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Stormthorn
2008-03-14, 08:21 PM
Cane
Cost: 9g
Damage: 1d6/1d4* Type: Bludgeoning
Wieght: 3lb
Type: simple, light
Crit: 19-20/x1.5

This is the weapon of a gentleman, elegant, useful, deadly and unasuming. It can be carried in public without arousing suspicion and aids one in walking. It is made of light metals and hard woods, contributing to its sturdy but easily to carry design. A well made cane costs nine gold (a cane not suitable for battle costs less), but far more expensive canes exist. It is not uncommon for aristocracy to carry masterwork canes despite almost never using them in combat.

Note:A character with a cane recieves a +2 on his constitution check to avoid nonleathal damage in his first hour of forced marching every day, and a +1 on his second check. No further bonuses beyong that.

*This weapon can deal either lethal or nonleathal damage with no penalty for using the inapropriate damage type. The first number is the damage if the wielder chooses to deal nonleathal and the second number is the leathal damage. One can attempt to deal 1d6 points of lethal or 1d4 points of nonleathal, but the -4 penalty then applies unless the wielder has taken Weapon Focus [cane].

cintain
2008-03-14, 08:52 PM
That's pretty cool. I had been thinking of coming up with something like this. Good design, and I like the bit about the lethal/nonlethal damage.
Would you consider removing the penalty on dealing more lethal damage if one took Weapon Focus (cane)?

Just a thought.

C

G-Man
2008-03-14, 09:05 PM
I made a cane that had a sword hidden in its length.. effectively doubled as a club (using the metal handhold) or a rapier. Was a neat item... cost alot though, and it was easy to sunder.

Stormthorn
2008-03-14, 09:20 PM
I made the suggested change.

I want a cane IRL. I walk with a limp so i could use it, and i know how to fence so i could defend myself with it if need be.

mockingbyrd7
2008-03-14, 10:05 PM
Should the cane also give a bonus to Perform (Dance) if you already have ranks in it? Fred Astaire could do some amazing things with a cane.

Also, very awesome. Overpowered for a simple weapon, but who cares? It's awesome.

Edit: Not as overpowered as I thought; the 1d6 is for nonlethal instead of lethal. Gotcha.

bluish_wolf
2008-03-14, 10:28 PM
Why not stick a sword in it and make it a swordcane?

jagadaishio
2008-03-14, 10:31 PM
I would suggest switching around the damage so that it normally does 1d6 nonlethal and has the option of dealing 1d4 lethal bludgeoning damage. The -4 penalty to attacks with the weapon without weapon focus would then apply to attacks with the lethal variety of damage, simply because it's a lot easier to knock someone out with a cane than to kill them, while the opposite is true of a morningstar or a greatclub.

cintain
2008-03-14, 10:41 PM
I made the suggested change.

I want a cane IRL. I walk with a limp so i could use it, and i know how to fence so i could defend myself with it if need be.

that's a funny coincidence... I am into fencing as well, and took some workshops on using a cane for self-defense. This is why I wanted to have stats for it for D&D. Besides, it makes for a much better weapon for a mage or psion than a quarterstaff (Gandalf imagery notwithstanding)... wielding a quarterstaff without hurting yourself requires a bit more skill than wielding a cane.

Looks awesome, thanks for making this.

C

Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-03-14, 11:39 PM
Nice work.

I only have one complaint. That critical range isn't in keeping with the other weapons. 18-20 is usually reserved for weapons with a large cutting edge (scimitar and falchion) or those with the ability to strike lightly but fatally (Rapier). It especially is never seen on simple weapons.

Bludgeoning weapons almost always have a 20/x2 or 20/x3 multiplier, and I think this would be better served with a 20/x2, since it's not exactly designed as a weapon. As a light simple weapon, 1d6 nonlethal (20/x2) or 1d4 lethal (20/x2) is perfectly acceptable. 1d6 nonlethal (18-20/x2) is a bit out of line.

Just my 2cp.

Stormthorn
2008-03-14, 11:43 PM
I would suggest switching around the damage so that it normally does 1d6 nonlethal and has the option of dealing 1d4 lethal bludgeoning damage.

Its currently set up so that if you want to deal d6 lethal damage (which is normaly 1d4) you either have to settle for less damage(give up on the d6 thing), take a -4 penalty, or have the feat. I think that accuratly represents the difficulty in killing someone with a cane (not impossible, but harder than if you where using a mace)

Or you could have it be magical.
Breaker: +3 Keen Cane of Wounding

Guardian: +2 Merciful Defending Ghost Touch Cane Disruption (My paladin will kill your wraith with his freakin cane!)


I only have one complaint. That critical range isn't in keeping with the other weapons. 18-20 is usually reserved for weapons with a large cutting edge (scimitar and falchion) or those with the ability to strike lightly but fatally (Rapier). It especially is never seen on simple weapons.

Bludgeoning weapons almost always have a 20/x2 or 20/x3 multiplier, and I think this would be better served with a 20/x2, since it's not exactly designed as a weapon. As a light simple weapon, 1d6 nonlethal (20/x2) or 1d4 lethal (20/x2) is perfectly acceptable. 1d6 nonlethal (18-20/x2) is a bit out of line.

What about 18-20/1.5?
I was looking at the crits and i noticed that the weapons more likely to crit where things that where very agile like Scimitars and Rapiers (A Rapier is no more fatal than a longsword. A lot less so in fact since your unlikely to kill by blood loss on an extremity strike) A lightweight cane is agile, being wielded in a manner similar to a fencing sabre, which is physicaly the closest modern weapon to a rapier. A heavy cane would proabably be more like a cutlass, but i dont know what thats crit would be like.
Canes are, as i mentioned, more difficult to kill someone with however. The second number reflects a weapons lethality (which is why the potentialy bisecting scythe and the skull piercing picks have high multiplies) so 1.5 would be more accurate for a cane.

A good example of criticals is the daggers. The normal dagger is highly agile and fast, thus it is more likely to strike criticaly. The punching dagger is much less so, essentialy limiting your actions to a simple thrust, but it is designed to inflict massive internal damage to organs and pierce bones. It has a higher multiplier.

jagadaishio
2008-03-15, 02:29 AM
I would suggest a 19-20 x2 crit range. You're less likely to score a hit to an organ or other vital spot with a can than with a rapier. Now, just to clarify, without weapon focus, you can deal 1d4 lethal or 1d6 nonlethal without penalty, but with weapon focus you can deal 1d6 lethal or nonlethal without penalty?

Side note: Breaker can't be keen, it's a slashing weapon exclusive enhancement.

Szilard
2008-03-15, 09:47 AM
Why not stick a sword in it and make it a swordcane?

I think in the harry potter movies, not sure if its in the book, lucius Mayfloy stuck his wand in a cane, either that or a dagger.

Stormthorn
2008-03-18, 06:36 PM
Side note: Breaker can't be keen, it's a slashing weapon exclusive enhancement.

People get too hooked up on the rules. Im not going to argue against a more powerful weapon if the DM lets me have it. DM is god. Rulebook is guidelines.

RandomLunatic
2008-03-18, 06:52 PM
It is overpowered as a light Simple weapon, 1d6 18-20/x2. Heck, it would be overpowered as a Martial weapon (Kukri, light 1d4 18-20/x2). And no, the fact it does non-lethal damage does not balance it out, as the distinction does not really matter 85% of time (only if the guy is getting healed, or if you are fighting Undead or Contructs).

And 18-20 really doesn ot make sense on a bludgeoning weapon, which do not fit the mold of "keen" or "precise" weapons typically associated with that threat range.

So make it Simple, light, 1d6 non-lethal, 20/x2, bludgeoning, with a special ability to deal 1d4 lethal damage with no penalty. This puts it roughly on par with the Sickle, and slightly behind the Dagger.

JackMage666
2008-03-18, 07:03 PM
I'm going with the others that the crit rating should just be 20/x2 if it's a light, simple weapon. If it were martial, perhaps it can be more, but as is, for balance, it should just be 20/x2.

Demented
2008-03-19, 07:01 AM
A cane being used as a saber? O.o
I'd have figured it'd be more of a two-handed spear-type weapon. Admittedly, thwacking someone over the head with a cane is always an amusing image.

graystone
2008-03-19, 08:30 AM
As is, it's a fine exotic weapon. It's WAY overpowered for a simple weapon and just overpowered as a martial weapon.

It has the same stats as a Kukri PLUS it can do increased damage with subdual with no minuses.

IMO martial can d4 damage (d6 subdual with -4 hit) and 18-20 crit. This leaves it only slightly better than a kukri.

IMO simple d4 damage 19-20 crit.

Stormthorn
2008-03-19, 10:53 AM
Damage of the weapon stays the same. Damage of crit is 1.5 (for reasons i think i mention above somewhere) and the range is 19-20.

This is roughly equivolent to a crit on 20 with a x3 weapon. At 1d4 points of lethal that is the same as a punching dagger. A light simple weapon.


I would also like to note that just because something is exotic doesnt mean it is more powerful. Look at the whip. And some of the light exotics have almost the exact same stats as light simples. Or the spiked chain and the longspear.

graystone
2008-03-19, 12:31 PM
Damage of the weapon stays the same. Damage of crit is 1.5 (for reasons i think i mention above somewhere) and the range is 19-20. Better, but a crit of 1.5 is odd.



I would also like to note that just because something is exotic doesnt mean it is more powerful. Look at the whip. And some of the light exotics have almost the exact same stats as light simples. Or the spiked chain and the longspear.An exotic weapon either has better stats than a martial weapon of it's size, gives bonuses to moves, or allows you to do something you normally can't do. Just don't look at the stat block and say the numbers look the same.

Whip is a melee weapon with a 15' reach and a +2 trip. exotic (most weapons can't trip and 15' reach is unique to it)

The light exotics from the PHB are all monk weapons. They allow monks to use their abilities. exotic (allows something most weapons can't do)

Chain allows reach 10' or double weapons use, gives a +2 disarm and allows trips. exotic (clearly better than a longspear in versatility)