help me define a new weapon for 3.5

[CinuzIta]

Hello everyone!

On october I'll be starting a new campaign wich I'll master. It'll be a barbarian setting. One of the most distant tribes (that ironically is one of the more present in the game-lore and in the game events)in the map is inspired to thracians/bastarnae. These historical tribes were famous for the use of the romphaia, a particul kind of weapon that resembled a strange scythe (to put it simply, a curved blade on a straight hilt). This weapon was famous for its brutality, since it was able to literally hack a person in a half. Now, I wanted to ask your opinion: do you have any idea of a special quality that could help in recreating this weapon properly? This is what I have so far:

Exotic weapon:
Dmg: 1d10
Crit: 19-20/x3
Type: Slashing
Range: none
Price: to be defined
Special quality: ...

I was thinking at something like a +2 bonus to confirm critical hits. Would it be a good idea? If I remember well there is a feat that gives this kind of bonus (even tough is a +4 in the feat).

[Yora]

I would simply use the stats for a scyth, as a rhomphaia is pretty much how scythes were actually modified to be used as weapons. From what evidence I've seen, nobody really went into battle with a scythe that had the blade mounted for grain cutting.

Alternatively, Pathfinder does have specific stats for a rhomphaia.
Rhomphaia
15 gp
1d6 (s) / 2d4 (m)
×3
10 lbs.
P or S
Brace, fragile, reach

[CinuzIta]

well it's incredible that you're the one who responded this thread, since I've taken inspiration for this setting from your work Lands of Barbarian Kings.:)

Anyway, I've already seen Pf romphaia, but I wanted to make this weapon truly fearsome. A real treasure to put your hands on, so I wanted it to be a very dangerous weapon, since magic items will not be readily available they'll have to rely on mundane items. And I want this in particular to be fearsome (in my setting, is the weapon of famous heroes etc)..so, would it be unbalanced giving a +2 bonus on crit confirmations, also considering it will be very hard to get one of those weapons?

[Ashtagon]

well it's incredible that you're the one who responded this thread, since I've taken inspiration for this setting from your work Lands of Barbarian Kings.:)

Anyway, I've already seen Pf romphaia, but I wanted to make this weapon truly fearsome. A real treasure to put your hands on, so I wanted it to be a very dangerous weapon, since magic items will not be readily available they'll have to rely on mundane items. And I want this in particular to be fearsome (in my setting, is the weapon of famous heroes etc)..so, would it be unbalanced giving a +2 bonus on crit confirmations, also considering it will be very hard to get one of those weapons?

That's it. I'm sick of all this "Masterwork scythe" poopoo that's going on in the d20 system right now. Romphaias deserve much better than that. Much, much better than that.

I should know what I'm talking about. I myself commissioned a genuine romphaia in Romania for 2,400,000 leu (that's about $20,000) and have been practicing with it for almost 2 years now. I can even cut slabs of solid steel with my romphaia.

Dacian smiths spend years working on a single romphaia and fold it up to a million times to produce the finest blades known to mankind.

Romphaias are thrice as sharp as European swords and thrice as hard for that matter too. Anything a longsword can cut through, a romphaia can cut through better. I'm pretty sure a romphaia could easily bisect a knight wearing full plate with a simple vertical slash.

Ever wonder why medieval Europe never bothered conquering Romania? That's right, they were too scared to fight the disciplined Romanian peasants and their romphaias of destruction. Even in World War II, American soldiers targeted the men with the romphaias first because their killing power was feared and respected.

So what am I saying? Romphaias are simply the best weapon that the world has ever seen, and thus, require better stats in the d20 system. Here is the stat block I propose for romphaias:

(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 romphaias in real life, don't you think?

tl;dr = Romphaias need to do more damage in d20, see my new stat block.

[CinuzIta]

whatever, it's a fantasy game afterall..I'm trying to get the ultimate heroes weapon for this setting, not to go for historical accuracy:)

[Amnoriath]

That's it. I'm sick of all this "Masterwork scythe" poopoo that's going on in the d20 system right now. Romphaias deserve much better than that. Much, much better than that.

I should know what I'm talking about. I myself commissioned a genuine romphaia in Romania for 2,400,000 leu (that's about $20,000) and have been practicing with it for almost 2 years now. I can even cut slabs of solid steel with my romphaia.

Dacian smiths spend years working on a single romphaia and fold it up to a million times to produce the finest blades known to mankind.

Romphaias are thrice as sharp as European swords and thrice as hard for that matter too. Anything a longsword can cut through, a romphaia can cut through better. I'm pretty sure a romphaia could easily bisect a knight wearing full plate with a simple vertical slash.

Ever wonder why medieval Europe never bothered conquering Romania? That's right, they were too scared to fight the disciplined Romanian peasants and their romphaias of destruction. Even in World War II, American soldiers targeted the men with the romphaias first because their killing power was feared and respected.

So what am I saying? Romphaias are simply the best weapon that the world has ever seen, and thus, require better stats in the d20 system. Here is the stat block I propose for romphaias:

(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 romphaias in real life, don't you think?

tl;dr = Romphaias need to do more damage in d20, see my new stat block.
While I agree simply making this a normal scythe is a bit insulting, however; you just gave the better stats of the Greathorn Minotaur Hammer as a one handed weapon with non-contigent attack bonuses. The second one's base damage doesn't even exist in the medium sized category and to get that critical you would need 2 exotic weapons proficiencies and possibly be evil(great crossbow and kaorti resin). Then finally you give a bonus in which people would normally have to pay 51,000 gp for.

[Amnoriath]

whatever, it's a fantasy game afterall..I'm trying to get the ultimate heroes weapon for this setting, not to go for historical accuracy:)

Your base stats are perfectly fine. It will perform quite well in the damage category. You could add a small bonus to confirm a critical, or I think trip would fit as the blade could be easily designed to hook on limbs. I think 50 gp would be a decent base price.

[Derjuin]

Why not use the stats for a Talenta sharrash? It is also a scythe-like blade on a straight shaft. It's found in the Eberron campaign setting book on page 119.

Edit: Nevermind, misunderstood the description. Sharrash is totally different. :smalltongue:

[CinuzIta]

ah, katana joke wasn't necessary (even tough it's always funny): I'm not a romphaia fanboy, I choosed it quite randomly while thinking at a famous "barbarian" weapon..it could have been that or a longsword, it was indifferent to me but I wanted something different from the usual sword or spear...

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

A very simple stat-block for an Exotic Weapon that is, basically, a Greatsword with maybe a little more cutting power. Why not make it exactly that?

Romphaia
Exotic Weapon
Hands: Two-Handed
Damage: 2d6
Crit: 19-20/x4
Type: Slashing
Range: None
Special Quality: None

[SiuiS]

whatever, it's a fantasy game afterall..I'm trying to get the ultimate heroes weapon for this setting, not to go for historical accuracy:)

Katana joke, silly!

Also, your weapon sounds like a falx to me.

[CinuzIta]

Katana joke, silly!

Also, your weapon sounds like a falx to me.

Ashtagon edited her previous message to the katana joke..

Anyway, yes, a romphaia is pretty much just a modified falx. You can find a description of it in wikipedia (obviously) but I'm not sure that all of what is in there is correct (speaking of Byzantines using it)

Djinn in Tonic, maybe you got a point..I think I'll stick with a pumped up version of the great sword, as you wrote it, maybe changing one thing or two!

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Djinn in Tonic, maybe you got a point..I think I'll stick with a pumped up version of the great sword, as you wrote it, maybe changing one thing or two!

Happy to help!

Not sure what you'd change though. Exotic Weapons usually have 1-2 upgrades on non-Exotic, and the Greatsword is already very reliable (and a good base weapon for this to boot).

I'm not sure what else I'd throw on it, honestly.

[Yitzi]

I'd advise that you grab one of the "improving mundane weapons by going beyond masterwork" homebrews floating around these forums (I seem to remember there are several such, though I don't remember where to find any at the moment), and apply it in its entirety (as you said they'll be relying on mundane weapons, so you might as well make mundane weapons worthwhile), and then the romphaia would be a high-quality (probably the top tier or one below) exotic version of the scythe.

[CinuzIta]

Happy to help!

Not sure what you'd change though. Exotic Weapons usually have 1-2 upgrades on non-Exotic, and the Greatsword is already very reliable (and a good base weapon for this to boot).

I'm not sure what else I'd throw on it, honestly.

Nothing major, I was thinking at making it a one handed/two handed weapon..anyway, since these weapons will be available only by the said tribe (that is located in the borders of the map) there won't be a romphaia spamming, and I'll invent an in-game fluffy reason to prevent players to craft one themselves (maybe something like "the blade is made of steel, wich only this tribe knows how to forge")..this could also has the additional advantage to make them wish to put their hands on the forging secrets of the tribe..

Good point Yitzi, but first I have to find one of those threads..wich is not really simple, since the search button seems to be missing in the forum! :P

If any of you guys know of such threads and is willing to pointing me out one of those he'll gain a lot of Cinuz points!:)

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Nothing major, I was thinking at making it a one handed/two handed weapon..

You'd need to reduce the damage back to 1d8 or 2d4 (1d10 at the MOST, and then it's an amazingly strong weapon compared to the other even exotic weapons) if you're making it one/two handed. I'd also guess that most romphaia would have been two-handed weapons, judging from the forceful swings they seem to encourage and the rather long blade/haft lengths I've seen online. I'm no expert on the romphaia though.


...anyway, since these weapons will be available only by the said tribe (that is located in the borders of the map) there won't be a romphaia spamming, and I'll invent an in-game fluffy reason to prevent players to craft one themselves (maybe something like "the blade is made of steel, wich only this tribe knows how to forge")..this could also has the additional advantage to make them wish to put their hands on the forging secrets of the tribe.

Out of curiosity, why do you want to make a mundane weapon so powerful that you have to put strange limitations on it? From what I've seen the romphaia isn't actually anything particularly complicated or impressive compared to other weapons of the period: they're all extremely deadly in the right hands. Further, presently a "super powerful" weapon to players is basically ensuring that they WILL find a way to wield it if it's that much better than everything else. Why not just let them fight with what they want, and balance weapons accordingly?

From both a DM standpoint and a homebrew balance standpoint, I'd recommend against making it the be-all-end-all of melee weapons.

[CinuzIta]

mh, I suppose you're right..moreover I'm not up to power play for this campaign! Thanks everyone for your suggestions!