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I was reading the melee weapons special abilities at the Dungeon Master Guide and saw the Vorpal stuff.

how does it exactly works?

let's supose I have a Bastard Sword (Critical 19-20) and I put Vorpal on it.
I take off the guys had only if I take a natural 20 and confirm or if I make any confirmed critical attack?

So if I have improved critical it comes to crit. 17-20...
so thats easy to kill someone by sever its head

can you guys explain this to me??

Thans

That's it basically.
Upon a natural 20 you roll a confirmation, if you hit again, you sever the opponents head from it's body.
Only effective agains normal opponents, not beholders, undead and creatures like that.
Only slashing weapons can be vorpal.

Vorpal costs:
Must have +1 = 2.000 gp
Vorpal is a +5 enchantment = 70.000 gp (70.000 - 2.000)
Total costs 72.000 gp

its a bit like instant death hit at a row of 20s, cutting it back to a single 20 and a confirm hit

In a 3rd Edition campaign I was running around with a keen vorpal kukri, with the improved critical feat. I think it ended up that I could lop heads on a roll of 11 or 13 or something like that (provided I still hit the armor class of the enemy). Snicker-snack, I tell you what.

Ahh the insanity of 3rd, well too bad that improved critical and keen don't stack anymore.

It really sucks.

Lol, I'd say that's a good thing.
Crits were very imbalanced.

but lets supose I have a sword that deals critical at 17 - 20...
If I roll the dice and take a 18 and then confirm de critical hit, I kill the guy by server his head???

"This potent and feared ability allows the weapon to sever the heads of those it strikes. Upon a roll of natural 20 (followed by a successful roll to confirm the critical hit), the weapon severs the opponent’s head (if it has one) from its body."

Natural 20, so keen or improved crit does not matter.

just like, if the dm allows, with death strikes, in which you need at least 20, 20 and a hit. Not a crit, but an 'instant hit'. but since instant death causes PCs much more trouble than monsters, It's not that good if it is used

Vorpal looks flashy, but it's really one of the worst abilities for DND. You have a 5% chance to actually threat a vorpal attack and then you still have to confirm. It's +5, which is insanely high for a weapon, it's not worth it.

Go for speed, wounding, or even brilliant energy. Possibly the best three there are.

I never saw the use of vorpal either. Mostly because many high level monsters have the addition of "immune to critical hits". Those are sometimes immune to wounding too, but at least that doesnt put a +5 cost on the weapon.

Hehe, with a vorpal weapon, go dueling and fight extremely defensive to draw out the battle. At some point you must get your natural 20 and confirm hit.....

Now I got it...

Thanks guys...

Now about the abilities that worth +1 bonus...
Witch one are the best??

I'm a bad judge, but I usualy like ghost touch for its general usefullness whenever you meet uncorporeal people or someone who uses a gaseous form potion and such

Keep in mind that for a weapon to have a special ability, like flaming, it should already have an enchantment. Minimum is +1.

So a Flaming sword doesn't exist, a +1 Flaming does (making it a +2 weapon).

uncorporeal still has 50% ignore corporeal sources, normal weapon has no hit chance. +1 50%, +1 ghost touch 100%. not counting normal AC. so that is why I like ghost touch, or I misunderstood that line of description

Os, I think you are confusing vorpal with corporeal.

*shakes my head* Oskatat is right. Ghost touch does a few things:

1. It allows your weapon to become incorporeal in order to strike such creatures and ignoring their 50% chance to miss.
2. It allows incorporeal creatures to use the weapon with this enchantment as well. Meaning a ghost could wield a ghost touch sword normally.

It's not much in normal circumstances, but if you end up in a place where you fight incorporeal monsters more than on a rare-none basis, it really can come in handy.

so, anyone expecting to face uncorporeal undead, it's very good. Anyone expecting to face things comming out of walls? It's usefullness actualy goes up as you gain levels

If your DM allows it, the most useful +1 ability for weapons-

Sure Striking.

What this does it whatever alignment you are, this bypasses the alignment of all creatures with Damage Reduction/Alignment.

So, if you are lawful good, and you happen to be fighting a paladin by chance, due to some crime for instance, and he somehow has damage reduction 10/evil, you can strike through that with ease, even if you are lawful good. It will not adversely affect your alignment because the ability is a neutral ability, since it affects all alignments.

[QUOTE=Siberys]If your DM allows it, the most useful +1 ability for weapons-

Sure Striking.

[/QUOTE]


In what book I find this special ability???