Cavalry Sabre

[de-trick]

i know i saw stats on the Cavalry Saber but i forgot the book and the exact stats on it.Anyone knows the book and stats?

found it

Quintessential Fighter II

Cavalry Sabre | 20gp | 1d8 | 19-20/x3 | 5lbs | slashing

[Overlard]

I assume that's an exotic weapon?

[B!shop]

Why don't use the more common sabre (or a scimitar with sabre design) in PHB?

[de-trick]

martial weapon nothing hard to use about it, resembles a longsword/scimitar

[Human Paragon 3]

Should be Exotic due to the fact it is strictly better than a long sword, scimitar, axe etc. Its x3 crit and 19-20 threat range make it exotic, as martial weapons all have only one or the other.

I might see it as a martial weapon if it only had x3 crit while mounted.

[Matthew]

Indeed. Pretty much any One Handed Weapon with 1D8 19-20/x3 would normally be categorised as Exotic. For comparison, the Bastard Sword is Exotic One Handed 1D10 19-20/x2. It's just Power Creep otherwise [i.e. why would anyone use a Long Sword, Bastard Sword or Scimitar when they are all outclassed by the Cavalry Sabre?].

[de-trick]

yeah but how would it be harder to use than any other martial weapon. Damage has nothing to do about if exotic.

[Mike_G]

Realism wise, it should do the same damage as a longsword, with a better crit like a scimitar, and should be Martial.

A Sabre is no harder to use that a Longsword, so it should be martial, it's the same weight, so it should do 1d8, and it actually will cut deeper due to the curve (against lightly armored foes, but this is D&D so that's not an issue) so you can argue for a x3 crit.

Balance wise, if it's just better that the Longsword, it should be exotic.

I'd just use the Longsword stats and keep it martial. Or make it crit 20/x3 to maintain balance.

[Saithis Bladewing]

19-20/x3 is a bit powerful, even for an exotic weapon.

[Matthew]

yeah but how would it be harder to use than any other martial weapon. Damage has nothing to do about if exotic.

El-wrongo. Weapons aren't Exotic in D&D because they are difficult to use, they're Exotic because they are statistically better than Martial Weapons.

I mean, what's the justification for 'Critical Hits' tuned to Weapons anyway? They are completely abstract. There's no real reason that a Scimitar is 1D6 18-20/x2 and a Long Sword 1D8 19-20/x2 - those numbers don't model anything about the real life qualities of those weapons (in fact the weapons themselves are abstract, being as they pertain to no specific actual real life weapons). The only thing that matters is how a weapon is statistically balanced against others.

[de-trick]

then why are the d4 and d6 exotic weapons, and why would a spiked chain be exotic if it does the same damage of Falchion.

[Saithis Bladewing]

Because you're both right. Exotic weapons are chosen both on the basis of their power and on the basis of their "rarity" in the world (e.g. kukris).

[Indon]

I mean, what's the justification for 'Critical Hits' tuned to Weapons anyway? They are completely abstract.

There are some clear examples, such as the picks, which are x4. Why? Long, deep-piercing blades (such as those from a pick or scythe) are going to inflict a whole lot of damage if they get lucky and hit a vulnerable spot.

Though, yeah, a lot of the variations are probably there for weapon balance rather than any modeling of a real-life function.

[Matthew]

then why are the d4 and d6 exotic weapons, and why would a spiked chain be exotic if it does the same damage of Falchion.

The 1D4 and 1D6 Weapons are usually Monk weapons and thus Flurriable (which for some reason drives up their value, but not the Staff for some reason). The Spiked Chain has the Special Ability to threaten 5' and 10' simultaneously, amongst other things.

There are some clear examples, such as the picks, which are x4. Why? Long, deep-piercing blades (such as those from a pick or scythe) are going to inflict a whole lot of damage if they get lucky and hit a vulnerable spot.

Though, yeah, a lot of the variations are probably there for weapon balance rather than any modeling of a real-life function.

That's really justification after the fact. A Sword should also do the same, theoretically, given that once it breaches Armour it will cause a long deep piercing wound.
If anything, a Pick might be modelled by decreasing overcoming AC or DR.

[The_Snark]

Because you're both right. Exotic weapons are chosen both on the basis of their power and on the basis of their "rarity" in the world (e.g. kukris).

Sort of, but to be exotic, a weapon also has to have some sort of advantage. Kukris, for example, have no advantage, and they are in fact martial weapons

All the low-damage exotic weapons have extra advantages. The spiked chain can trip, gives a bonus to disarming, can be Finessed (the only core two-handed weapon that can be), and is a reach weapon that can also strike withiin normal reach (again, the only core weapon with that quality). That's a lot of advantages in the right hands.

The bastard sword and dwarven waraxe have higher damage. The double weapons have slightly higher damage than most two-weapon fighting combinations. The little weapons are all given to monks for free, and can be used with flurry of blows and Stunning Fist and such. (They're still not very good.) Exotic and martial weapons are chosen according to their statistics in almost every case; when they're not, such as with the monk weapons and shuriken, they always err on the side of making the exotic weapon weaker. This cavalry saber shouldn't be a martial weapon with that sort of critical range; it's better than any other one-handed martial weapon.

If you added something about its critical range or multiplier decreasing while off a horse, it would be more reasonable; the lance already gives mounted advantages.

[Indon]

then why are the d4 and d6 exotic weapons, and why would a spiked chain be exotic if it does the same damage of Falchion.

The Spiked Chain is a 2-handed, finessable reach weapon. It's very good, and in fact probably the only Exotic weapon that is actually superior to martial weapons.

All the other weapons are as good or _worse_ than martial weapons, though from the attention WotC gives them in the form of PrC's like Exotic Weapon Master, they were probably intended to be more powerful than martial weapons.

Edit: Mind that the exotic double weapons are not significantly superior to the Quarterstaff, a simple weapon. Arguably, though, the Quarterstaff is one of the best simple weapons.

[Matthew]

Yeah, the Double Weapons are questionable, but they just edge into Exotic. Here's a calculator Rebonack put up; it's very reliable, though not perfect:

Rebonack's Custom Weapon Builder