Making Vorpal better (3.5) PEACH

[Seharvepernfan]

The vorpal enhancement gains three new additions:

1. Vorpal weapons are automatically considered keen.
2. Vorpal weapons have their crit modifier increased by one.
3. On a natural 20, a vorpal weapon severs the head of any creature affected by critical hits. If a creature is not affected by critical hits (includes people in fortified armor), the vorpal weapon instead gets a crit as normal (with the increased multiplier), but not the beheading effect.

If you want an explanation for how that works on a creature immune to crits (like a golem or a zombie), I imagine the vorpal weapon magically damaging the link to the creature's power source.

[scarmiglionne4]

I had vorpal weapons not just behead but slice creatures completely in two, even those not subject to critical hits, except for oozes or something that is just a mass of jelly. I did not increase the threat range, but I did let the "kill stroke" occur with any successful critical hit.

[ericgrau]

Hmm, the extra crit damage doesn't stack well with the insta-kill ability, but it helps. That alone is worth a +3 I'd say. So really you're paying +2 for vorpal, which is a great deal even when you're forced to combine it with something that it does not combine well with.

Unchanged you can optimize vorpal by getting 9 attacks at very high levels, then pick up bonuses to confirm critical hits. You kill once every 2 full attacks which is about par, or above par if you can focus on the BBEG. And some things are immune at which time you're in trouble. Though you could use +1 vorpals so you can put most of your money into other weapons for the immune foes. That's a lot of work just to hit par some of the time. While technically you might get the original vorpal to be effective in specialized circumstances, it could use a little help. The OP's solution isn't bad, and it gives partial effectiveness in situations that would normally get you in trouble.

[bobthe6th]

Could just make it a synergy ability for keen... like xing burst for elementa damage bonuses.

The insta kill is a bit powerful, what about adding damage on a crit like the elemental bursts? Like +3d4 damage on a successful crit and +4 to confirm the crit.

[Deepbluediver]

If a creature is not affected by critical hits (includes people in fortified armor), the vorpal weapon instead gets a crit as normal (with the increased multiplier), but not the beheading effect.

Of all the suggestions, I like this one the best. It's not just one more +1 bonus stacked together, it's actually something unique and different.

[Seharvepernfan]

They were intended to be included together, so a vorpal weapon would be keen/+1 modifier/beheads on 20 (or normal crit on 20, if immune) - all in one.