Ultimate Melee Weapon?

[raistlin807]

Does anyone know if a Mercurial fullsword is real, and if so would it require 2 exotic weapon proficiencies to use? Thanks for your input.

[EagleWiz]

Large Mercual "Hand-And-A-Half" sword. There is another name but its probably stared out.

[raistlin807]

but can I just take exotic weap prof large mercurial fullsword? or do I need to sink two feats?

[Illiterate Scribe]

I know that this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but the ultimate melee weapon is probably the elven courtblade for it's bigger crit-range 18-20 vs. the Merc. blade's 19-20, which you pile on keen and a ton of crit-activated enhancements. Also, remember that Kaorti resin gives a x4 crit multiplier.

[Quellian-dyrae]

By the RAW, there's a mercurial greatsword and a mercurial longsword statted as far as I know. There's also a fullblade. These are each different weapons. What must be remembered is that "mercurial" is not an enhancement to an item the way adamantine or cold iron is*.

A mercurial greatsword sized for a Large creature would combine both the fullblade's base damage (actually, I think a little better...I think 2d6 sizes up to 3d6) and the mercurial greatsword's crit multiplier. To wield it as a Medium character, you would need Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Mercurial Greatsword) and either the Powerful Build ability or Monkey Grip and all its limitations.

The two exotic weapon proficiency feats is a logical idea, though, and one you certainly may wish to consider asking your DM.

*Information is somewhat out of date so if things have been changed just ignore me.

[Parvum]

Fullsword? You mean bastard sword for large characters that for no reason has a seperate proficiency? But mercurial?

To the extent of my knowledge, no weapons exist which require seperate proficiencies. That would be silly. You can have fullbade proficiency, or mercurial fullbade proficiency.

EDIT: God damn ninjas.

[The_Blue_Sorceress]

You're not really getting ahead using a fullblade, even a mercurial one, if such a thing exists (which as others have pointed out, I don't think it does.) You've already got a penalty using a fullbalde as a medium character (unless you're not medium, and then I think the fullblade is statistically the same as a large greatsword, so why not just use one of those?)

I tried the fullblade once. It was flavorful for my character, and when I hit, I hit hard, but I almost never hit, so it would have been better to just use a greatsword.

If you're really set on using a mercurial fullblade, I'd say that it's just one feat. The mercurial fullblade is just one weapon, so you should need just one feat.

Good luck,
-Blue

[raistlin807]

Ahh, such lament. I don't have a great many books in my possession. So what would a good 2 handed weapon be then? I was apparently mistaken in thinking that one sword existed. I thought there was a variant of the greatsword that did d8's in damage and had a higher crit range. :-p

[Sucrose]

Frankly, the greatsword is a "good two-handed melee weapon." It also doesn't require another feat for most fighter types, so you can specialize in whatever fighting style you prefer more with it than some exotic weapon.

If you don't want to specialize, you could always just take Improved Initiative, and thereby get another strike per battle.

[raistlin807]

How does one gain another attack from Improved Initiative? I thought it just gave you a +4 bonus, have I been living in a fantasy world? Please enlighten me?

[kjones]

Normally:

They attack, you attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

With Improved Initiative:

You attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

Not literally an extra attack, but there you go.

[raistlin807]

So are you refering to the attack in a suprise round? Or was that earlier post just a mistake?

[kjones]

Normally:

They attack, you attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

With Improved Initiative:

You attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

Not literally an extra attack, but there you go.

[kjones]

Normally:

They attack, you attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

With Improved Initiative:

You attack, they attack, you attack, they die.

Not literally an extra attack, but there you go.

[raistlin807]

Sorry for the repeat posts, my computer is jerking me around. I am not notmally that rude. Thank you all for the advice.

[ZekeArgo]

Mercurial is actually from the 3.0 Arms and Equipment Guide. Isn't treated as a weapon augmentation, but a separate exotic weapon all together

[Sucrose]

Yeah, kjones is expressing my point pretty well.

I've just found that going early in initiative to be the virtual equivalent of another attack, and Improved Initiative helps a lot with that.

[AslanCross]

Fullsword? You mean bastard sword for large characters that for no reason has a seperate proficiency? But mercurial?

To the extent of my knowledge, no weapons exist which require seperate proficiencies. That would be silly. You can have fullbade proficiency, or mercurial fullbade proficiency.

EDIT: God damn ninjas.

Although the Fullblade is basically an large-sized bastard sword (2d8), a large character wouldn't need a proficiency for it. A large character would need a proficiency feat to wield a 3d8 damage fullblade, however.

Anyway, Mercurial isn't an enchantment. It's a funky way to build a weapon: You have a hollow channel inside the weapon connected to a bulb of mercury in the hilt. Swinging it causes the weight of the weapon to shift towards the tip, making for a more mass behind the actual damage-dealing edge. One could possibly homebrew a mercurial fullblade, and since exotic proficiencies usually suck, I wouldn't mind putting it all in one feat.

[raistlin807]

Argh, anyone know the stats for the Fullblade? Or, barring that, what book it's in?

[Zincorium]

Argh, anyone know the stats for the Fullblade? Or, barring that, what book it's in?

Arms and equipment guide. It's 3.0 but since most of it hasn't been updated it's still valid for the most part.

[AslanCross]

The only thing that should change is the deal about weapon sizes. It's basically "a bastard sword for the next size category." A medium fullblade can't be wielded by a medium character at all without the EWP, while a large character can wield it as a martial weapon in two hands, or in one hand as an exotic weapon. A large character would be wielding a bastard sword for a huge creature, etc.

[kemmotar]

actually, a dip in master of masks(from complete scoundrel)there is a mask that grants you proficiency with all exotic weapons...thus solving the EWP problem...

[the_tick_rules]

the ultimate melee weapon is a vorpal weapon in the hand of a greater god. well maybe not ultimate but it's right up there.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I always preferred the Halberd, actually. Trip weapon, swappable damage type, two-hander, settable. Mediocre damage die, but if it had reach like it ought to, it'd be perfect.

Alternatively, there's the Falchion, for when you just have to have a 30% critical hit rate.

Sure, you can go for base damage. But when Thog Power Attack for 4d6+167 damage, does it really matter?

[Yami]

I myself prefer daggers. Sure, you could wield some whacked out oversized weapon, and look good doing it.

But it really grates on the NPC's when they're taken out by a goblin with a dagger. v^_^

Base damage should be chump change. At low level's it'll probably be of some import, but by level 5 you should be looking for getting the most you can out of your weapon, and base damage isn't it. Reach, tripping capacity, etc.. these are worth more than an extra d6, or other small bump. As for extended crit range, I'll admit, I like it in concept. But it is a fickle thing, and has never helped me out when actually applied.

By the way, I beleive the ultimate weapon is the Greathorn Minotaur Warhammer. That they built right. And then proceeded to lay down some silly rule abut not allowing the PC's to have it, because it's just that good.

I still say go dagger. It's useful in grapple!

[Nerd-o-rama]

Yes, daggers are by and large the best light-weapon sidearm you can get. Great for cutting your way out of monsters with Swallow Whole.

Oh, and if you're arming a horde of peasants or clerics, you can't go wrong with morningstars (backed up by longspears). Morningstars are a heck of a weapon for simple weapon proficiency.

[Zincorium]

I still say go dagger. It's useful in grapple!

Not just that, actually. Daggers have the greatest synergy of any weapon with the possible exception of unarmed strike.

They're light weapons, piercing and slashing damage, and you don't need martial weapon proficiency to use them. They're finessable, which means they work with swashbuckler's insightful strike, they're shadow step weapons, so shadow blades can use them, they're the primary weapon of invisible blades (best combat rogue class in existence), they can be used for dervish due to slashing damage, you can throw them, and they can work with all of the above options in a single build if you do it right.

Daggers also are a common weapon in non-rolled treasure troves, if only because they're one of the few weapons that immediately spring to mind.

[kemmotar]

Well...id say unarmed strike...it's damage scales nicely with feats and monk levels...you just need to go 8 levels of monk, or some PrC that gives you monk abilities for a few levels. Impr natural attack, superior unarmed strike and a goliath and you got best base damage in the game in a single weapon. no need for profs, usable in a grapple, can do subdual or lethal...

plus you can trip and disarm with it, you can take knockdown(if your DM allows it, from sword and fist) free trips whenever you deal more than 10 damage. with 4d8+str that's not very difficult...plus buff str and get an amulet of mighty fists, or jsut some gloves with enhancement to unarmed strike and you're set...

Plus you never lose an action to draw your weapon..there's also an interesting feat in sword and fist i think that lets you convince the other that you are unarmed and they therefore do not use their full strength or something like that...

Also monks are fun! you can get on everybody's nerves upholind the law!

[Talic]

Heavy pick. Every character should have one. It's small, easy to handle, and....

Well, you don't need a proficiency to make a coup de grace.

[AslanCross]

I always preferred the Halberd, actually. Trip weapon, swappable damage type, two-hander, settable. Mediocre damage die, but if it had reach like it ought to, it'd be perfect.

Alternatively, there's the Falchion, for when you just have to have a 30% critical hit rate.

Sure, you can go for base damage. But when Thog Power Attack for 4d6+167 damage, does it really matter?

Although I've never been a fan of polearms, I always thought the halberd was awesome. It's just too bad that it doesn't have reach.