Sword Character Optimization

[Flameclaws]

one of campaigns i am in, is a victorian era london sort of thing, in one of the sessions recently there was a cannonball i tried to slice as it was fired at my friend. my damage didn't even get past it's hardness.... i need to find a way to slice through almost every inanimate object in my way. any ideas?

[Swaoeaeieu]

adamantine weapons help with hardness a lot.

also, what level? available gold? Class? system? data helps us help you after all

[Stealth Marmot]

You can't slice a cannonball in half mid-flight with your sword to stop from being hit and your first thought is that you need a better sword for splitting cannonballs instead of say, getting out of the cannonball's way?

[Flickerdart]

Even if you sliced through a cannonball, you would not disrupt its inertia or significantly change its course. Your friend would still be struck with the two cannonball halves.

Adamantine weapons, as well as the Mountain Hammer maneuver and its friends, overcome all hardness.

[Swaoeaeieu]

You can't slice a cannonball in half mid-flight with your sword to stop from being hit and your first thought is that you need a better sword for splitting cannonballs instead of say, getting out of the cannonball's way?

cmon man! thats how all the heroes do it right?

[Stealth Marmot]

cmon man! thats how all the heroes do it right?

The villains lament is not that the heroes act like idiots, it's that the heroes act like suicidal idiots and WIN.

[Swaoeaeieu]

The villains lament is not that the heroes act like idiots, it's that the heroes act like suicidal idiots and WIN.

on the other hand, most vilains float in the air a good 4 seconds before plunging into the canyon to their deaths when the time comes. So a little sillyness on both side should be allowed.

But to the OP: cut from the air and smash from the air feats in Pathfinder do what you want. The later one allowing you to cut balista bolts and other large projectiles from the air if aimed at you or a neighbor.

[Inevitability]

Even if you sliced through a cannonball, you would not disrupt its inertia or significantly change its course. Your friend would still be struck with the two cannonball halves.

Well, going by RAW a sundered projectile would at most be an improvised weapon...

[weckar]

Marmot, are you TRYING to get sigged? :smalltongue:

[Stealth Marmot]

Marmot, are you TRYING to get sigged? :smalltongue:

Pretty much with every comment I make ever.

I'm kind of an egotist.

[Inevitability]

Pretty much with every comment I make ever.

I'm kind of an egotist.

It'd be ironic if someone sigged this, and only this, comment. :smalltongue:

[Swaoeaeieu]

It'd be ironic if someone sigged this, and only this, comment. :smalltongue:

even better if he did it himself. Youknow. for extra tasty irony

[John Longarrow]

I'm trying to figure out how you hit something moving several hundred feet per second? Forget the rest, this this is moving waaaay to fast for you to track, let alone hit.

[exelsisxax]

Your DM let you try in the first place. Either his game is a mess of hidden and convoluted houseruling and DM fiats or he's messing with you personally. Can't help in either case.

[Swaoeaeieu]

I'm trying to figure out how you hit something moving several hundred feet per second? Forget the rest, this this is moving waaaay to fast for you to track, let alone hit.

i mean... something similar can be done (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8qM_6yNn2s), so in the dnd world it must surely be possible right?
And as i said, in pathfinder there are feats to do just this. Depending on your system this cool move should be doable.

[Flickerdart]

If you actually want to block projectiles with swords, you can go the undersong route.

Step 1: Gain access to the maneuver action before thought, allowing you to make Concentration checks in place of Reflex saves.
Step 2: Gain access to the spell undersong, allowing you to make Perform checks in place of Reflex saves.
Step 3: Put ranks into Perform: Weapon Drill (Complete Warrior).
Step 4: Get the Evasion class feature.
Step 5: When you are the target of a siege engine (a catapult, since I have never seen stats for cannons) you are entitled to a DC 15 Reflex save for half damage. If you have the above abilities, you can substitute a Perform: Weapon Drill check for this save. Effectively, you flourish your weapons to make the projectile go away.

[Inevitability]

(a catapult, since I have never seen stats for cannons)

Stormwrack has cannons.

[Flameclaws]

adamantine weapons help with hardness a lot.

also, what level? available gold? Class? system? data helps us help you after all


Level six, a class called "ultimate samurai", in the ranges of 15000-20000 gp, and in regular 3.5

[Swaoeaeieu]

Level six, a class called "ultimate samurai", in the ranges of 15000-20000 gp, and in regular 3.5

any idea where that class is from?
also as others have pointed out. Normally in 3.5 you cant cut a cannonball once it has been fired. so That might be where your problem lies. Have you asked your dm what his rules concerning this situation was?

[denthor]

For pure silliness throw a rust monster at the cannon ball or at the stack.

[Inevitability]

any idea where that class is from?

I checked dandwiki, and sure enough, there it was (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ultimate_Samurai_(3.5e_Class)).

Flameclaws, is this your class?

[Xaroth]

I checked dandwiki, and sure enough, there it was (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ultimate_Samurai_(3.5e_Class)).

Flameclaws, is this your class?

...if so, does that mean his DM let him be a homebrew class, but not allowed to homebrew more than the class? :smallconfused:

[Vizzerdrix]

Okay, first you need a katana... :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

[Flameclaws]

...if so, does that mean his DM let him be a homebrew class, but not allowed to homebrew more than the class? :smallconfused:

the reason i didn't cut the cannonball was because i didn't deal enough damage to get past its hardness though i dealt a good 30+

[Inevitability]

the reason i didn't cut the cannonball was because i didn't deal enough damage to get past its hardness though i dealt a good 30+

Most likely you did at least get past its hardness, but simply failed to damage it enough for complete destruction. Even adamantine only has hardness 20, and even with magical hardening a damage roll of 30+ should chip it.

[John Longarrow]

i mean... something similar can be done (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8qM_6yNn2s), so in the dnd world it must surely be possible right?
And as i said, in pathfinder there are feats to do just this. Depending on your system this cool move should be doable.

Well, if they cut the speed of the cannon ball down to about 1/10th its normal flight speed AND you didn't make it out of iron or stone, AND you'd have to be able to do enough damage to cut a multi-inch item in half.

Remember, most cannon fire projectiles faster than the speed of sound. Fastest pitch is about 100 mph (about 1/7th the speed of sound).

[Flameclaws]

Most likely you did at least get past its hardness, but simply failed to damage it enough for complete destruction. Even adamantine only has hardness 20, and even with magical hardening a damage roll of 30+ should chip it.

well.... i fixed that problem by getting a second katana (i bought it after fighting some wierd psionic dragon thing, psions in this game are turned into monsters)

[Inevitability]

well.... i fixed that problem by getting a second katana (i bought it after fighting some wierd psionic dragon thing, psions in this game are turned into monsters)

Er... what problem? Not being able to get past the hardness, you mean?

Or do you think 35 damage should be enough to chop a solid iron sphere in half? Because it isn't.

[Flameclaws]

Er... what problem? Not being able to get past the hardness, you mean?

Or do you think 35 damage should be enough to chop a solid iron sphere in half? Because it isn't.

True...... it would take around 100 i need to find a way to deal that amount of damage.... powerattack with shock trooper gets me some of the way there

[Swaoeaeieu]

Well, if they cut the speed of the cannon ball down to about 1/10th its normal flight speed AND you didn't make it out of iron or stone, AND you'd have to be able to do enough damage to cut a multi-inch item in half.

Remember, most cannon fire projectiles faster than the speed of sound. Fastest pitch is about 100 mph (about 1/7th the speed of sound).

All im saying is the basis for it can be found in the real world. and we all know DND throws realism out the window and we can amp anything up to 13. So this should totally be doable in the game... right?


True...... it would take around 100 i need to find a way to deal that amount of damage.... powerattack with shock trooper gets me some of the way there

As i said, and adamantine weapon would let you bypass hardness of objects. Would lessen the damage you would need to do. And if you dont want to go through all that trouble to do much damage ask your dm if these (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/weapon-mastery-feats/cut-from-the-air-weapon-mastery) feats (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/weapon-mastery-feats/smash-from-the-air-weapon-mastery) can be allowed. Since you allready have a homebrew class i dont see why not.

to increase dmg some more. Get a bigger weapon, enlarge yourself, enchant your weapon, and all those other standard ways to throw lots of dice around.

[Flameclaws]

All im saying is the basis for it can be found in the real world. and we all know DND throws realism out the window and we can amp anything up to 13. So this should totally be doable in the game... right?



As i said, and adamantine weapon would let you bypass hardness of objects. Would lessen the damage you would need to do. And if you dont want to go through all that trouble to do much damage ask your dm if these (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/weapon-mastery-feats/cut-from-the-air-weapon-mastery) feats (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/weapon-mastery-feats/smash-from-the-air-weapon-mastery) can be allowed. Since you allready have a homebrew class i dont see why not.

to increase dmg some more. Get a bigger weapon, enlarge yourself, enchant your weapon, and all those other standard ways to throw lots of dice around.

i really dont think you are reading all of those feats cause at the bottom it says "Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by spell effects cannot be deflected."

[Stealth Marmot]

Okay, first you need a katana... :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

But you got to make it out of Uranium...

[Swaoeaeieu]

i really dont think you are reading all of those feats cause at the bottom it says "Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by spell effects cannot be deflected."

and the second one says you can use it on unusually massive ranged weapons, even spells... making it even cooler to do

[Flameclaws]

and the second one says you can use it on unusually massive ranged weapons, even spells... making it even cooler to do

oh, i just thought one was for slashing weapons and one was for bludgeoning

[Inevitability]

feats (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/weapon-mastery-feats/smash-from-the-air-weapon-mastery)

Does that... does that allow you to smash Disintegrates away? I think I'm in love.

[Swaoeaeieu]

Does that... does that allow you to smash Disintegrates away? I think I'm in love.

only with a katana offcourse

[Krobar]

The second you think you've figured out how to cut a cannonball out of the air, your DM will switch to grapeshot.

[Xaroth]

The second you think you've figured out how to cut a cannonball out of the air, your DM will switch to grapeshot.

Nah man, then he just has to slow down time to slice each individual pellet.

[Blackhawk748]

I came to mention Mountain Hammer, and then i saw that class, and my soul hurts. I just hope everyone else is playing something as.....uniquely built, as that.

[John Longarrow]

All im saying is the basis for it can be found in the real world. and we all know DND throws realism out the window and we can amp anything up to 13. So this should totally be doable in the game... right?


Just as doable as cutting a moon in half with a katana... After all if you can cut a small ball in half, why not a big one?

[Swaoeaeieu]

Just as doable as cutting a moon in half with a katana... After all if you can cut a small ball in half, why not a big one?

dont be rediculous, the moon is way out of your threatened area :smallbiggrin:

[Inevitability]

Just as doable as cutting a moon in half with a katana... After all if you can cut a small ball in half, why not a big one?

Cutting the moon in half seems quite pointless. There's no interesting molten core or anything and I'm fairly sure the moon-halves would just smash back into each other because gravity.

[Ieagleroar]

I had a monk that chopped a cannonball mid-flight in half once, so it is do-able (and a hell of a lot of fun; sure beats 'You jump out of the way'). However, I think we were like level 19-20 when I did it. If I can find the sheet I'll try to help.

[Flameclaws]

The second you think you've figured out how to cut a cannonball out of the air, your DM will switch to grapeshot.

i have covered that..... deflect arrows (witch applies to bullets) and he let me take the homebrew feat improved deflect arrows, then i took combat reflexes (i now can deflect 4 bullets/small cannon projectiles per round)

[Flameclaws]

after i failed to cut the cannonball we had a giant who ****ing caught it... and i think i broke my character.... i dipped one level into barbarian and took lion totem and whirling frenzy.... (i already had two weapon fighting) and then i had power attack, but then i got shocktrooper so now i am the dps of the party

[Xaroth]

after i failed to cut the cannonball we had a giant who ****ing caught it... and i think i broke my character.... i dipped one level into barbarian and took lion totem and whirling frenzy.... (i already had two weapon fighting) and then i had power attack, but then i got shocktrooper so now i am the dps of the party

Why? There was probably a better homebrew class to dip into.

[Inevitability]

after i failed to cut the cannonball we had a giant who ****ing caught it... and i think i broke my character.... i dipped one level into barbarian and took lion totem and whirling frenzy.... (i already had two weapon fighting) and then i had power attack, but then i got shocktrooper so now i am the dps of the party

If you already have a giant able to catch cannonballs (which I guess is doable with Rock Catching), why do you need to be able to cut them in half again?

Whirling frenzy and shock trooper are strong, no surprise here.

[Xaroth]

If you already have a giant able to catch cannonballs (which I guess is doable with Rock Catching), why do you need to be able to cut them in half again?

Whirling frenzy and shock trooper are strong, no surprise here.

Maybe he wanted to cut the giant in half. Bait the giant into catching the cannonball, slice him in half with the cannonball.

[KillianHawkeye]

Just as doable as cutting a moon in half with a katana... After all if you can cut a small ball in half, why not a big one?


dont be rediculous, the moon is way out of your threatened area :smallbiggrin:

What if your campaign was a reenactment of Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask?