Longest improvised weapon?

[123456789blaaa]

I've been messing around with the Drunken Master PRC a bit and one of their abilities is that the long improvised weapons they wield gain reach according to their length. I've been trying to find really long improvised weapons to take advantage of this. The longest I've found so far is the silk/hemp rope which is 50 ft long. Are there any that are longer?

[INoKnowNames]

I've been messing around with the Drunken Master PRC a bit and one of their abilities is that the long improvised weapons they wield gain reach according to their length. I've been trying to find really long improvised weapons to take advantage of this. The longest I've found so far is the silk/hemp rope which is 50 ft long. Are there any that are longer?

I'm not sure how much damage you could do with a weak rope, though... as a whip, it seems like it would be weak, and to strangle with it requires getting up close...

My first thought was to use a bridge or other large piece of debris, like a column or a large tree. With enough strength, that'd be fun.

Well, actually, my first thought, admittedly wasn't safe for work for some bizarre reason. ^_^;

[CosmicOccurence]

Improvised Weapon: Throwing cards. There's a dude in the real world who can throw them 72ft or something, and they can cut fruits in half. I'd say they could be a good IW.

[INoKnowNames]

Improvised Weapon: Throwing cards. There's a dude in the real world who can throw them 72ft or something, and they can cut fruits in half. I'd say they could be a good IW.

I don't think it's the length they can be thrown that matters; he's trying to find the longest in length item he can find, to use as a gigantic, long-reaching reach improvised weapon. Like a tree or something.

Or a smaller item that's also incredibly long... maybe the main mast of a ship....

[Daftendirekt]

I'll give you a hint, it's in my pants.

There's only so long something can get before it's just awkward. I think anything past 15 or 20 feet would be pushing the bounds of usability for a medium character.

[Callin]

I know right... For giggles I tried to swing around a 30'+ length of rope. Awkward does not even begin to describe it.

[Vaz]

I couldn't find rope, but I did find a cat. Now I know how that saying goes.

*Grumbles, about rust coloured stains coming through the paint*

[INoKnowNames]

I'll give you a hint, it's in my pants.

Okay, so I'm -not- the only one who immediately came in with a NSFW thought. I don't feel as bad.


I know right... For giggles I tried to swing around a 30'+ length of rope. Awkward does not even begin to describe it.

As I mentioned in my post: He needs to get like 30 Str, and use a tree or stone pillar. That'd be awesome.

[Gavinfoxx]

A Really Big Ladder.

Note that they don't lose the -4 with improvised weapons...

[Flame of Anor]

How about a rowing shell? (tip: remove crew first)

[Flickerdart]

A giant. Dead or alive, your choice.

[INoKnowNames]

A giant. Dead or alive, your choice.

DUDE! COLLOSAL DEAD WORM / SNAKE / LONG BUG!

[Kelb_Panthera]

If you tie something to the end of that rope it could do decent damage. That's, in fact, a real weapon. Google "Meteor Hammer" if you don't believe it. Though I believe meteor hammers don't usually get longer than about 20ft.

[INoKnowNames]

If you tie something to the end of that rope it could do decent damage. That's, in fact, a real weapon. Google "Meteor Hammer" if you don't believe it. Though I believe meteor hammers don't usually get longer than about 20ft.

Oh yeah? Tie a Colossal Monstrous Centipede to a Whale somehow. Longest Improvised Weapon -ever-, and a Meteor Hammer to boot.

.... I want to know how to do this. Because that is so crazy awesome it -must- exist in some optimizer's mind somewhere.... if not just in my heart.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Googled it myself just to be sure I wasn't misremembering. The typical single-headed meteor hammer is sometimes up to 5 meters long (16-ish feet.) so a 20-footer would be a tad longer than normal.

[Urpriest]

Does it ever come up, ruleswise? IIRC improvised weapons' reach doesn't depend on their length.

Edit: Nevermind, looks like I was wrong about that with respect to the Drunken Master.

[Hamste]

Tie ten foot poles together until you get the size you want.

[Flickerdart]

Oh yeah? Tie a Colossal Monstrous Centipede to a Whale somehow. Longest Improvised Weapon -ever-, and a Meteor Hammer to boot.

.... I want to know how to do this. Because that is so crazy awesome it -must- exist in some optimizer's mind somewhere.... if not just in my heart.
Find a 10th level Master Transmogrifist. Convince him to transform into a monstrous centipede and a whale at the same time. Then cover him in quintessence, and swing away.

[INoKnowNames]

Find a 10th level Master Transmogrifist. Convince him to transform into a monstrous centipede and a whale at the same time. Then cover him in quintessence, and swing away.

.... How the heck does a single person turn into both a Whale and a Colossal Monstrous Centipede at the same time!?!

[Flickerdart]

.... How the heck does a single person turn into both a Whale and a Colossal Monstrous Centipede at the same time!?!
Master Trasmogrifist capstone allows them to combine aspects of different creatures in a transformation. Nobody uses them because they don't get 9th level spells.

[INoKnowNames]

Master Trasmogrifist capstone allows them to combine aspects of different creatures in a transformation. Nobody uses them because they don't get 9th level spells.

Combining different aspects is one thing, but sticking a Whale onto a Centipede's face?

..... my god, this game is awesome.

[Piggy Knowles]

If ropes are a kosher improvised weapon, grab yourself a spool of endless rope from Complete Adventurer. It takes a round to feed out or rewind each 50 feet of rope, but the rope is, as advertised, endless.

Playing around with the collapsible pole (Dungeonscape) could be fun, since it can get up to 22 feet long (if combined with another pole), but also can be 12 feet long, or 10 feet, and so on down to 4 feet. So, when you're in a cramped environment you can pop it down to 4 feet, and then extend it out to 22 when you've got room to swing.

[TaiLiu]

Master Trasmogrifist capstone allows them to combine aspects of different creatures in a transformation. Nobody uses them because they don't get 9th level spells.
Well, you can if you are using Kobold, and those cheesy online enhancements...

[animewatcha]

You mean that drunken master can't be worked into some hulking hurler build or something for using the moon/sun as the longest improvised weapon?

[erikun]

Wield the corpse of a Genius Loci (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/geniusLoci.htm) into battle. I have no clue how you would get it to the battlefield or how you would hold it, but punching someone with a planet(oid) will probably be your best bet on range.

[Flickerdart]

Well, you can if you are using Kobold, and those cheesy online enhancements...
Yes, but even then, Master Transmogrifist Favored Forms must be picked from Polymorphable forms specifically, and you can only use its class features with those forms.

[ThatGuyOvaThere]

Rope, Hempen by itself would deal 1d6 damage, although Drunken Masters get there unarmed + d4 damage. Rules as written there is no max length to the reach of there improvised weapons so, I would use the empire state building:smalltongue:... no but seriously I would use a building of some sort if I had the str.

[Darrin]

.... How the heck does a single person turn into both a Whale and a Colossal Monstrous Centipede at the same time!?!

I suspect Tauric template might come into play there. Darfellen + medium giant centipede might be a good place to start.

[Uncle Pine]

Oh yeah? Tie a Colossal Monstrous Centipede to a Whale somehow. Longest Improvised Weapon -ever-, and a Meteor Hammer to boot.

.... I want to know how to do this. Because that is so crazy awesome it -must- exist in some optimizer's mind somewhere.... if not just in my heart.

A flask of sovereign glue is much cheaper than a Master Transmogrifist, it works all the day and doesn't need to rest. Plus is easier to replace than a fellow character in case you roll 1.

[123456789blaaa]

I'll give you a hint, it's in my pants.

There's only so long something can get before it's just awkward. I think anything past 15 or 20 feet would be pushing the bounds of usability for a medium character.

I don't think RAW restricts it though. The closest thing we have is this sentence:


To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match.

A rope isn't big...it's just long. Does a certain length make it go up a size category?


A Really Big Ladder.

Note that they don't lose the -4 with improvised weapons...

Biggest ladder I can find in dnd is 10 ft.

There are ways around that.


If ropes are a kosher improvised weapon, grab yourself a spool of endless rope from Complete Adventurer. It takes a round to feed out or rewind each 50 feet of rope, but the rope is, as advertised, endless.

Playing around with the collapsible pole (Dungeonscape) could be fun, since it can get up to 22 feet long (if combined with another pole), but also can be 12 feet long, or 10 feet, and so on down to 4 feet. So, when you're in a cramped environment you can pop it down to 4 feet, and then extend it out to 22 when you've got room to swing.

Woohoo! Exactly what I was looking for :smallcool:. Thank you :smallbiggrin:.

[Chronos]

Quoth Piggy Knowles:

If ropes are a kosher improvised weapon, grab yourself a spool of endless rope from Complete Adventurer. It takes a round to feed out or rewind each 50 feet of rope, but the rope is, as advertised, endless.Sadly, it is not as advertised. It has a maximum length of 500'.

[123456789blaaa]

Sadly, it is not as advertised. It has a maximum length of 500'.

I'm looking at the item entry right now and can't see it. Could you quote that portion?

[Chronos]

The second paragraph of the item description,
To use a spool of endless rope, the owner feeds out as little or as much rope as desired, up to a maximum of 500 feet at any one time.

[Flickerdart]

The second paragraph of the item description,
Spool out 500 feet, chop it off, spool out 500 feet, chop it off, tie the ends together, spool out 500 feet...

[123456789blaaa]

The second paragraph of the item description,

Awww...:smallfrown:. Still 500 ft of reach is quite nice.


Spool out 500 feet, chop it off, spool out 500 feet, chop it off, tie the ends together, spool out 500 feet...

I don't know if that would count as a single improvised weapon though...I mean if you tie two chairs together does it count as a single improvised weapon? And how would it interact with enchanting?

[Flickerdart]

I mean if you tie two chairs together does it count as a single improvised weapon?
Nunchairs, two-handed improvised weapon, 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

[Raineh Daze]

I don't know if that would count as a single improvised weapon though...I mean if you tie two chairs together does it count as a single improvised weapon? And how would it interact with enchanting?

Maybe if you spliced it together or something? :smallconfused:

[Chronos]

Spool out 500 feet, chop it off, spool out 500 feet, chop it off, tie the ends together, spool out 500 feet...
This doesn't work, either: The rope disappears if it's cut off from the spool (though you can still at least spool out more).

But then, if you're going to accept splicing rope together anyway, what's the need for the magic item? Just splice a few dozen mundane ropes together.

[Flickerdart]

This doesn't work, either: The rope disappears if it's cut off from the spool (though you can still at least spool out more).
Well, that's dumb.

[Coidzor]

I don't know if that would count as a single improvised weapon though...I mean if you tie two chairs together does it count as a single improvised weapon? And how would it interact with enchanting?

If it's rope, you can cut off a couple of inches from both and then splice them together. Bam, one single rope.

Granted, you could also just get a rope made as long as you want it or buy up lots of rope and splice it together for chump change.