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MrNexx
2007-01-23, 09:25 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falchion

How would you stat this weapon?

My inclination is to make it a light 1D6 19/*3, but that's a rather odd combo and pushes it into Exotic, while it should likely be martial. It's size would indicate it's a light weapon, but it's use makes it have more in common with one-handers.

clarkvalentine
2007-01-23, 09:43 AM
For simplicity, I'd stat it the same as a battleaxe and call it a day.

Edit: Of course, the PHB calls the big, curved, exaggerated scimitar a falchion, and that's 2d4/18-20. That might be just fine as well, but given the wiki article claims that's of European origin, and the PHB sword always felt Arabesque to me, I don't know. Maybe just go with PHB stats.

silvermesh
2007-01-23, 09:51 AM
edit: yikes I read it wrong. I thought it said 30cm, not inches

I would stat it out as a longsword or scimitar, depending on how much you want to stress the curve. The weapons don't have to look the same to be the same mechanically in D&D. Look at the Katana/Bastard Sword.

Jayabalard
2007-01-23, 10:12 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falchion

How would you stat this weapon?

My inclination is to make it a light 1D6 19/*3, but that's a rather odd combo and pushes it into Exotic, while it should likely be martial. It's size would indicate it's a light weapon, but it's use makes it have more in common with one-handers.From reading that article and the ones about related weapons, I don't really see any reason to give it extra damage or crit over any other sword; since "falchions were primarily a peasant's weapon" I'd make it a martial or even a simple weapon, not an exotic one.

Person_Man
2007-01-23, 10:21 AM
To my knowledge, a weapon can either have an expanded threat range, or it can have an expanded crit multiplier, but it can't have both.

If its a Simple weapon, the top damage for a one handed weapon is the morningstar, d8 *2.

If its a Martial weapon, the top damage for a one handed weapon is a Battleaxe d8 *3, Longsword d8 19-20 *2, or a Rapier d6 18-20 *2.

You could always go Exotic to up the damage, but its not an exotic weapon, as you noted.

Given that range, I'd probably go with d8 *2 Simple weapon.

Stephen_E
2007-01-23, 10:55 AM
Previous mention I've come across of the Falchion indicated that it was sword primarily designed for hammering through armour. Slightly shorter than what is commonly called a long sword or broad sword, with a single edge, slightly curved, with extra weight at the back of the blade.

To be honest even discounting the lack of cites, the wikapedia article makes it fairly clear that suggestion about where it came from, and why there aren't many of them around, is largely speculation.

I'm not sure how you represent a weapon designed for penetrating armour in DnD terms.

Given the Punching Dagger, Battleaxe and Halbard (all weapons with armour penetration a large part of their design) are all x3 crit, that is the way I'd go, maybe even making it x4. For something special you could give it a +1 to hit vs med and Hv armour.

If you were to make it an exotic weapon I'd be strongly tempted to make it x3, 19-20 crit and/or +2 att vs Med and Hv armour.

1d8 damage either way. You could have the armour bonus include creatures with 10+ NAC.

I recall a book by Barbara Hambly, Dragon Slayer? where this intelletual warrior is the only living person in the realm who's killed a dragon. Didn't use a sword, but instead used poisoned harpoons and an Axe to finish it off (the Axe having the ability to chop through the Dragons hide, where a sword would tend to bounce off).

Stephen

Maclav
2007-01-23, 11:28 AM
Don't forget the line of picks too.

Seriously? Call it a short sword which does slashing damage or call it a scimitar and be done with it. D&D's weapons are supposed to be an abstract representation. Why does this particular weapon get blessed with special features? Is it really better a punching though armour than a pick or a two handed axe?

Woot Spitum
2007-01-23, 11:34 AM
The main thing that makes me leery about this article is the big disclaimer at the top saying how that no references or sources are being quoted.:smallannoyed: However, if we assume the article is completely true, then it seems that the designers of D&D were trying to make a heavy, two-handed scimitar. With all the weapons that had heavy and light versions running around, they decide to get cute in the name of variety and call their heavy scimitar a falchion, with no regard at all for what a falchion actually might be. As for stats, if the falchion just ends up being the same as a shortsword, just call it a shortsword. If it turns out lighter, with a better crit multiplier, or a better threat range, I want one.:smallamused:

Closet_Skeleton
2007-01-23, 11:36 AM
A Falchion is more like a machete than a sword. I'd use Cutlass or Wakizashi stats myself, just remove their special rules (ie +1 masterwork for the Wakizashi and +2 vs disarm on the Cutlass). Could be x3 or 19-20 but making it more than 1d6 doesn't seem right.

Making it a simple weapon would probably be best. The d20 Modern book has basically identical stats for a Cleaver and for a Machete with the only differance being the Cleaver is simple while the Machete is "archaic".

Matthew
2007-01-23, 12:29 PM
I would (and do) just stat it out like a Scimitar [i.e. a class of single edged sword with varying degrees of curvature]. Long Sword would probably work too.

Otherwise, choices are pretty much limited to:

1D6 18-20/x2
1D6 20/x3
1D8 19-20/x2
1D8 20/x3
1D10 20/x2

AtomicKitKat
2007-01-23, 01:17 PM
Looks suspciously like the Parang(machete) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parang_%28knife%29) that we use to cut through jungle in the tropics. I'd say it's probably fine as a scimitar with the range traded for multiplier. It's good enough to chop off limbs IRL(some local gangsters have used them in gang fights before).

Thomas
2007-01-23, 05:20 PM
Heavy one-handed single-edged sword in D&D? It's a scimitar.