3.5 Making the scythe work

[toddex]

Any tips? The only thing I can think of is the basic two hand fighter power attacking route....

[Zeta Kai]

Raging barbarian dual-wielding scythes would be fun.

[TheCountAlucard]

The trick is to try and find a way to improve the odds of critting with one. Quadruple damage is nothing to sneeze at, after all. Dual-wielding two that are each sized for a smaller creature might work, as would keening them.

Stack on stuff that gets more vicious when you crit, like flaming burst, shocking burst, and freezing burst, and it gets scarier.

Actually, I believe there's an enhancement in Book of Vile Darkness that causes your weapon to become lodged in the enemy, automatically hitting (and counting as though it had critted) for several rounds... there's an interesting thought.

Jeez, imagine if the Nimblewright had a scythe or two...

[Adumbration]

A scythe is also a workable tripping weapon.

[arkol]

For the lulz:

1) Be a wizard/beguiler/sorcerer/cleric focusing on enchantment and/or illusion spells like sleep, color spray, hold spells and the like.

2) Cast said spells on enemy

3) Walk up to them and coup de grace them for the auto crit

:D

[PrGo]

I second the thing about making it crit more often. The PrC in the Book of Vile Darkness, Disciple of Dispater triples the crit chance of a weapon, and that STACKS with Improved Crit. But because of the weird multipliers for crits, a scythe would have maximum of 15-20 crit chance (not that that's low ).

Just my two cents.

[The_Werebear]

I second the thing about making it crit more often. The PrC in the Book of Vile Darkness, Disciple of Dispater triples the crit chance of a weapon, and that STACKS with Improved Crit. But because of the weird multipliers for crits, a scythe would have maximum of 15-20 crit chance (not that that's low ).

Just my two cents.

That's because it's 3.0, I believe. It used to stack in 3.0, leading to fun things like Vorpal Scimitar with Improved crit for 9-20 Crit range. Throw on Vorpal (3.0 was Crit=Dead, not just nat 20 IIRC) and give them to a Thri-Kreen for instant death of anything.

In any case...

I would recommend a Trip Barbarian build with it, since it can be used for that. Or, build it into a leap attacker, so you can remember fondly that one time you did 280 points of damage with one swing at level eight. Also note that scythes are one of the few weapons where cleave/great cleave might actually be feasible, especially if you can figure out a way to get the crit range up to three numbers.

[The Gilded Duke]

3.5 still has some crit range stacking. I think keen and that one prestige class in complete champion, the one based on ancient heroes has stacking crit modifiers. Still not 3.0 levels but not bad.

Another build I like is taking a ghost rogue and giving them a ghost touch scythe. Wait until someone is sleeping and then automatic crit on them.

[Fcannon]

If you can use stuff from setting books, look into the sharrash from the eberron campaign setting. It's an exotic scythe with a natural 19-20 crit range on top of the 4x crit.

[arguskos]

Actually, I believe there's an enhancement in Book of Vile Darkness that causes your weapon to become lodged in the enemy, automatically hitting (and counting as though it had critted) for several rounds... there's an interesting thought.

You mean the Fleshgrinding enchantment. It does not auto-crit, but it does deal automatic damage each round for up to five rounds, no attack roll needed. It's a +2 enchantment.

[TheCountAlucard]

You mean the Fleshgrinding enchantment. It does not auto-crit, but it does deal automatic damage each round for up to five rounds, no attack roll needed. It's a +2 enchantment.

You're right; it's Masterslaying that does the crit damage...

Hmm... a +1 fiery burst shocking burst icy burst fleshgrinding masterslaying scythe?

Probably not worth the two hundred grand that it'd cost, but if something eats a crit from the thing, they're not gonna be happy...

[strawberryman]

I'm playing in a heavily homebrewed system with some weapon specialization feats (and allowed improved crit/keen stacking) that allowed me to get scythe threat/multiplier to 12-20/x3 or 4. One of said feats just allowed you to take up a different "style" with a weapon, like boosting damage as if it were a larger weapon, or crit multiplier/threat range, or you could lower one aspect to boost another by 2. So, I lowered the multiplier to x3, and took 18-20 threat range. Then stack that with keen and improved crit, and bam, 12-20. And eventually the DM had a "ultimate" weapon mastery feat that also raises crit multiplier by 1. But like I said, heavily homebrewed. :P

Pretty much, find a way to boost the threat range and you're golden.

I second the thing about making it crit more often. The PrC in the Book of Vile Darkness, Disciple of Dispater triples the crit chance of a weapon, and that STACKS with Improved Crit. But because of the weird multipliers for crits, a scythe would have maximum of 15-20 crit chance (not that that's low ).

...wow, I missed that. *goes to look*

[Blackjackg]

Seems to me (based on the heavy ToB-favoritism among melee classes on these boards) that the biggest drawback to the scythe is that none of the nine martial styles offer it as a style weapon.

With that being said, the best way to make it work is to a) Get Improved Critical or keen and one of those feats or powers that gives you a bonus to confirm crits to maximize that x4 crit damage, b) Get power attack to maximize the damage you're multiplying, c) Get some tripping in there and d) Maximize your number of attacks per round to give you more chances to crit.

[RTGoodman]

If you can use stuff from setting books, look into the sharrash from the eberron campaign setting. It's an exotic scythe with a natural 19-20 crit range on top of the 4x crit.

Not any more - errata nerfed it.

The Talenta sharrash should have a critical threat range of 19–20/x2, not 19–20/x4.

[Paul H]

You're right; it's Masterslaying that does the crit damage...

Hmm... a +1 fiery burst shocking burst icy burst fleshgrinding masterslaying scythe?

Probably not worth the two hundred grand that it'd cost, but if something eats a crit from the thing, they're not gonna be happy...

Hi

Thought I read somewhere that you couldn't have both Icy & Fire damage on same weapon.

But Acid & Fire makes for a really corrosive mix.

Oh - Kensai PrC from Complete Warrior reduces cost of weapon - you just spend some XP.

Back on subject - what about Improved Crit/Power Crit? 13th Lvl Duskblade wielding Spell Storing Scythe 2H?
BAB +13, can cast 'through' his melee wpn adding spell damage to each attack. With Scorching Ray in his wpn, that's potential 20D6 Electrical, plus 48D6 Fire damage, in addition to anything else..........
(Avg 238 pts damage, plus wpn/strength etc etc).

Cheers
Paul H