Vorpal and Sharpness reborn

[Al]

kreynolds- Ah i see now. I thought that the normal crit damage was multiplied by 6 to give the vorpal damage. Mind you, even without it's pretty potent.
2d6+31+12d6 still gives a Fort save DC of 80, pretty tough by anyone's book, and the DMG fighter (dishing out 2d10+6d10+10) has still got a DC of 54, again rather nasty.
The x8 modifier seems fine- slightly tougher than a flaming and shocking burst weapon (+4 mod) or the like, although actually it doesn't even need that. I'd be happy with the coup de grace were it not for the bypassing immunity to crits.

AGGEMAM: Fine. Since it delivers a coup-de-grace, it is subject to immunity to critical hits, so it's no more powerful than the previous version. The DC is still virtually impossible to make, but then there was no save at all vs. the original.

 

[Draco Argentum]

IMC, I've been using the following for over a year now, and it's worked quite well:

Sharpness: +2, adds +1 to the crit multiplier. Thus, a x2 becomes a x3, a x4 becomes a x5, etc.

If you look at the benefits your sharpness is a +1 enhancement.

Keen = double range. A longsword does +1X damage on a crit and has a 10% crit chance. Keen makes it 20% crit chance for an effective 0.2X more damage.

Sharpness=+1 multiplier. That gives the longsword +2X damage on a crit with a 10% crit chance. This is effectively 0.2X more damage.

On average they are about the same. Some people better at this stuff have said that an increased multiplier is actually worse in some circumstances.

 

[Al]

Draco- Very true in base form, but we always have to consider the possibility of combinations.
Thus, whilst increasing the multiplier by one and doubling the threat range is equivalent to begin with, compare a) and b)

a) does not have Improved Critical
Keen Weapon: 19-20/x2 becomes 17-20/x2; 10% more (base)damage than normal weapon
Sharp Weapon: 19-20/x2 becomes 19-20/x3; 10% more (base) damage above normal weapon

b) does have Improved Critical
Keen Weapon: 17-20/x2 becomes 15-20/x2; 10% more (base) damage than normal weapon
Sharp Weapon: 17-20/x2 becomes 17-20/x3; 20% more (base) damage than normal weapon.

Of course, this also ignores Weapon Masters, stacking the two and the like: the infamous Keen Scimitar in the hands of a top-level Weapon Master with Improved Critical: 10-20/x2 becomes 10-20/x3; 55% more (base) damage than normal weapon.

On balance, +2 modifier seems the more fair.

 

[Draco Argentum]

AI- consider this

a) no improved crit.

20/x4 add keen. 19-20/x4 15% more dmage
add Sharpness 20/x5 5% more damage

b) with improved crit

19-20/x4 add keen. 18-20/x4 15% more damage
add sharpness 19-20/x5 10% more damage


So it is less than +1 for weapons with high crit multiplier but low range.

 

[Al]

Draco- This is true, but the vast majority of weapons have a x2 crit multiplier. Furthermore, when designing any house rule, one must always consider the 'worst case scenario' - usually the most powerful application of the weapon. In this case, the 'worst case scenario' is for weapon with an expanded threat range and low crit multiplier, for which the weapon is a +2. For other weapons, it may be +1 or less, but that is immaterial. One always has to bear in mind the most powerful possible application.
For example, the much maligned Harm is extremely weak if the opponent only has 10hps to begin with; is powerful if he has 100hps; and becomes clearly broken if he has 1000hps. Yet the general consensus is that Harm is too powerful. Why? Because in the worst-case scenario, it is such.

 

[Jai Kel]

Is there an errata or something about the version of Vorpal in the DMG regarding the spell requirements? I mean, what is the Death Spell?

 

[gamecat]

Death Spell was a 2e spell.