What's the Fullblade deal? [2003 Thread]

[JoeGKushner]

In the Sword & Fist errata, "p. 72, Fullblade. Replace text with:
Fullblade: A fullblade is18 inches longer than a greatsword, and is too large for a Medium-size creature to use at all. A Large creature could use the fullblade with one hand, but would suffer the standard –4 nonproficiency penalty to its attack rolls, or with two hands as a martial weapon. A Large creature with the Exotics Weapon proficiency could use the fullblade in one hand with no penalty. A fullblade is also called an ogre’s"

In Arms & Equipment, p. 7, "A fullblade is 18 inches longer than a greatsword and is too large for a Medium-size creature to use with two hands without special training; thus, it is is an exotic weapon. (Medium-size creatures cannot use a fullblade one-handed at all.)

Opinions?

 

[eryndel]

Version specific reply to follow:

For 3.5 I'd just scrap it as an individual weapon and say a fullblade is a Bastard Sword made for large creatures with all the inherent effects that come with that. In effect, I would say that a medium sized creature couldn't use the Large Bastard Sword unless they had the EWP: Bastard sword, and then still suffer a -2 penalty. Perhaps you could allow a EWP feat that would negate that penalty. The damage would still be the same (2d8)

For 3.0, I would go with A&EG and let medium sized characters use it if they choose to use an EWP feat on it.

Just my thoughts.

Werner

 

[MerricB]

It's one of those concepts that the new Weapon Size rules handles far better than 3E did.

Really, it should be called an Ogre's bastard sword, for that is its function. Under both sets of rules, one size increase gave d10 -> 2d8 damage.

Under 3.5E terminology, the Fullblade is replaced by a Large Bastard Sword.

A Human with Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword) may use it in two hands with a -2 penalty to hit. (A normal Bastard Sword may be wielded by someone with EWP as a 1H weapon, effort increase for size change puts that up to 2H weapon, and a -2 penalty for size).

A Human without EWP (Bastard Sword) finds that it requires more effort than a 2H weapon, and so can't use it.

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

All in all, I think the 3E rules are a complete mess wrt Fullblade. I've just checked the A&EG again... eek.

Instead of saying "you can't use this without EWP", they've chosen "You can wield it two-handed, but at a -4 penalty for non-proficiency". That actually makes sense under the 3e design paradigm, though I prefer the 3.5E method of handling it.

Cheers!

 

[Hypersmurf]

They still didn't get it right in A&EG, though.

It should be a Large weapon (like an Ogre's Bastard Sword would be in 3E); instead, it's Huge, and somehow can be used by Medium creatures.

The bastard sword gives you the example of how to do it; make it a size people can use, but then restrict it, rather than making it a size people can't use, and then inexplicably saying they can.

-Hyp.

 

[Darkness]

Moved to Rules.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Full Blade Saged?

Well, my thread was closed. Does anyone know if the Sage has hit this issue?

It's one of those issues I go "Why couldn't the player's handbook have listed some weapons larger than medium size for medium sized creatures" examples instead of smaller weapons. Inappropriately Sized Weapons don't show any examples of using a weapon larger than yourself. Sure, the note, "if a weapon's designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can't wield the weapon at all.".

I'm thinking, no proficiency, can use it as a bastard sword in both hands, -2 penalty, 2d8 damage.

Now I'll have to look up the revised version of Monkey Grip and see how that effects things...

 

[Darkness]

Well, my thread was closed.

Ugh. Apparently I messed something up while moving or maybe while posting the notice about the move. (There's a 'Close this thread after you submit your message' button.) In any case, I fixed it now.
My apologies, mate.

(edit - Also, merged.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Now I'll have to look up the revised version of Monkey Grip and see how that effects things...

Basically, CW Monkey Grip lets you use a weapon one size larger without increasing its designation (for a -2 penalty).

So normally, a human treats a Large longsword as a two-handed weapon; with Monkey Grip, it's still a one-handed weapon. Normally, he can't wield a Large greatsword; with Monkey Grip it's a two-handed weapon.

If you consider a Fullblade to be a Large bastard sword in 3.5, then CW Monkey Grip would basically let you use it exactly as you would a Medium bastard sword.

As far as without Monkey Grip: the 3E FAQ was horribly confused on the subject of bastard swords. It contradicts itself in two different answers. But it does say a Small creature can use a bastard sword in two hands with the EWP. (Whether he can use it at all without EWP is part of the contradiction )

By that logic, a Medium creature with EWP could use a Large bastard sword in two hands.

-Hyp.

 

[Silvanoshei]

Making it to hard.

In the Sword & Fist errata, "p. 72, Fullblade. Replace text with:
Fullblade: A fullblade is18 inches longer than a greatsword, and is too large for a Medium-size creature to use at all. A Large creature could use the fullblade with one hand, but would suffer the standard –4 nonproficiency penalty to its attack rolls, or with two hands as a martial weapon. A Large creature with the Exotics Weapon proficiency could use the fullblade in one hand with no penalty. A fullblade is also called an ogre’s"

In Arms & Equipment, p. 7, "A fullblade is 18 inches longer than a greatsword and is too large for a Medium-size creature to use with two hands without special training; thus, it is is an exotic weapon. (Medium-size creatures cannot use a fullblade one-handed at all.)

Opinions?

I"ll start off by saying this, which should always be present in your minds when asking a question to AD&D rules, "all within DM discretion."

Now, I understand all to well people who want to play straightly strict within the rules. I myself do so. Fullblade is in 2 different books, and rules are different between the arms and equipment guide and sword and fist book. Personally, the sword and fist screwed up, and can't even errada it very well with its "monkey grip feat" relation. Fullblade is an exotic weapon, requires special training, and only usable through taking it as an exotic weapon feat.

Personally, if I was a DM, regarding small sized characters, I would make them have to take the Monkey Grip Feat to take the feat of Fullblade, b/c of their size, and then kill their character for the stupidity of the idea of a halfling with a sword 4 times their size lolz.

~Silv