Vorpal weapons

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: Re: Vorpal weapons

But what about that vorpal kukri? What does it do to the titan?

It pierces the Titan's eye (see Jeremy's above post) and blood pours fourth like a waterfall.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Vorpal weapons

It pierces the Titan's eye (see Jeremy's above post) and blood pours fourth like a waterfall.

This potent and feared enchantment allows the weapon to sever the heads of those it strikes. Upon a successful critical hit, the weapon severs the opponent’s head (if it has one) from its body.

If you can't reach their head, IMO you can't use a vorpal weapon to kill in one hit.

Even with a 30 ft tall titan bent over half way, his head is still 15 feet off the ground.

I would have ruled that they couldn't do it.

--Mean Spikey

 

[jester47]

I would say that if the head is out of reach and vorpal conditions apply for the attack roll, than you double critical multiplier increased by one. So a vorpal longsword would get an automatic critical of x6. That should cause some problems for our taller friends. Also note that severing the head from a monster is not always an automatic kill. Ettins and Hydras come to mind.

Aaron.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I had thought about that or kicking up the weapons crit multiplier for such creatures.

Bryan

That gives me an idea.

How much would an enhancement that raises a weapon's critical multiplier be worth?

I've nerfed Vorpal weapons in my own game because I find weapons that completely bypass the HP mechanic ridiculous. This, however, works well within the D&D combat structure, and would be a useful enchantment.

If you figured out the cost of that enhancement, you could use its cost to balance agaisnt the Vorpal enhancement, replace Vorpal, and call it good.

 

[magnas_veritas]

That gives me an idea.

How much would an enhancement that raises a weapon's critical multiplier be worth?

If you figured out the cost of that enhancement, you could use its cost to balance agaisnt the Vorpal enhancement, replace Vorpal, and call it good.

Hrm. I'm of two minds.

One says at least +3...I'd rather have that than Keen, or any of the burst enhancements. I once figured out that increasing a weapon's crit multiplier by 1 increased its average damage by more than by increasing the threat range. Ergo, worth more.

On the other hand, consider these two weapons:

+1 keen battleaxe: d8+1+Str+?/19-20 x3
+1 BigCrit longsword: d8+1+Str+?/19-20 x3

There's no effective difference. So, then again, it could be a +1.

Thoughts?

Brad

 

[SpikeyFreak]

I once figured out that increasing a weapon's crit multiplier by 1 increased its average damage by more than by increasing the threat range. Ergo, worth more.

Actually its EXACTLY the same average damage.

If you don't believe me check the link in my sig.

--Number Crunching Spikey

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Actually its EXACTLY the same average damage.

If you don't believe me check the link in my sig.

--Number Crunching Spikey

Well, I guess that's settled, then. Keen and "Vorpal" are now the two obligatory enchantments on any weapon. "Vorpal" needs its own name now, though.

Of course, the best weapons to layer this on are the Energy Burst weapons.

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Vorpal weapons

If you can't reach their head, IMO you can't use a vorpal weapon to kill in one hit.

Yeah, well, for a +5 enhancement, I can't justify why it would suck.

I would have ruled that they couldn't do it.

I might as well, but if I did, I would rule that vorpal was only a +4.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Actually its EXACTLY the same average damage.

If you don't believe me check the link in my sig.

--Number Crunching Spikey

Wrong.

It varies.

Increasing a 'crit on 19-20' weapon's multiplier by one is better (average damage increase by 10%) than increasing a 'crit of 20' weapon's multiplier (average damage increase by 5%).

You shound have it some it increases the multiplier by (original multiplier -1), so a x2 goes to x3; a x3 goes to x5; and a x4 goes to x7.

These would be fine as a +1 enhancement(effectively the same as Keen, for average damage), except that Keen or Improved Critical increases them exponentially. Make have it as +1, but putting Keen and Increased Multiplier on the same weapon costs +3 rather than +2.
They would also be a big problem with automatic critical effects, like Power Critical.

Geoff.