Reworking the Iuak

[Kevlimin_Soulaxe]

It's a weapon from Frostburn, and I think it is terribly underpowered.

It is currently an exotic one-handed 1d6 19-20 Slashing weapon and ignores the first three points of hardness.

I've considered making it 1d8, or 19-20/x3, or piercing.

However, of late, I like the idea of it threatening on a 19-20 when piercing, or x3 when slashing. Or vice-versa.

Is this balanced? Which way makes the most sense?

[NullAshton]

How about giving a person that uses it improved sunder for free?

[Kevlimin_Soulaxe]

Improved Sunder implies skill and practice. This ignores hardness simply because it is weighted farther out than a regular sword.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

The iuak is supposedly based off a tool used to cut blocks for making iglooit and other snowhouses, which partially explains the crappy stats. Also, if you're going for a sunder build (an iffy build for a number of reasons), dropping 3 points of hardness is nice (also good for knocking down doors and the like).

That being said, it's still crappy for an exotic. I personally would simply make it a martial weapon (basically a scimitar that drops a point of crit range for a different ability). On the other hand, making it 19-20/x3 would be unique and likely not unbalancing, given that you need to spend a feat on it and it has pretty low damage.

The weapon, I believe, first showed up in D&D back with the 2e Complete Ranger's Handbook. I may be wrong, though.

[Fax Celestis]

The weapon, I believe, first showed up in D&D back with the 2e Complete Ranger's Handbook. I may be wrong, though.

It did.

And that was the justification: that it was basically a machete designed for snow-cutting.

However, the one here is kinda stupid. So your 1d8, 19-20/x3 does seem a good replacement. Conversely, one could do a 1d6, 20/x4: It hits weakly most of the time, but when you hit solid, it's huge.

[Kevlimin_Soulaxe]

But what do you guys think of making it slashing or piercing, and 19-20 while doing one kind of damage and x3 while doing the other?

[Peregrine]

But what do you guys think of making it slashing or piercing, and 19-20 while doing one kind of damage and x3 while doing the other?

Too much effort for not enough distinction. Threat range versus crit multiplier is, in effect, a flavour distinction... the practical difference comes up rather rarely.

[Fax Celestis]

Iuaks in reality have no potential for piercing damage. They're flat-ended.

And usually made of bone, but that's another matter.

[Kevlimin_Soulaxe]

Ah, I see. The picture I kept in my head was almost a Wushu-esque blade, while the RAW reality is quite different.

[Fax Celestis]

Ah, I see. The picture I kept in my head was almost a Wushu-esque blade, while the RAW reality is quite different.

Unfortunately, I cannot find a picture of one, but it looks similar to this:

[Kevlimin_Soulaxe]

Yeah, no piercing there.