Dragon Slaying Sword - What Properties?

[Crow]

Using only core, what good abilities (besides bane) would a sword designed for dragon slaying have? It will be a bastard sword btw.

[Starbuck_II]

Using only core, what good abilities (besides bane) would a sword designed for dragon slaying have? It will be a bastard sword btw.

Non-intelligent sword? Otherwise resist element a few times/day would fit.

1) Keen
2) Vorpal : snick-snack when the vorpal sword in stories. But too expensive in reality.
3) Wounding: Even dragons need Con.
4) Spellstoring: Spells help kill dragons
5) Speed: Extra chances to hit dragon
6) Vicious: +2d6 energy going through all DR; drawback 1d6 damage to you.

If a Sword made to kill evil dragons:
1) Holy

Elemental damage ones if made to kill a certain color: flaming good against white.

[Jack Mann]

Wounding is always good. Holy or unholy could be useful too, if you're going after either chromatic or metallic dragons specifically. If you're going after a specific type of dragon, either frost, shocking, or flaming could be good. Speed is also useful against just about anything. Spellstoring as well.

[SadisticFishing]

Um, Bane (Dragon) makes for a pretty good dragonslaying sword.

[Behold_the_Void]

Making it intelligent with the purpose of killing dragons and the appropriate abilities to do so also helps.

[TheOOB]

Outside of core, spell storing(shivering touch) would be penultimate, in core I find wounding to be surprising effective, as it is against most living opponents.

[JackMage666]

Dragonbane is the most effective, I think (Vorpal Dragon-bane wins, though)- +2 to hit, 2d6+2 extra damage each hit. There's some other advanced ones in the Draconomicon and Magic Item Compendium, but I don't have those with me.

[dyslexicfaser]

I remember in Draconomicon there's a special dragon slayer PrC. As you went through it, dragons could do less to hurt you, and it improved your damage against them.

If you had a sword that somehow conferred some of those abilities on the bearer... it'd almost have to be an Artifact, though.

[Jack Mann]

If he could use Draconomicon, I don't think he'd be restricting this to core only.

[TheOOB]

Agienst a lower level dragon a spell storing weapon with dispel magic can be of great benefit, allowing you to strip their magical energy resistance and use an energy property to great (possibly double) effect.

[Merlin the Tuna]

Vorpal's a waste.

Obviously, you've got Bane (Dragon); aside from that, Holy (or Unholy, if you're in an evil campaign) is arguably the best enhancement around for general use, and should come in handy. Spell Storing is absolutely worth it if you've got a Cleric or Wizard handy, especially if they've got access to something like Otto's Irresistible Dance, which only needs to get past SR. Wounding and maybe Speed would be next on my list.

Thanks, Silvanos.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Spell Storing is absolutely worth it if you've got a Cleric or Wizard handy, especially if they've got access to something like Otto's Irresistible Dance, which only needs to get past SR (as it doesn't allow a save).

Spell Storing only allows you to store a 3rd level spell.

[mostlyharmful]

mage-bane from complete arcane is funky, anything with innate or arcane spellcasting or spell-like abilities (ie almost everything scary) is baned.:smallcool:

[Khanderas]

At least Detect Dragon (X miles, will detect dragons that are under illusions / polyed to humanoids) and Bane (Dragon).

Fluff it up with something that lowers / disrupts the dragons spellresist (now the dragon has a reason to attack the fighter instead of just going for the Cleric -> Caster -> Rogue -> anyone else -> Fighter. Perhaps I think too much MMO though. On that matter, make sure this effect hurts (as in causing physical pain).

[HOO]

Nice weapon enchantments for Rangers/Favored Enemy:

Hunting adds +4 on weapon damage rolls. Now add the Impr. Fav. Enemy feat from CW for +7 against all your Favored Enemies :smallamused:
Dragondoom (smite against Dragons) - well, perhaps not that good, but useful.

[Kurald Galain]

I've been told that the mythical Dragonlance (the weapon, namesake of the campaign world) does your own hit points in damage against a dragon, if used in a charge. Of course, this was 2E, but still wow!

[PinkysBrain]

6) Vicious: +2d6 energy going through all DR; drawback 1d6 damage to you.
He has way more hitpoints than you, even at 2 to 1 it's a bad deal.

[Tormsskull]

Wow.



Using only core, what good abilities (besides bane) would a sword designed for dragon slaying have? It will be a bastard sword btw.




Um, Bane (Dragon) makes for a pretty good dragonslaying sword.


Did you read the OP? Specifically the "besides bane" part?



Dragonbane is the most effective, I think (Vorpal Dragon-bane wins, though)- +2 to hit, 2d6+2 extra damage each hit. There's some other advanced ones in the Draconomicon and Magic Item Compendium, but I don't have those with me.


Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" and "besides bane" part?



I remember in Draconomicon there's a special dragon slayer PrC. As you went through it, dragons could do less to hurt you, and it improved your damage against them.


Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?



mage-bane from complete arcane is funky, anything with innate or arcane spellcasting or spell-like abilities (ie almost everything scary) is baned.


Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?



Hunting adds +4 on weapon damage rolls. Now add the Impr. Fav. Enemy feat from CW for +7 against all your Favored Enemies
Dragondoom (smite against Dragons) - well, perhaps not that good, but useful.


Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?


IMO I would think that Keen and one of the "burst" type damage enhancements would be a good mix. Depends on how much you can afford.

[mostlyharmful]

Yes i did read the OP:smallannoyed: , the question got pretty much definitively answered in the first few posts however. Wounding + Holy are good, elemental burst is good for specific types, intellegient weapons can be taylored to fit.... keen + Vorpal are prcey but useful.

Beyound that what more do you want from the original parameters? the larger question of what would be useful even outside core doesn't seem an awful stretch to the discussion that has exhaused the original material. the discussion is for all those who read and participate not just the original poster, certainly once the poster has a dozen posts answering their quiry.

[Khanderas]

6) Vicious: +2d6 energy going through all DR; drawback 1d6 damage to you.
He has way more hitpoints than you, even at 2 to 1 it's a bad deal.
You get heals, solo dragons usually don't.

[ALOR]

Don't some dragons get cleric spells as well?

[mostlyharmful]

Yeah, but if they stop in the middle of a big fight to cast them they're gonna get creamed.

and not all do, blacks, greens and whites don't from core.

[SadisticFishing]

Wow.





Did you read the OP? Specifically the "besides bane" part?



Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" and "besides bane" part?



Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?



Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?



Did you read the OP? Specifically the "using only core" part?


IMO I would think that Keen and one of the "burst" type damage enhancements would be a good mix. Depends on how much you can afford.

Did you read your own post? That's a lot of redudancy.

Bane (Dragon) is the best dragonslaying weapon you can get. Make the rest of the bonuses on the sword Enhancement (unless you have a Greater Magic Weapon caster, in which case get Vorpal or something).

[Crow]

Ok, thanks for all the replies.

I'm going to do a +1 Keen Bastard Sword of Dragon Bane.

Thanks for all the ideas, but I just decided to keep it simple for this game. I do still want to throw in some random "fluff" abilities. Like I've decided that whenever a dragon is near, it will eminate light in the color of the type of dragon that is near.

[Rex Blunder]

When a black dragon comes by, your jimi hendrix posters are going to look awesome.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Like I've decided that whenever a dragon is near, it will eminate light in the color of the type of dragon that is near.

Have it cast Rainbow Pattern if Tiamat approaches.