I can't find a god with the katana as a preferred weapon

[eyebreaker7]

Do I just go with bastard sword proficiency?
Just another starting character. Aasimar paladin (or will be). Should I take a level of fighter first so I'm covered for weapon use? Plus the extra feat.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Mechanically a bastard sword and katana are the same thing in 3.5 edition.

Given your recent threads, you may want to look at the Warblade class in Tome of Battle.

If you want intimidation tricks, to be able to break stuff, and the weapon specialization feats including Melee Weapon Mastery in PH2, go Fighter 9/ Warblade 10/ Fighter 1. Use the Zhentarim Soldier (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) substitution levels (reflavored), the Dungeoncrasher alternate class feature in Dungeonscape, and always take the dead levels (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) class features when possible. At 20th level you can use your Fighter 10 bonus feat to get Melee Weapon Mastery, and you'll still get decent level maneuvers and stances. You'll want the feat Imperious Command from Drow of the Underdark by 9th level, and the Never Outnumbered skill trick in Complete Scoundrel.

[Khedrac]

Since in 3.X D&D a katana is mechanically a masterwork bastard sword then you won't find such a deity outside of an "Oriental" setting.
A deity with "bastard sword" as their preferred weapon should cover you for most purposes, however, unless you select the war doman, clerics are not automatically proficient with their deity's favourite weapon.

Now the bastard sword is somewhat complex when considering the war domain for proficiency:

Free Martial Weapon Proficiency with deity’s favored weapon (if necessary) and Weapon Focus with the deity’s favored weapon.
The bastard sword is only a martial weapon when used two-handed, one handed use requires exotic weapon proficiency (which a level of fighter won't give you without spending a feat). Now, two-handed use is arguably better (+ half again of your strength bonus to damage and better power attack) but you need to remember that you will not have profiency for one-handed use.

[hamishspence]

Mechanically a bastard sword and katana are the same thing in 3.5 edition.


Yup - Arms & Equipment Guide had a big list of "different culture, different name, same stats" examples. Katana came under Bastard Sword (though it did say "masterwork" as well).

I'd go with "only richer NPCs insist on their sword being masterwork - you can find nonmasterwork katanas built by the cheaper swordsmiths.



Other 3.0 to 3.5 books saw fit to split off certain weapons - Arms & Equipment Guide treats cutlasses as scimitars, Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide had slightly different stats for Cutlass, as did Stormwrack.


Still, I'd agree that Katanas don't need a unique statline. For that matter, their blades are short enough that Longsword or Scimitar could work. After all, one-handed weapons can be wielded two-handed for the 1.5 Str Bonus To Damage thing - it's only Light weapons that can't.

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#lightOneHandedandTwoHandedMeleeWeapons

[Gavinfoxx]

Personally, I'd stat a Katana as a Great Scimitar rather than a Bastard Sword.

[RNightstalker]

Eilistraee has the bastard sword, though in her depictions it's never a katana. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch, if at all.

[Psyren]

If you're insistent on actual katana and open to Pathfinder, there are two eastern deities with it - Shizuru (https://aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Shizuru) (LG) and Inma (https://aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Inma) (LE). Portfolio and domains in the links.

[hamishspence]

Pathfinder Katanas have slightly different stats from 3.5 Katanas - basically, they're better longswords:

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/eastern-weapons/

One-handed, same Damage as longswords, better critical threat range, and the Deadly property, making them slightly better at performing coup de grace attacks.

[eyebreaker7]

Wow the Warblade looks really nice! Thanks! One question though. When I did a google the first option for the warblade took me to the D&D tools sight. Ok no problem I've used their stuff before. However they list spells for a Warblade??? 0-9! My second google option took me to WotC site which of course is the "official" entry for the Warblade. They DON'T list spells for the class. Is the D&D tools entry a homebrew? It doesn't say it is. Did I overlook something?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Wow the Warblade looks really nice! Thanks! One question though. When I did a google the first option for the warblade took me to the D&D tools sight. Ok no problem I've used their stuff before. However they list spells for a Warblade??? 0-9! My second google option took me to WotC site which of course is the "official" entry for the Warblade. They DON'T list spells for the class. Is the D&D tools entry a homebrew? It doesn't say it is. Did I overlook something?

It gets martial maneuvers and stances, which some sites categorize as spells. It's just named wrong. Also, the D&D tools sites are reliable but considered piracy so it's best to not mention them here.

[eyebreaker7]

DOH! Sorry. How can they list the info if it's illegal? Or do they just hope not to get caught.

[Saintheart]

I think it's more that WOTC haven't got around to issuing digital orbital strikes on that site yet.

Anyway, on gods and katanas/bastard swords: if your intent was to pick up the War domain power because it gives you free weapon proficiency, then you're (most likely) wasting your time even if you found a god whose favoured weapon is the katana. The War domain power only grants free proficiency and Weapon Focus in a martial weapon. The katana is an exotic weapon, not martial. It is treated as a martial weapon if you wield it with both hands which a lot of people seem to think turns it into a martial weapon, but it doesn't.

As it is, going by Troacctid's trusty list of all gods in D&D (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?571607-Comprehensive-Deity-Database) without going third party, there are a grand total of 9 gods who have the bastard sword as a favoured weapon. Of these gods, only 2 of them have the War domain: Aengrist from Frostburn, Kelanen from the Greyhawk setting. There are none who have the katana specifically as a favoured weapon.

As far as Exotic Weapon Proficiency goes, it's important to remember that you don't actually need that feat unless you plan to wield the katana one-handed, i.e. because you're fighting with two weapons or fighting with a shield in the other hand. Because a katana is treated as a martial weapon when used in both hands, pretty much any fighter-ish class (including the Warblade) can wield it without having to pick up a separate feat. And generally there aren't a lot of practical reasons to actually wield the weapon with one hand: yes, having a shield makes you slightly less vulnerable at the lower levels, but you get x1.5 STR bonus to damage when wielding two-handed, and that's before you factor in Power Attack. There aren't a lot of specialist feats or options that really force you to wield with one hand - and two-weapon fighting is a bit marginal at best. You'd probably want to pick up EWP if you want to qualify for Exotic Weapon Master, but let's not get complicated about this just yet.

[Powerdork]

I think it's more that WOTC haven't got around to issuing digital orbital strikes on that site yet.

If I'm not mistaken, there have been two attempts at a site laid out like this before, DNDtools.pw and DNDtools.eu, but that's all I'll say on the matter.

[hamishspence]

As far as Exotic Weapon Proficiency goes, it's important to remember that you don't actually need that feat unless you plan to wield the katana one-handed, i.e. because you're fighting with two weapons or fighting with a shield in the other hand. Because a katana is treated as a martial weapon when used in both hands, pretty much any fighter-ish class (including the Warblade) can wield it without having to pick up a separate feat.

Unless you're playing Pathfinder - that version of the Katana is different - it doesn't have the "two-handed, it's a martial weapon" option, because it's a different weapon from the "masterwork bastard sword katana". Hence its lower damage (1d8 instead of 1d10).

[GrayDeath]

Eilistraee has the bastard sword, though in her depictions it's never a katana. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch, if at all.

Which would fit twice as well as she is effectively a Goddess of "Teenager who does what she thinks is cool and damned be Traditions" ^^