 Enhancement bonus ...

Advocating devilishly,

 

[Gez]

Clearly he's watched Princess Mononoke one too many times.

I was going to say that a prerequisite to use a vorpal bow was to have been cursed by a fiendish awakened dire boar...

 

[Darkness]

I was going to say that a prerequisite to use a vorpal bow was to have been cursed by a fiendish awakened dire boar

of Legend.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I wouldn't mind. Or I'd use skewering, the "piercing vorpal"

But then again, I don't use vorpal as in the DMG. IMC, Vorpal turns crits into CdG's. This "you cut off its head, and it dies even if it had 3999 HP and was AO himself" thing was never to my liking.