The True Vorpal Weapon

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Just get a regular vorpal sword and get an item made that casts a melee version of Hunter's Mercy.

HUNTER’S MERCY
Transmutation
Level: Ranger 1
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Your eyes glow red, but you see the world as
normal except when you look at your target.
A small glowing dot reveals the creature’s
weakest point.
This transmutation makes a bow
strike true. Your first hit with a bow
(not including crossbows) in the next
round is automatically a critical hit. If
you don’t hit in the round following
the casting of this spell, the effect is
wasted.

Get with your DM and ask him if it's allowable. It will be entirely up to him.

Well, I'm the DM... Auto-critical on the first hit would be a powerful addition to the weapon. That's for sure... But, it's a thought...

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Permanent True Strike that only counts towards confirming criticials perhaps?

That's an option, but there's the minor problem of an upgraded True Strike Spell that works on Vorpal Weapons.

There is one spell that allows you to auto confirm a critical - Wish!

Somewhat true. I'd have to look, but I don't think even this would be viable for an "always on" ability.

PS - I always get a quiet chuckle at the "check with your DM" answers, as often the OP has not stated that he is a player, and not the DM himself.

Yeah... But, I'm the DM in this case. I'm just trying to avoid a game-breaking situation.

 

[Thurbane]

That's an option, but there's the minor problem of an upgraded True Strike Spell that works on Vorpal Weapons.

Why wouldn't it? All it needs is a slight tweak so that it doesn't work on the initial hit, only on critical confirmations. No reason that True Strike doesn't work on vorpal weapons.

You might achieve the same effect by having the sword grant the wielder the Power Critical feat 5 times. There are other items which grant feats, like Gloves of Missile Snaring and that Ioun Stone that gives Alertness.

Somewhat true. I'd have to look, but I don't think even this would be viable for an "always on" ability.

You could make it always on, but it would be hideously expensive.

Yeah... But, I'm the DM in this case. I'm just trying to avoid a game-breaking situation.

Yes, I worded that poorly - I knew you were the DM - I meant that as a rule some people have a stock standard reply of "check with your DM" whether they know the OP is a player or a DM anyway.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Why wouldn't it [the altered True Strike Spell]? All it needs is a slight tweak so that it doesn't work on the initial hit, only on critical confirmations. No reason that True Strike doesn't work on vorpal weapons.

You're right. I had my wires crossed. I was thinking of something else. I misunderstood what you were saying.

You might achieve the same effect by having the sword grant the wielder the Power Critical feat 5 times. There are other items which grant feats, like Gloves of Missile Snaring and that Ioun Stone that gives Alertness.

All those options are viable, too.

You could make it always on, but it would be hideously expensive.

How expensive would it be to use Wish to create an always on auto-confirming of criticals? A permanent variant True Strike (... True Critical) spell seems cheaper.

Yes, I worded that poorly - I knew you were the DM - I meant that as a rule some people have a stock standard reply of "check with your DM" whether they know the OP is a player or a DM anyway.

Thanks. You've given me some good ideas.

Thank you.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

I've finally gotten around to starting work on a True Critical Spell that might be able to be made permanent for use in the creation of a True Vorpal Weapon. I've started a thread, specifically on the spell, in the House Rules Forum:

Homebrewed Spell: True Critical​

Please, have a look and let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[Andras]

Heh, give the sword a version of wish, limited to confirming criticals, but the weilder has to sacrifice 500xp everytime it's used...

 

[billd91]

If you want to preserve the behavior of the weapon (which had different rolls to make to cut off the heads of different sorts of creatures), just use the old rules directly and forgo any other reference to the 3.5 rules. I'd also strip away any other critical hit behavior of the sword since the vorpal power certainly overshadows that. Just tell the players that the special vorpal powers take the place of the regular critical rules for that weapon.

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

I think it's a real mistake, and a injustice to your rules abiding players, to make this kind of change to the rules. The confirmation role to crit is significantly easier than rolling that natural 20 for a chance to insta-kill. In addition, as an avid 1-2-3e D&D player, I can say from experience that the 3.5 version of your friends 1e character should be tremendously more powerful than he ever was. I think you should just give it a shot. Or, just make the weapon benefit from a permanent "Bless Weapon", which does what you want. It's a 1st level Paladin spell.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Or, just make the weapon benefit from a permanent "Bless Weapon", which does what you want.

No, it doesn't:
This last effect does not apply to any weapon that already has a magical effect related to critical hits, such as a keen weapon or a vorpal sword.

-Hyp.

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

Just re-read "Bless Weapon". Since it says keen and vorpal, of course you are correct. Odd though, since vorpal's decapitation effect does come into play on a crit, it comes into play on a natural 20. But BW's description lays it out. Obviously. My bad!