Best Weapons

[Garryl]

1/400 chance is not good odds.

Excellent odds if you get more than 400 attacks and have a program on hand that can run massive amounts of dice rolls.

Well, it's good odds, in any case. 400 attacks still has a ~37% chance of not getting that 1/400 event, though.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Goes up to 60% if you coat them in drow poison.

[Sinfire Titan]

1/400 chance is not good odds.

Excellent odds if you get more than 400 attacks and have a program on hand that can run massive amounts of dice rolls.

If you can't kill something with less than 20 attacks, you really should not be playing DnD. Especially if you have 400 attacks.


And I still wouldn't like something that only has a 1 in 400 chance of working at all. I'd spend my resources on something more practical.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

And I still wouldn't like something that only has a 1 in 400 chance of working at all. I'd spend my resources on something more practical.

On the other hand, if your build is shooting off like eighty attacks/round anyway, might as well add on a low-probablity instawin to every attack.

[Amechra]

And I still wouldn't like something that only has a 1 in 400 chance of working at all. I'd spend my resources on something more practical.

On the other hand, if your build is shooting off like eighty attacks/round anyway, might as well add on a low-probablity instawin to every attack.

You can get that down to 3/5s easily:
(Psionic Race) Full BAB x/Disciple of Dispater y/whatever z
Take Instinctive Consummator (Complete Psionic), and just attack normally. If you threaten a critical, just expend your Psionic focus to auto-critical. Hell, if your an Elan, you can do so by spending 3 pp, if you have the right feat.

[Barbarossa]

Yes, most characters shouldn't need to (or be able to) use that many attacks. It's a decent enough plan when you have a low-probability instant death effect, though.

Of all the mundane weapons, the Kusari-Gama, Hand Crossbow, and Lance are favorites of mine for dual-wielding, ranged attacks, and melee combat respectively.

[Littha]

And I still wouldn't like something that only has a 1 in 400 chance of working at all. I'd spend my resources on something more practical.

On the other hand, if your build is shooting off like eighty attacks/round anyway, might as well add on a low-probablity instawin to every attack.

You can get that down to 3/5s easily:
(Psionic Race) Full BAB x/Disciple of Dispater y/whatever z
Take Instinctive Consummator (Complete Psionic), and just attack normally. If you threaten a critical, just expend your Psionic focus to auto-critical. Hell, if your an Elan, you can do so by spending 3 pp, if you have the right feat.

I think at 80 attacks a round vorpal becomes actually useful...

[Prime32]

I think at 80 attacks a round vorpal becomes actually useful...

Now is there any way to apply the vorpal quality to a Possible Sword as statted in Dragon?
(From the novels of China Mieville, phantom versions of every possible swing you could have made occur simultaneously. In game terms you make 20 attacks with every swing, with attack roll results of 1-20)

[Amechra]

If we're using Vorpal, chance that an instinctive Consummater-using character would have a 1/20 chance of it firing off, PER ATTACK.

At about 80 attacks. You have a higher probability to have killed the thing through Vorpal than not.

[veekie]

I find vorpal works....if you have 6 arms and using A Thousand Cuts/Time Stands Still.

[Sinfire Titan]

I find vorpal works....if you have 6 arms and using A Thousand Cuts/Time Stands Still.

I'd rather use Stormguard Warrior with the latter.

[rypta]

Dragonsplits are fun.  1d6 damage, 19-20/x4 and count as light weapons for TWF and weapon finesse.  MMIV pg. 151.

They also look badass... (pg. 149 for a picture)

[Sinfire Titan]

Dragonsplits are fun.  1d6 damage, 19-20/x4 and count as light weapons for TWF and weapon finesse.  MMIV pg. 151.

They also look badass... (pg. 149 for a picture)

I believe you are reading that wrong: One end is 19-20, x2, and the other is just 20, x4. Check the errata and the other entries where the dragonsplits appear.

Not that I'm against that interpretation, it just seems... off.

[veekie]

I find vorpal works....if you have 6 arms and using A Thousand Cuts/Time Stands Still.

I'd rather use Stormguard Warrior with the latter.

Yeah but theres something to say for snicker-snacking your way to success.

Optimal it is not but an epic monk/warblade/dervish going A Thousand Time Stands Still Cuts with Vorpal Unarmed Strike, Improved Crit(stacking with keen unarmed strike), Snap Kick, TWF, Speed on two hands, Flurry and Roundabout Kick can be fairly amusing.

EDIT: or at least the first time you do that with UMD'ed Body out of Body scrolls.

[rypta]

Dragonsplits are fun.  1d6 damage, 19-20/x4 and count as light weapons for TWF and weapon finesse.  MMIV pg. 151.

They also look badass... (pg. 149 for a picture)

I believe you are reading that wrong: One end is 19-20, x2, and the other is just 20, x4. Check the errata and the other entries where the dragonsplits appear.

Not that I'm against that interpretation, it just seems... off.

Ah yes.  You are correct.

[BruceLeeroy]

Wow, with all that haranguing over monkey grip, I'm surprised no one mentioned the heavy weapon proficiency from magic of faerun. increases the damage category of a weapon by one effective size, requires an EWP. Hey look, a larger weapon with no fail included (so long as you get the EWP for free)!

Large Heavy Jovar 4d6 18-20(x2)

I'm of the opinion that Large versions of weapons can be had using an EWP. See the fullblade from Arms and Equipment guide. So, with Exoticist fighter, some strongarm bracers and a potion of enlarge tattoo of expansion, you get a Colossal heavy jovar, 10d6 18-20(x2), I think. Might only be 8d6, but I thought it started jumping by increments of 2 after you hit 4d6.

[Garryl]

Size categories improve overall weapon damage by roughly 50% and 33%, alternating, so that it doubles every two size categories. At least, that's a possible extrapolation from the weapon tables in the SRD, but technically there's no formula, it just uses the tabular progression and stops when the table runs out. It's also consistent with other similar formulas elsewhere in the rules (double the creatures -> +2 CR; double carrying capacity -> +5 Strength). I think that's the formula everyone uses when calculating king of smack-type builds, too.
4d6 -> 6d6 -> 8d6 -> 12d6 -> 16d6

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Isn't there a 3.0 formula that extends further?

[Amechra]

The best throwing weapon in existence is a Chaos Monk with Battle Jumper and Pounce. Additionally, it should have the Whirling Frenzy rage variant somehow, and be enchanted with Speed.

Why? Because each time you throw him, he gets a full attack, which should be between 6 and 11 attacks, and you are throwing him probably around 4 times, plus...

[Prime32]

The best throwing weapon in existence is a Chaos Monk with Battle Jumper and Pounce. Additionally, it should have the Whirling Frenzy rage variant somehow, and be enchanted with Speed.

Why? Because each time you throw him, he gets a full attack, which should be between 6 and 11 attacks, and you are throwing him probably around 4 times, plus...

With bloodstorm blade...

I had an old druid build lying around which gatling-threw a fleshraker with that feat. Plus venomfire.