Vorpal Sword vs. PCs

[Angelalex242]

First: Does the Vorpal sword kill PCs by default? (After all, if they want it, they gotta kill the current owner...)

Second: What protects against beheading?

As far as I can tell, Adamant Armor (immunity to crits) and the Black Dragon Mask (You have a legendary save, and it can't behead things with legendary saves...) both protect against beheading.

[JackPhoenix]

Immunity to crits won't help you. The beheading is based on rolling 20, not critting... so champions won't behead you at 18-20, and adamantine armor won't protect you.

Not being hit is an obvious answer. Giving the enemy disadvantage on attacks lowers the chance of beheading from 1/20 to 1/400.

[DarkKnightJin]

Immunity to crits won't help you. The beheading is based on rolling 20, not critting... so champions won't behead you at 18-20, and adamantine armor won't protect you.

Not being hit is an obvious answer. Giving the enemy disadvantage on attacks lowers the chance of beheading from 1/20 to 1/400.

Rolling a 20 is a crit, so I'd personally rule that Adamantine armor does guard against a Vorpal blade.

Beyond that, I'd probably rule that by the time the party is likely to run into a weapon of such power, they are probably used to fighting things with Legendary Actions/Resistance, and can be considered on par with such beings, and therefore immune to the "Off with his head!" ability.
Unless it's been cleared with all the players that they might literally lose their head in that fight, and rhey all agreed.

[Angelalex242]

Rolling a 20 is a crit, so I'd personally rule that Adamantine armor does guard against a Vorpal blade.

Beyond that, I'd probably rule that by the time the party is likely to run into a weapon of such power, they are probably used to fighting things with Legendary Actions/Resistance, and can be considered on par with such beings, and therefore immune to the "Off with his head!" ability.
Unless it's been cleared with all the players that they might literally lose their head in that fight, and rhey all agreed.

PCs (Not even T4 PCs) are not immune by default, that's for sure. Fighting the vorpal sword wielder so you can turn it against your enemies means your PCs have to play the same game of Russian roulette their enemies do.

[Sigreid]

The defense is clearly to have your party member who can raise dead out of range of melee while you deal with the guy with the sword.

[Armored Walrus]

First: Does the Vorpal sword kill PCs by default? (After all, if they want it, they gotta kill the current owner...)

Second: What protects against beheading?


First, I agree.

Second; Polymorph into something without a head?

[NecroDancer]

Or use disguise self to make it seem like you don't have a head

[DivisibleByZero]

Rolling a 20 is a crit, so I'd personally rule that Adamantine armor does guard against a Vorpal blade.

Adamantine armor protects against critical hits, not against a natural 20.
There's a difference.
A natural 20 is a critical hit, but a critical hit is not necessarily a natural 20.
If you're going to rule that adamantine armor protects against vorpal strikes, then you should also make vorpal weapons decapitate on any critical hit.

[LordEntrails]

First, I agree.

Second; Polymorph into something without a head?
Gelatinous Cube!
I always wanted a reason to become one :)

[Malifice]

Having a Diviner in the party helps.

DM: Natural 20!
Wizard: Yeah, nah. Not on my watch... its a 5. 'Fighter duck!'

[DarkKnightJin]

Adamantine armor protects against critical hits, not against a natural 20.
There's a difference.
A natural 20 is a critical hit, but a critical hit is not necessarily a natural 20.
If you're going to rule that adamantine armor protects against vorpal strikes, then you should also make vorpal weapons decapitate on any critical hit.

I would rule it like that, anyway. So that's not an issue.
And honestly, if my players are rolling an inordinate amount of crits, and I don't want them getting access to instant-decapitation..
I don't introduce a Vorpal Sword into the game. A DM has that kinda power, after all.

If I have a Champion with Shield Master that knocks enemies prone before every series of attacks, they're probably critfishing. I'm not gonna give them a Vorpal Sword if it's just going to wreck the game balance.
Then again, a Vorpal Sword is Legendary rarity, meaning it's likely not before T4 that it's encountered.
Even IF they get one on the crit-fisher, any bosses you toss at them are going to have Legendary Actions, and therefore be immune to the insta-kill feature.

I love the VS' design in the DMG, but I'm more a fan of the Nine Lives Stealer sword's mechanics. Though I might add the ability for the PC to choose to use it's insta-kill feature, if they don't want to 'waste' a charge on a creature they're fighting.
Then again, chucking mooks at the crit-fisher to drain charges from the sword so it can't do that anymore would be what a smart BBEG would do to protect themselves.
So maybe not let them choose to activate its effect.. :smallwink:

[gloryblaze]

Having a Diviner in the party helps.

DM: Natural 20!
Wizard: Yeah, nah. Not on my watch... its a 5. 'Fighter duck!'

Unfortunately, you have to declare portent before the roll is made. By the time the DM shouts "Natural 20!" it's too late for Fighter. Alas, poor Fighter. I knew him, Horatio.

[MaxWilson]

Second: What protects against beheading?

Lucky feat, Foresight, Blur, Greater Invisibility, knocking enemies prone and then grappling them there all provide strong protection against natural 20s: only 1/400, or 1/8000 if you stack Lucky with one of the others.

Resurrection or Reincarnation can reverse the effects after the fact.

Expeditious Retreat or Mobile feat or a horse (or Phantom Steed/Greater Find Steed) can prevent the sword wielder from being to attack you with the sword at all, under some or many circumstances.

Polymorph, Death Ward and/or Mastery of Death (Long Death) can arguably negate the insta-kill effect. Ask your DM.

Shapechange can turn you into something like an ancient white dragon, which is immune (IIRC, AFB) due to having legendary saves.

Choose from those options as appropriate to your party and situation.