"Eastern" Weapons

[Teutonic Knight]

Specifically Chinese and Japanese. Preferably those not found in Oriental Adventures.

Does any one have a list of such weapons, or where I can find it, or if not, does anyone have a homebrewed list of these weapons.

For example, all the different Chinese/Japanese spears and possibly their 3.5 equivalents.

[SparkMandriller]

Katanas are simply the best sword that the world has ever seen, and thus, require better stats in the d20 system. Here is the stat block I propose for Katanas:

(One-Handed Exotic Weapon)

1d12 Damage
19-20 x4 Crit
+2 to hit and damage
Counts as Masterwork

(Two-Handed Exotic Weapon)

2d10 Damage
17-20 x4 Crit
+5 to hit and damage
Counts as Masterwork

Now that seems a lot more representative of the cutting power of Katanas in real life, don’t you think?

[deuxhero]

For eastern (Use it, "Oriental" is agreed to sound stupid) weapons just gie them the stats of an equivlent western weapon.

The standard example is katana=bastard sword.

@SparkMandriller on the subject of "Katanas are just better" (however sarcastic you are being) R. Lee Ermey showed on Lock and Load that even giving the Katana the inaccurate advantage of decent quality metal, it's advantages over the longsword are minimal (and said test did not factor in the advantages of 2 blades).

[Teutonic Knight]

Anyone have something other than katanas?

[The Glyphstone]

You forgot

Special: Automatically scores critical hits vs. tanks, even if the target would be immune to critical hits.

[kjones]

Katanas are simply the best sword that the world has ever seen, and thus, require better stats in the d20 system. Here is the stat block I propose for Katanas:

(One-Handed Exotic Weapon)

1d12 Damage
19-20 x4 Crit
+2 to hit and damage
Counts as Masterwork

(Two-Handed Exotic Weapon)

2d10 Damage
17-20 x4 Crit
+5 to hit and damage
Counts as Masterwork

Now that seems a lot more representative of the cutting power of Katanas in real life, don’t you think?

I see what you did there.

[Sinfire Titan]

Anyone have something other than katanas?

Kusari-Gama are in the DMG. Fukimi-Bari are in the Arms and Equipment Guide (3.0).

What exactly are you looking for, or is it just eastern weapons in general?

[LurkerInPlayground]

Katanas are simply the best sword that the world has ever seen, and thus, require better stats in the d20 system.
Are you being tongue-in-cheek?

You are aren't you? Troll-baiting?

Oh god.

But no. Katanas aren't simply the best sword the world has ever seen because the internet said so.

[Mando Knight]

The standard example is katana=bastard sword.

@SparkMandriller on the subject of "Katanas are just better" (however sarcastic you are being) R. Lee Ermey showed on Lock and Load that even giving the Katana the inaccurate advantage of decent quality metal, it's advantages over the longsword are minimal (and said test did not factor in the advantages of 2 blades).

This. So much this. Read about Katanas being "better" (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KatanasAreJustBetter) before counting out a well-made European-style arming sword. (European armor was also better, because of the more widely available iron to allow more metal in the armor to protect against the blades)

A good katana was good, but a good longsword would have been better.

[LurkerInPlayground]

Apparently the jury is still out on whether SparkMandriller is being ironic.

I vote that he is. Being ironic that is.

[kjones]

For those of you wondering whether or not you are being trolled, the reference (and endless variations upon it) can be found here (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20).

[SparkMandriller]

If you guys want me to start posting Sacred Blacksmith screencaps I can do that.

[Sinfire Titan]

If you guys want me to start posting Sacred Blacksmith screencaps I can do that.

Please stop. You're not helping anyone, just instigating.

[Teutonic Knight]

Kusari-Gama are in the DMG. Fukimi-Bari are in the Arms and Equipment Guide (3.0).

What exactly are you looking for, or is it just eastern weapons in general?

For example: the different Japanese yari. Wiki list eleven types of yari. Some look like simple spears, while others look like ranseurs. Which is which?

And is the yumi equivalent to the composite longbow, and is it the same as a dai-kyu?

I'm looking for answers to this and other like this in the form of either a homebrewed weapon chart or a simple explanation.

P.S. Thank you Sinful Titan for the:

Please stop. You're not helping anyone, just instigating.

[Foryn Gilnith]

A good katana was good, but a good longsword would have been better.

Better is a matter of context. The katana developed its shape to deal with the targets of its time. Same with the longsword. In today's context, I'm not sure whether the longsword or the katana would be superior (IMO switchblade would beat both for modern use lol :D)

http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~msb46/Weapons_of_Ancient_China.html has some decent information. A bit of a pain to read.
http://www.shaolin-society.co.uk/weapons/water.php is another list.

Just google these things, "List of chinese weapons", "historical chinese weapons", "ancient japanese weapons"...
If you really want to shake things up try Korean or Filipino weapons.


As far as stats go, just use basic PHB stats. They're pretty generic. If you want something other than 1d8 19-20/x2 martial slashing for a sword, you might want a different system.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Okay, that's enough with the flamebaiting copypasta katana meme crap. Please post genuinely in response to the OP or don't post in this thread. Thanks.

[Sinfire Titan]

For example: the different Japanese yari. Wiki list eleven types of yari. Some look like simple spears, while others look like ranseurs. Which is which?

I believe it would be a matter of decoration there. Really, the visual differences between a spear and a ranseur in 3.5 is minimal, so you can get away with calling it either one. Perhaps have a variation ala Longspear/Shortspear, where one of them is as the spear, but the other is as the ranseur?


And is the yumi equivalent to the composite longbow, and is it the same as a dai-kyu?

Dunno myself. Again, same idea s above (but Longbow/Shortbow/Greatbow/Bone Bow).


I'm looking for answers to this and other like this in the form of either a homebrewed weapon chart or a simple explanation.

This I can actually help you with. I need to get a PDF creator program before I can upload it, but I'm working on a comprehensive weapons fix for 3.5 based on Fable's Augment system. I included some of the eastern weapons as defaults (most of them are in the fluff). It isn't entirely accurate realistically (Flamberg=Bastard Sword, for example), but it does need playtesting.


P.S. Thank you Sinful Titan for the:

... I've seen Sunfire, I've seen Sinfire_Titan, but I've never seen someone call me Sinful before.

[Teutonic Knight]

Sorry about that Sinfire Titan.

[Sinfire Titan]

Sorry about that Sinfire Titan.

Its fine really. Its when people address me using the common acronym of my screen name (SiFi) that I get a little touchy. I dislike having a nickname that close to SciFi (despite being a SciFi fan myself), and prefer SiFir (as in Cypher). Just thought it was unusual.

It gets personal when my real name is involved (people spell that wrong all of the time, to the point that I actually need business cards to hand out). You'd think it would be easy to remember the name Kris...

[Mando Knight]

I dislike having a nickname that close to SciFi

Of course, because no one likes to have a nickname that's close to SyFy, which is as evocative of Science Fiction as it is of syphilis. :smallyuk:

I'd reiterate using the standard PHB weapons for the Japanese ones: Naginata are glaives, use normal swords for the Japanese ones of similar size, etc.

[jiriku]

Specifically Chinese and Japanese. Preferably those not found in Oriental Adventures.

Does any one have a list of such weapons, or where I can find it, or if not, does anyone have a homebrewed list of these weapons.

For example, all the different Chinese/Japanese spears and possibly their 3.5 equivalents.

Given that Oriental Adventures has about as exhaustive a listing of Asian weapons as you're going to find in WotC D20, you're really tying our hands by asking us to exclude it.

And yet...I have that mojo...check the Complete Exotic Arms Guide. You will find more eastern-themed weapons than you can shake a rajatang at.

[Teutonic Knight]

And yet...I have that mojo...check the Complete Exotic Arms Guide. You will find more eastern-themed weapons than you can shake a rajatang at.

Thank you; I will look it up.

[TheOOB]

I'll take a longsword over a katana any day. A straight, double edged sword made of good European steel will break a curved single edged sword made of poor Japanese volcanic steel fairly easily.

It's true katana where usually only made by master swordsmiths(steel was too expensive otherwise), but there where equally good swordsmiths in the west.

Anyways, Oriental weapons are swords and spears just like western weapons, the difference in states is beyond the level of abtraction for D&D.

Ohh, and katana are longswords, not bastard swords. Longswords where about 3 feet long in the blade(usually a little less), and katana rarely hit 3 feet.

[bosssmiley]

For example: the different Japanese yari. Wiki list eleven types of yari. Some look like simple spears, while others look like ranseurs. Which is which?

And is the yumi equivalent to the composite longbow, and is it the same as a dai-kyu?

I'm looking for answers to this and other like this in the form of either a homebrewed weapon chart or a simple explanation.

Most Oriental weapons should really be treated as "counts as..." in D&D, simply because they're functionally equivalent IRL. What is equivalent to what is a function of common sense and knowledge. Anything beyond that is just people going gooey over the exotic aesthetic (*cough* Deadliest Warrior *cough*).

Sure, you get the occasional systemic oddity like [insert Monk weapon here], but even wacky stuff like Shaolin shovels, Sudanese throwing irons, Aztec mācuahuitl, or Maori mere is easily adaptable to "counts as..." (halberd, throwing axe, battle axe, mace).

[MickJay]

Ohh, and katana are longswords, not bastard swords. Longswords where about 3 feet long in the blade(usually a little less), and katana rarely hit 3 feet.

For all it's worth, they were made to be wielded either with one or both hands.

Baldur's Gate had 2d4 19-20x2 crit for bastard swords and 1d10 19-20 x2 for katanas (same as for two-handed swords, only katanas were treated as one handed), if that's of any help. They were also much more expensive than other weapons.

In any case, this refers to the later katanas, original ones were fairly short, heavy, and designed for powerful strikes rather than speed.

[kamikasei]

For all it's worth, they were made to be wielded either with one or both hands.

So are longswords (in D&D), though.

But really, the real-world variation in both European and Japanese swords maps on to D&D categories imperfectly enough that it's probably a mistake to think that "a katana" need be modeled as a single game-mechanical type of sword. Certainly what people think of as a katana is a pretty broad category.

[Matthew]

For example: the different Japanese yari. Wiki list eleven types of yari. Some look like simple spears, while others look like ranseurs. Which is which?

Have to decide for yourself, I suspect. There is no perfect definitive nomenclature for western spears, but various types of yari might equate to the spear, partisan, spetum, or ranseur depending on broad characteristics and your view of them.



And is the yumi equivalent to the composite longbow, and is it the same as a dai-kyu?

Basically, "kyu" and "yumi" are just different ways of reading the same character; there is no functional difference:



yumitori (弓取) = Bowman
kyuhei (弓兵) = Bowman

hankyū (半弓) = half bow
kokyū/shokyū(?) (小弓) = short bow
daikyū (大弓) = long bow

You can see a similar pattern repeated in other military terms, where the same characters are read differently, but still have the same meaning:



souhei (槍兵) = spearmen

koyari (小槍) = short spear
ōyari (大槍) = long spear

kenshi (剣士) = swordsman

tantō (短刀) = dagger (general)
shōtō (小刀) = short sword (general, includes kodachi, wakizashi, etcetera)
daitō (大刀) = long sword (general, includes tachi, katana, etcetera)

kodachi (小太刀) = small sword (specific type)
tachi (太刀) = big sword (specific type)
ōdachi (大太刀) = great big sword (specific type)
nodachi (野太刀) = field sword (specific type)

[Katana_Geldar]

I heard my name being mentioned. :smallwink:

What about a Tao or a Jian? Jian I guess would be a longsword, right?

[Matthew]

I heard my name being mentioned. :smallwink:

What about a Tao or a Jian? Jian I guess would be a longsword, right?

Depends how abstract and how specific you want to be. The approach in the early years of D20/3e was to group weapons together broadly, so that a jian would be a long sword (or short sword) and a dao would function as a scimitar or some such thing. As time went on, the tendency increasingly became to differentiate very specific weapon types, so you end up with stuff like the "elven thin sword" or what have you.

[kamikasei]

A jian can't very well be wielded two-handed, can it? (Genuine, not rhetorical, question.) So it would probably need to be a short sword rather than a longsword.

[Katana_Geldar]

Jians are as long as a longsword, I have held one myself.

[Matthew]

A jian can't very well be wielded two-handed, can it? (Genuine, not rhetorical, question.) So it would probably need to be a short sword rather than a longsword.

As I understand it, the configuration of a jian can vary quite a bit, and some are more clearly designed for two-hands than others. Since the D&D long sword encompasses such weapons as the spatha and the later migration/viking age swords, it also likely encompasses the jian. It depends how specific you want to be and how much tolerance you have for the abstraction.

[Fhaolan]

*waves at Mathew while joining in*

The average Jian is equivalent to the D&D longsword. The thing that's hanging people up here is that the term longsword is currently used in RL to mean a very specific two-handed sword. D&D weapons started out abstracted, with 'longsword' simply being any one-handed sword that isn't small enough to count as a 'shortsword'. (Technically, it started even more abstracted with all weapons doing 1d6 damage or something like that back in the original white book edition.)

Weapon names is a confusing mess in RL due to the fact that 90% of sword names are simply 'sword' in the local dialect/language. For example, the Romans had both the Gladius and the Spatha. In D&D terms these would be 'shortsword' and 'longsword'. Gladius is just sword in Latin. Spatha is sword in Greek. Spatha became espata became espede became epede became epee, which has always just meant 'sword' but is now attached to specific fencing weapon.

The issue really is that the D&D weapon system didn't remain abstracted but had oddly specific weapons added in for the 'coolness' factor. It has made the D&D weapon system as confusing as RL weapon terminology... so I guess it succeeded. :smallbiggrin:

[Jayabalard]

This I can actually help you with. I need to get a PDF creator program before I can upload it, Open office can export to PDF.... just an FYI

[kamikasei]

*waves at Mathew while joining in*

The average Jian is equivalent to the D&D longsword. The thing that's hanging people up here is that the term longsword is currently used in RL to mean a very specific two-handed sword.

Please note that I'm not pretending to have the faintest clue what constitutes a longsword in real life or whether real jians qualify. I'm just looking at the (3.5e) game-mechanical distinction between a light weapon which can only be used in one hand and a one-handed weapon which can be used in two if desired. I was under the impression that jians were of the former sort, apparently mistaken based on what Matthew's said. But it's solely that game-mechanical distinction, not any real world categorization, that I was looking at.

[charl]

The DnD longsword is equivalent to the real world European arming sword.

To confuse it even more, the real life European longsword would be a bastard sword in DnD.

[Another_Poet]

I feel like most of the eastern weapons can be well represented by the stats in the PHB for the western-style weapons.

I am aware there are numerous, both obvious and very subtle differences in how various Asian blades and spears handle, feel, wound, and are wielded compared to various European blades and spears. I acknowledge that the styles used for each also differ greatly bothin technique and, sometimes, philosophy.

But really, when you're reducing everything to 1 or 2 dice of damage, 1 of 3 kinds of damage, and a crit threat level ranging from 20x4 to 18-20x2, there's only so much mechanical difference you can achieve.

No Medium sized eastern weapon is going to do more than 2d6 + Str damage, for instance. And presumably we don't want anything to do less than 1d4 or 1d3 at worst. In a realistic system the naginata would not act the same as the glaive, but in a realistic system rapiers and arrows wouldn't deal the same kinds of wounds, either. D20 doesn't strive for realism.

Katanas can have the same stats as longswords or greatswords, various yari can have the same stats as various spears and polearms. Crescent moon blade (deer horn knife) can use the same stats as a kukri, hook sword can use scimitar stats (or make it exotic and give it bonus to disarm attempts as well), etc.

There's no reason to reinvent the wheel because, unless you're going to make eastern weapons overpowered compared to PHB weapons, almost every conceivable combination of d20 weapon mechanics is already covered by the existing rulebooks.

ap

[Matthew]

The average Jian is equivalent to the D&D longsword. The thing that's hanging people up here is that the term longsword is currently used in RL to mean a very specific two-handed sword. D&D weapons started out abstracted, with 'longsword' simply being any one-handed sword that isn't small enough to count as a 'shortsword'. (Technically, it started even more abstracted with all weapons doing 1d6 damage or something like that back in the original white book edition.)

Indeed; at first in Original Dungeons & Dragons there was only "sword" and "two-handed sword", with the former seeming to encompass curved, straight, single edged and double edged blades. The "short sword" and "long sword" designations first emerge in Swords & Spells, along with various other more specific appellations.



Weapon names is a confusing mess in RL due to the fact that 90% of sword names are simply 'sword' in the local dialect/language. For example, the Romans had both the Gladius and the Spatha. In D&D terms these would be 'shortsword' and 'longsword'. Gladius is just sword in Latin. Spatha is sword in Greek. Spatha became espata became espede became epede became epee, which has always just meant 'sword' but is now attached to specific fencing weapon.

Exactly.



The issue really is that the D&D weapon system didn't remain abstracted but had oddly specific weapons added in for the 'coolness' factor. It has made the D&D weapon system as confusing as RL weapon terminology... so I guess it succeeded. :smallbiggrin:

Ha, ha. :smallbiggrin:



Please note that I'm not pretending to have the faintest clue what constitutes a longsword in real life or whether real jians qualify. I'm just looking at the (3.5e) game-mechanical distinction between a light weapon which can only be used in one hand and a one-handed weapon which can be used in two if desired. I was under the impression that jians were of the former sort, apparently mistaken based on what Matthew's said. But it's solely that game-mechanical distinction, not any real world categorization, that I was looking at.

Some early jian pretty much look like the Roman gladius, and they would certainly qualify as "short swords", but as Fhaolan points out above the issue is that jian itself is a very broad term essentially corresponding to "sword". Even very short hilted viking age swords with maybe 4" of grip space can benefit from the second hand gripping over the first or lower down on the pommel in terms of added "power", though the user would likely shift between one handed and two handed use depending on the shifting circumstances of the fight (if you ever get the chance to watch Weapons That Made Britain - The Sword, there is a great demonstration there of how a fighter might switch from using a sword and shield to delivering a two handed blow without loosing the shield). There are apparently examples of full on two handed jian, which would correspond to the D&D bastard sword or great sword.



The DnD longsword is equivalent to the real world European arming sword.

To confuse it even more, the real life European longsword would be a bastard sword in DnD.

This is actually a bit misleading, as the D20/3e long sword was never meant to represent any particular sort of sword. Although long gone now, there was an article on the WotC website about the choices they made for the weapon tables in third edition, and the emphasis on "fantasy". So, whilst it is fair to say that what some weapon enthusiasts now term the "arming sword" is represented in the game by the D&D long sword, it is not accurate to say that the D&D long sword is equivalent to the arming sword, rather it is a broad designation intended to encompass "medium sized" swords.

[hamishspence]

The 3.0 book Arms and Equipment Guide had a few comments (and a long list of equivalent weapons)

"A claymore is a zweihander is a no-dachi- a greatsword by any other name would cut as deep, do 2d6 damage, and threaten a x2 critical on a 19 or 20"

[Sinfire Titan]

Open office can export to PDF.... just an FYI

I'm aware. I said that because the computer I normally use doesn't have that ability (the one I had before did). I just need to install the program.

[Random832]

The 3.0 book Arms and Equipment Guide had a few comments (and a long list of equivalent weapons)

"A claymore is a zweihander is a no-dachi- a greatsword by any other name would cut as deep, do 2d6 damage, and threaten a x2 critical on a 19 or 20"

But that opens up arguments about what is or is not equivalent. To wit, here is the stat block I propose for Katanas:

:smallcool:

EDIT: blast, uber-ninja'd. But you see what I am saying?

[kamikasei]

I'm not sure whether you're saying "boo to katanas, throw them out of the game" or "all you need to know about katanas is that they're really cool".

[hamishspence]

We know what they are equivalent to in 3.0 and 3.5 DMG- masterwork bastard swords.

Whether this is a good choice of equivalent or not is a matter for DMs and players to resolve themselves.

If it is very rare for katanas to be wielded one-handed historically, and those who did so tended to be masters- then that would suggest its a good equivalent.

If it was usual to be wielded one-handed, with two-handed strokes being the exception, used when a very forceful blow is needed, then maybe longsword would have been a better choice by the designers.

Still, it's done now.

[Random832]

I'm not sure whether you're saying "boo to katanas, throw them out of the game" or "all you need to know about katanas is that they're really cool".

No, the :smallcool: was saying "You've already heard it before, so I don't need to paste another word for you to all know what meme I am referring to". But anyway, it was ninja'd on the first page, so there's no point.

More seriously, my point was that the problem with this kind of half-hearted abstraction is that people don't have their favorite weapons (whatever that may be) represented when other swords of varying degrees of specificness are.

@hamishspence is there any actual provision in the rules for wielding a longsword (or any other usually-one-handed weapon) two-handed?

Another problem is damage types - some swords are meant for slashing, some are meant for stabbing, and this does not necessarily vary uniformly with size.

[hamishspence]

Maybe there is an element of "weapon creep"

In 3.0, A&EG tells us that we do not need a cutlass statblock- Scimitars do fine.

But by then, its already come out in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and eventually was nerfed slightly in Stormwrack.

EDIT:
And yes- there is- they do 1.5 x normal strength bonus, wielded two handed.

"Light weapons" cannot get this bonus.

On slashers and stabbers, Light swords have one of each- the Straightblade in Planar Handbook (slasher) and the Short Sword (stabber)- both are martial weapons with the same damage and crit range- 1d6, 19/20 (x2)

[kamikasei]

No, the :smallcool: was saying "You've already heard it before, so I don't need to paste another word for you to all know what meme I am referring to".

The fact that some people will be annoying in their insistence on unreasonable rules doesn't strike me as much of a reason to abandon discussion of reasonable ones.


@hamishspence is there any actual provision in the rules for wielding a longsword (or any other usually-one-handed weapon) two-handed?

"If a one-handed weapon is wielded with two hands during melee combat, add 1½ times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls." Link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#lightOneHandedandTwoHandedMeleeWeapons ).

[Random832]

It'd be interesting to see if there is the same degree of "weapon creep" with polearms (of which there were as many IRL kinds as you could fit weapons to sticks) as there is with swords.

Anyone have a stat block for a Glaive-glaive-guisarme-glaive (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0136.html)?

[hamishspence]

Probably not- but Dragon Magazine had a big article on polearms that was reprinted in Dragon Compendium- With some new ones.

Among them was the Awl Pike (which was actually rather needed- the lack of a Greek-style (or Cromwellian style) extra-long spear was a little irritating)

[Matthew]

Found the article I was thinking of; it didn't make it into the regular archives:



When we were creating weapons for 3rd Edition, we decided to stray a bit from past editions and recognize that D&D isn't really a historical game, but a fantasy game. There were already fantasy weapons in the game already (the D&D longsword never really existed, for example), so we decided to add more. A lot more.

Source (http://web.archive.org/web/20021015233545/www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/wr/wr20000601a)

[Blackfang108]

I'm not sure whether you're saying "boo to katanas, throw them out of the game" or "all you need to know about katanas is that they're really cool".

Really, a Katana is just a Bastard Sword with a REALLY good PR man.:smallcool:

[Mando Knight]

Anyone have a stat block for a Glaive-glaive-guisarme-glaive (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0136.html)?

I think one of the AD&D supplements, possibly even 1e or 2e's PHB, did...

[Teutonic Knight]

I don't whether to laugh or to worry how off topic this is getting.

Anyway, for my campaign world, I think I'll settle with the katana set at 1d10, DMG / OA stats. I know the blade wasn't as long as an English longsword, which I know would be a bastard sword, but considering it took master swordsmiths to make it and that they were only wielded by trained samurai, I believe masterwork bastard sword fits it just fine.

[Katana_Geldar]

I'm not sure whether you're saying "boo to katanas, throw them out of the game" or "all you need to know about katanas is that they're really cool".

Yes, we are really cool :smallcool:

The thing is, a katana is slightly curved which makes wielding it more similar to a cavalry sword.

[Xefas]

Anyone have a stat block for a Glaive-glaive-guisarme-glaive (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0136.html)?

I think I've seen a picture of that, actually...
http://www.gadgetspirit.com/pic/figure/gashapon/dynasty_warriors_6/ryofu_anime.jpg

Exotic Weapon
Glaive-Glaive-Guisarme-Glaive
Cost: 200gp
Damage: 1d10/1d10/2d4/1d10
Crit: x3
Weight: 20lbs
Type: Slashing
Special: Requires Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting to use successfully. All three of the offhand attacks are considered with light weapons.

[Katana_Geldar]

Put that thing down, you'll take someone's eye out.

[ondonaflash]

Better is a matter of context. The katana developed its shape to deal with the targets of its time. Same with the longsword. In today's context, I'm not sure whether the longsword or the katana would be superior (IMO switchblade would beat both for modern use lol :D)

And of course the invention of the rifled barrel renders all three obsolete. guns are badass like that.

[Gamgee]

This is a horrible video to show my opinions, but it is the best I can find of said clip with a cursory search. Remember to keep the volume down as it might irritate one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73ncTyhOjhA

I always did prefer the big swords, but Katanas are still cool. Just noy my cup of tea.

Edit
I see a small back and forth over whats better among weapons, and I have to say the Human is the best weapon. All the other things are just tools. I am referring to the human mind and body as a whole. Not one or the other.

[Solaris]

I find the human's mind to be highly inefficient when it's splattered by a large rock.

[Myrmex]

And of course the invention of the rifled barrel renders all three obsolete. guns are badass like that.

I hope you put ranks in spot....