is there a way to make a great axe considered light or 1 handed

[Deca4531]

so I have a building in mind that's going to use a great axe, slightly modified, as a primary weapon. Another part of this build runs off a magic item however the item requires your weapon to be considered light or be one handed. I know of an armor enchantment that will reduce heavy armor to light armor but I can't find any such thing for a weapon. One would think mithril would have that effect but I can't find it stated anywhere.

[Drelua]

I'm not sure if this would work, but if a medium creature uses a two-handed weapon sized for a small creature, I believe it's treated as one-handed weapon, but you take a -2 penalty to hit. I'm guessing a battleaxe wouldn't work?

[Larkas]

Powerful Build would make it one-handed. If you need to make it light, I guess you could get Monkey Grip.

[Curmudgeon]

Powerful Build would make it one-handed. If you need to make it light, I guess you could get Monkey Grip.
Neither of these statements are correct.
Powerful Build (Ex)
The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Benefit: You can use melee weapons one size category larger than you are with a -2 penalty on the attack roll, but the amount of effort it rakes you to use the weapon does not change. For instance, a Large longsword (a one-handed weapon for a Large creature) is considered a two-handed weapon for a Medium creature that does not have this feat. For a Medium creature that has this feat, it is still considered one-handed weapon. You can wield a larger light weapon as a light weapon, or a larger two-handed weapon in two hands. You cannot wield a larger weapon in your off-hand, and you cannot use this feat with a double weapon.

[Larkas]

Neither of these statements are correct.

Yeeeeeah, that. :smallredface:

[Zrak]

However, either Powerful Build or Monkey Grip would work if he could use a large battleaxe instead of a medium greataxe. I'm not sure if that's an option, though.

[Urpriest]

What about your build requires that you use a Greataxe?

[Deca4531]

However, either Powerful Build or Monkey Grip would work if he could use a large battleaxe instead of a medium greataxe. I'm not sure if that's an option, though.

that is an option, but I was hoping for something i could accomplish with gold because I don't have a spare seat to take a LA

[JaronK]

Strongarm Bracers will let you use weapons that are one size bigger than normal, which might simulate the effect if you use a 1 handed large axe.

JaronK

[holywhippet]

What about strongarm bracers (MiC)? They work about the same as powerful build in that they let you wield weapons as though you were one size category larger. The rules state:


In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.

So if you are considered large then a medium size greataxe would be considered a one handed weapon.

[Deca4531]

What about your build requires that you use a Greataxe?

well it's really more of a flavor thing but it's something I don't want to relent. An axe of some kind would be ok but I want something the relative size have a great axe because I'm going to mod it into a guitar.

[Zrak]

Eh, just use a battleaxe and say it's usually proportioned in a mechanically irrelevant way.

[Rastapopolos]

If your a dwarf and have martial weapon proficenty you can use a dwarven waraxe as a one handed weapon... It has great numbers for a one handed weapon...

[Andezzar]

Or a Dwarven Waraxe, if you need bigger. Would require a feat though, unless you are a dwarf.

BTW why would you want to wield any weapon in one hand? A guitar is a two-handed instrument. No 1.5*STR and less extra damage from Power Attack are further reasons not to use a weapon one-handed unless you have to.

[Averis Vol]

Or a Dwarven Waraxe, if you need bigger. Would require a feat though, unless you are a dwarf.

BTW why would you want to wield any weapon in one hand? A guitar is a two-handed instrument. No 1.5*STR and less extra damage from Power Attack are further reasons not to use a weapon one-handed unless you have to.

OP said theres an item that requires a 1 handed or light weapon, so I assume that.

[Shining Wrath]

There ought to be, but isn't. I have thought about homebrewing something that says "With enough strength and dexterity, you can move two-handed to one-handed, and one-handed to light". It's sort of ridiculous that a bastard sword can be moved from 2h to 1h via a feat, but not by having strength 10 times what is needed to wield it 2 handed.

[holywhippet]

The rules allow it via size though. You just need to equip something from a smaller size category than you are. It's less about raw strength and more about being able to wield something easily.

[Averis Vol]

There ought to be, but isn't. I have thought about homebrewing something that says "With enough strength and dexterity, you can move two-handed to one-handed, and one-handed to light". It's sort of ridiculous that a bastard sword can be moved from 2h to 1h via a feat, but not by having strength 10 times what is needed to wield it 2 handed.

Bastard swords can be used one handed because longswords (the normalised name for hand and a half or bastard swords) are just slightly longer than a Arming sword (dnd longsword) so it can still reasonably be used in one hand, but also has the grip to allow for an easy two handed strike.

It's also nowhere near as heavy as a claymore or a zweihander or any other kind of true two handed blade, which is why it was so common; it was a versatile blade that could be used with or without a shield.

[Darrin]

Take a Sun Sword (DMG) add the Morphing property, morph it into a greataxe. By RAW, it can still be wielded as if it were a shortsword.

The lesser/unawakened sunblade (3000 GP, Expedition to Castle Ravenloft) is much cheaper, but the wording is different. You can be proficient with it as if it were a shortsword, but it's still wielded as if it were a bastard sword. So you could morph it into a greataxe, and you'd be proficient with it, but it would still be wielded as a two-handed greataxe.

[Urpriest]

Ah, so I was right, the one-handed thing is from Snowflake Wardance or the like.

Anyway, I agree with the others, there are plenty of one-handed axes that are still pretty hefty. Dwarven Waraxe if you can spare the proficiency, Battleaxe if you can't. I could imagine either modded to be an electric guitar.

[Deca4531]

Well i want to combine Snowflake Wardance with this

SLIPPERS OF BATTLEDANCING
These slippers imbue the wearer with a shocking grace
and a deadly fluidity in battle.
Description:
These soft, open-toed slippers are made
of supple leather and look very comfortable.
Activation:
This item is continuously active while
worn, provided that the wearer’s armor is no heavier than
light. No action on the wearer’s part is required to gain
the effect.
Effect:
While these slippers are on the wearer’s feet,
he moves with unnatural grace and alacrity, gaining
an enhancement bonus of +10 feet to his land speed.
The slippers also grant him a +5 competence bonus on
Tumble checks .
A wearer who has at least 5 ranks in Perform (dance)
accesses the true benefit of the
slippers of battledancing. As
long as he uses his base land speed to move (a fly, swim,
burrowing, or climb speed), he gains a +2 insight bonus
on initiative checks. If he moves at least 10 feet as part of
a move action, he can use his Charisma modifier instead
of his Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack rolls and
damage rolls with one-handed or light weapons (both
melee and ranged)

[Jakodee]

Be very big.

[Deca4531]

i think my best bet will be to to downgrade the great axe to a large battle axe with strongarm bracers.

[holywhippet]

i think my best bet will be to to downgrade the great axe to a large battle axe with strongarm bracers.

Why do you say downgrade? A medium greataxe does 1d12 damage. A large battleaxe does 2d6 damage and the critical range is the same for both.

[Ravens_cry]

Why do you say downgrade? A medium greataxe does 1d12 damage. A large battleaxe does 2d6 damage and the critical range is the same for both.
You take a -2 penalty to hit. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponSize)

[Seer_of_Heart]

I remember reading on a fun finds thread from minmaxboards there is a weapon enhancement that lets you wield weapons in 1 hand I'm not 100% sure on the details of it though. It should be in AE&G if I remembered properly.

[Greenish]

You take a -2 penalty to hit. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponSize)Not with the Strongarm Bracers which he needs to even use a Large battleaxe one-handed (which, after all, is the entire point of this exercise).

[Darrin]

I remember reading on a fun finds thread from minmaxboards there is a weapon enhancement that lets you wield weapons in 1 hand I'm not 100% sure on the details of it though. It should be in AE&G if I remembered properly.

The Balanced property (+2 enhancement, A&EG p. 96). Unfortunately, this is from a 3.0 book, but fortunately... the text is straightforward enough that with only minor tweaking it should work just fine with the 3.5 weapon size rules.

However, a +3 weapon is going to cost at least 18000 GP, so 6000 GP for Strongarm Bracers is a better deal.

[Deca4531]

The Balanced property (+2 enhancement, A&EG p. 96). Unfortunately, this is from a 3.0 book, but fortunately... the text is straightforward enough that with only minor tweaking it should work just fine with the 3.5 weapon size rules.

However, a +3 weapon is going to cost at least 18000 GP, so 6000 GP for Strongarm Bracers is a better deal.

yeah I looked into the balance enchantment and discounted it for that very reason.if it was a plus one enchantment it might be worth it but that's a pretty big might.

[Icewraith]

Note that with the uncanny blow feature from a level of exotic weapon master, you can (always) treat a one-handed exotic weapon as two-handed for purposes of power attack. If you actually two-hand it, you get double your str mod instead of x1.5 to damage.

The usual suspects are Dwarven Waraxe, Bastard Sword, and Elven Thinblade.