Razorbow weapon for 4th ed

[Silverblade The Ench]

Silverblades 4th ed Razorbow:

A "razorbow" is crossbow weapon that fires a 4 or more inch-wide serrated blade, like a big shuriken. The blades have a hole in the centre, which fits over a pin on the weapon itself.
The pin is set into the stock facing up, and the string is attached to it, driving the pin, and thus the blade, forward on firing.

These weapons have shorter range than normal crossbows, but the size of the projectile increases hit probability and does terrible damage.
They are more tricky to learn how to use than a normal crossbow, however, and more expensive.

Razorbow superior ranged weapon, 2handed
prof +3, damage 1d12, range 10/20 price 75 gp; weight 5lbs; group crossbow; properties, high crit, load minor

Hand Razorbow superior ranged weapon, one handed
prof +3, damage 2d4, range 5/10 price 75 gp; weight 2lbs; group crossbow; properties, high crit, load minor

it costs 1gp for 10 blades for either weapon.

Opinions?

 

[generalhenry]

why would a archery ranger ever not pick up proficiency in it?

 

[Deodanth]

Yep, the only restriction on this weapon is the load minor property. Which still allows Twin Strike and other dual attack powers, but might keep you from using it with the occasional ranger area attack, like Spray of Arrows. Depending on how you interpret load time with those powers.

Please note that no other ranged or thrown weapon has the high crit property. That should tell you something. If you want to invent a high crit ranged weapon, its damage should be at most 1d6 or 1d8.

 

[generalhenry]

even if it was just +3 1d10 10/20 every archer would pick it up for the + to hit.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

It is a "superior" weapon, all of which have pretty good bonuses over the norms
you do have to spend a feat to use 'em with the prof bonus.

the damage to me, is more important than the +3 to hit, but the +3 is common to all Superior weapons in the PHB.
4 inch high speed buzzsaw blade = nasty damage.

the longbow does 1d10 damage load free as a Military 2 hand ranged
The razorbow must therefor be better as a Superior weapon.

Crossbow is 1d8, but it's a Simple weapon.
Crossbow and Razorbow both are Load Minor, bows are Load Free.

Razorbows are also shorter range, and 4th ed does have larger combat areas/ranges than 3rd usually has.


Hm?

 

[generalhenry]

How about

Razorbow superior ranged weapon, 2handed
prof +1, damage 1d12, range 10/20 price 75 gp; weight 5lbs; group crossbow; properties, high crit, load minor

The magic balance point is to make so some people will take the feat, but not everyone.

Note that the cost of the weapon is trivial by level 3


Take note that the bastard sword only does one point more than the long sword and the rapier only does one point more than the short sword.

 

[Malachor]

So, why does the razorbow have to be better than a longbow? Shouldn't it be better than a crossbow?
here's my suggestion:
Superior Ranged weapon
Razorbow +3 prof 1d10 damage 10/20 range 50 gp 6 lbs crossbow load minor

Compare the bastard sword to longsword, the only differences are the bastard sword does 1d10 instead of 1d8, and costs 30 gp as opposed to 15 gp, everything else is the same. Oh, it weighs 2 lb more as well. Both are +3 prof, heavy blade, and versatile.
So, there doesn't have to be a big change to become superior.

 

[generalhenry]

Razorbow +3 prof 1d10 damage 10/20 range 50 gp 6 lbs crossbow load minor

is still too much. Crossbows have the advantage of allowing rogue abilities.
Compared to the heavy crossbow that's +1 hit and +1 damage, more than any other superior weapon.

 

[Deodanth]

Compared to the heavy crossbow that's +1 hit and +1 damage, more than any other superior weapon.

Where would one find the stats for the heavy crossbow?

 

[generalhenry]

that's just me still being in a 3E mind set. +1 hit +1 damage compared to a crossbow.