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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LifebaneSoulshadow" data-source="post: 620999" data-attributes="member: 7475">I'm DMing a campaign that starts out at around 8th lvl but with the plans to eventually enter epic levels much later on.  My question is how do others handle vorpal weapons?I have issues with melee types that can crit on a 12-20 and have roughly a 40% chance to insta kill something if it can be decapitated.  To even things out you start designing encounters with critters that cant be decapitated, which I dont want to do exclusively because of a weapon.  (so that it alone wont trivialize encounters)The DMG lists it as a +4 enhancment bonus (so total cost as if it were a +5, since it must be +1 to make it vorpal).My thoughts on dealing with it so far are to have it crit on whatever the normal threat range is, if confirmed but only to be 'vorpal' if the original roll is in the weapons normal threat range.  (not to include keen, or any other feats/spells that increase threat range)  For example say a keen, vorpal longsword is being used and the player rolls a 17 on the 1st roll and backs it up.  For this normal critical damage would be dealt.  If that same player rolled a 19 on the 1st roll, and backed up the crit, the sword would dismember and instantly kill provided the target could be affected by a vorpal weapon.My problem with using this method is that for the +4 enhancement cost, I'm not too sure if it's worth it.  I also dont feel comfortable lowering the enhancement cost as I do feel vorpal weaps should be something rare and ungodly expensive.I've seen the other method where people have it deal x3 or x4 damage, but I've not in play used that yet.  (instead of it just insta killing on the crit as written)  I'd be interested to hear how that method works.</blockquote>

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