"Vorpal Longsword"

[Panpiper]

27 Real Points "Vorpal Longsword": (Total: 77 Active Cost, 27 Real Cost)

 

Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6, Armor Piercing (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 9-13 (Strength 10; -1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 19)

 

plus

 

+3 with a small group of attacks (9 Active Points); OAF (-1), STR Minimum 9-13 (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3)

 

plus

 

Penalty Skill Levels: +8 vs. Placed Shots to the Neck (16 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4), Requires A Roll (9- roll*; (Real Cost: 5)

 

*Roll 2D6+3 for hit location. Any calculated roll of 8 or less automatically strikes the neck (head shot).; -1)

[bigbywolfe]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Nice build. Personally, if I was GMing I might take issue with a Vorpal blade having the "Real Weapon" Limitation though. Do you allow that on all items, even if magically or otherwise enhanced?

[Curufea]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

I would.

Just because a sword in enchanted to cut, does not mean it is enchanted to be indestructible, to not rust, to never need sharpening, to never bend or to weigh nothing at all.

Those would be separate enchantments.

I'd not allow the indestructible one at all - too prone to abuse by anyone with any common sense and a layman's grasp of physics.

[Panpiper]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

What Curufea said.

[Nevenall]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Very nice.

Might I suggest Incantations("snicker-snack!"; -1/4)?

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

I thought only 5 point levels or higher were allowed limitations

 

I'm bored x5 x2

any impairment charts in sixth?

[Nevenall]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

In 6E it's suggested the GM impose a minimum Skill Level that can have limitations, but it's only a suggestion.

x5 x2?

Yes. Same as 5E.

[Panpiper]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

I thought only 5 point levels or higher were allowed limitations

Page 71 Volume 1 of 6th Edition:

 

COMBAT SKILL LEVELS WITH LIMITATIONS

With the GM’s permission, characters can

put Limitations on CSLs (for example, to build

equipment, like a laser sight for a gun). The GM

may restrict which types of CSLs a character can

Limit; for example he might rule that only 3-point

or more expensive CSLs can have Limitations.

Unless the GM rules otherwise, CSLs with Limitations

can only increase the user’s OCV, not DCV

or damage.

 

any impairment charts in sixth?

Yes. Page 111 of Volume 2.

 

Edit: Doh! Nevenall is too quick for me.

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

x5 x2?

that's the stun and body multiple when a target is struck in the head

[Panpiper]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

x5 x2?

that's the stun and body multiple when a target is struck in the head

Doh. Yes, sorry, didn't quite catch the drift there. Yes, that is indeed the stun and body multiple.

 

The sword basically has a 25% chance of doing 200% of the body damage. Close to the same number of points spent on straight damage would have given a 100% chance of 150% damage. As it is, this is a less effective method of spending the points than simply buying a 3D6 sword attack. It is more fun for the player however as they are now carrying one of the legendary 'vorpal' swords.

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

I like the 9- roll

that way the character can hit even if he misses the targets head

 

I allow combat still levels to be used to adjust the hit location by one for each level

I also allow skill levels to be used against the activation of armor

[Susano]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Here's my Vorpal Blade:

 

HKA 2d6+1, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2) (total cost: 13 points) plus Targeting Skill Levels: +8 versus Hit Location Modifiers with HKA (12 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2) (total cost: 3 points). Total Cost: 16 points.

[Panpiper]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Here's my Vorpal Blade:

 

HKA 2d6+1, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2) (total cost: 13 points) plus Targeting Skill Levels: +8 versus Hit Location Modifiers with HKA (12 Active Points); OAF (-1), Independent (-2) (total cost: 3 points). Total Cost: 16 points.

Well, that's not actually a vorpal sword in the traditional sense. That's a head hunting sword. A vorpal sword hits like a normal sword, but has a 'chance' to take a head off when it does hit. With your sword Susano, your sword either gets a head shot, or it misses entirely. With my sword, if the sword hits with a normal, non targeted shot, there is a much greater chance that the head will get hit, but if the head is 'not' hit, it will still deliver a body blow.

[Markdoc]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

And just to add a third variety, I made a vorpal sword thusly:

 

1d6 HKA + 2d6 HKA (only if location 5 struck, -2), both OAF, real weapon. 15 real points. It'll cut like a normal sword, but if you hit the neck, odds are it'll take the head clean off. I didn't add a STR min, since it's a magic sword and thus feels "light and easy to use", thus allowing it to do respectable damage even though it's only 1d6.

 

cheers, Mark

[Panpiper]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

1d6 HKA + 2d6 HKA (only if location 5 struck, -2), both OAF, real weapon. 15 real points. It'll cut like a normal sword, but if you hit the neck, odds are it'll take the head clean off. I didn't add a STR min, since it's a magic sword and thus feels "light and easy to use", thus allowing it to do respectable damage even though it's only 1d6.

 

Unfortunately there is only a 2.78% chance of rolling an exact 5 on 3 six sided dice. In fact there is only a 4.63% chance of rolling a 5 'or less' for normal head shots. Giving a 2.78% chance of doing an extra 2D6 of damage with a limitation of -2 is like charging ~60 character points for a single damage class. In other words, for 5 points I can buy a 100% chance of getting an extra damage class if I hit. With your -2 limitation, I can reduce that 100% chance of a damage class to a 2.78% chance, whereas it should reduce it more properly to a 25-33% chance. Either that, or the limitation for the extra damage on your sword should not be -2, rather it should be -30.

 

Of course if this is a found weapon, it matters not at all how you do the calculation and the effect is a nice little bit of chrome. However if you want players to 'pay' for items, or a player wants to build a that effect into sword, I would suggest re-examining the -2 for such a limitation on extra damage.

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Page 71 Volume 1 of 6th Edition:

 

COMBAT SKILL LEVELS WITH LIMITATIONS

With the GM’s permission, characters can

put Limitations on CSLs (for example, to build

equipment, like a laser sight for a gun). The GM

may restrict which types of CSLs a character can

Limit; for example he might rule that only 3-point

or more expensive CSLs can have Limitations.

Unless the GM rules otherwise, CSLs with Limitations

can only increase the user’s OCV, not DCV

or damage.

 

 

Yes. Page 111 of Volume 2.

 

Edit: Doh! Nevenall is too quick for me.

 

There is a game where no matter what you do you're gonna get hit

so buy defense and stun and body 'cause you're gonna get hit

*throws shield to the ground*

pulls out two handed sword and considers 2 handed gestures

reconsiders shield as an OCV bonus for blocking

[Curufea]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Well' date=' that's not actually a vorpal sword in the traditional sense. That's a head hunting sword. [/quote']

 

It is implied though that the Vorpal sword cuts off heads if you look at the original document where the word (and concept) was first invented-

http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

no it doesn't

 

the boy could just have easily cut off the head after the beast was dead

 

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

[Curufea]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Well, I think it's implied as there's no mention of any further cutting done

[Matt Holck]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

though and through suggests stabs

[Markdoc]

Re: "Vorpal Longsword"

 

Unfortunately there is only a 2.78% chance of rolling an exact 5 on 3 six sided dice. In fact there is only a 4.63% chance of rolling a 5 'or less' for normal head shots. Giving a 2.78% chance of doing an extra 2D6 of damage with a limitation of -2 is like charging ~60 character points for a single damage class. In other words, for 5 points I can buy a 100% chance of getting an extra damage class if I hit. With your -2 limitation, I can reduce that 100% chance of a damage class to a 2.78% chance, whereas it should reduce it more properly to a 25-33% chance. Either that, or the limitation for the extra damage on your sword should not be -2, rather it should be -30.

 

Of course if this is a found weapon, it matters not at all how you do the calculation and the effect is a nice little bit of chrome. However if you want players to 'pay' for items, or a player wants to build a that effect into sword, I would suggest re-examining the -2 for such a limitation on extra damage.

 

Your point's a good one, but you also need to look at Defences - in a game where most players have 6-8 rDEF (or more) via armour being able to dish out BOD in excess of that is very useful. But on the whole, you're probably right: for a -2, "any head shot" is likely better.

 

cheers, Mark