So I play a Half-Orc Berserker Barbarian in my campaign and recently obtained a Vorpal Greatsword. I'm currently at level 11 with +5 Strength and have the Orcish Fury feat, as well as Great Weapon Master. With Savage Attacks, Brutal Critical, and Orcish Fury, I'd be adding 2-3 extra weapon damage die on a critical in addition to the doubled base weapon die at current level. I'm not too good with the math stuff, so I wanted to know which would be better to use right now and if that would change down the line as I leveled and got additional dice for Brutal Critical.
Yeah, even without the other bonuses, vorpal swords count as +3 weapons so that right there makes them superior to +1 weapons. (Though the chance of an auto-kill is only 5% per attack, since it only triggers on a natural 20).
Vicious weapons, on the other hand, are garbage. If you don't have another magic weapon they're better than nothing, but that's it. Dealing an 7 extra points of damage on a natural 20 is very inferior to getting +1 to hit and damage on every attack.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Yeah, even without the other bonuses, vorpal swords count as +3 weapons so that right there makes them superior to +1 weapons. (Though the chance of an auto-kill is only 5% per attack, since it only triggers on a natural 20).
Vicious weapons, on the other hand, are garbage. If you don't have another magic weapon they're better than nothing, but that's it. Dealing an 7 extra points of damage on a natural 20 is very inferior to getting +1 to hit and damage on every attack.
Brewsky might have been factoring in advantage from reckless attacks. I've found that to be commonplace on the forums and the number is right.
Nope, definitely meant Vorpal. Wasn't too familiar with them before, but after taking the night to think about it, I realize it's totally better. Think my DM will regret giving me it in the near future.
Nope, definitely meant Vorpal. Wasn't too familiar with them before, but after taking the night to think about it, I realize it's totally better. Think my DM will regret giving me it in the near future.
Nope, definitely meant Vorpal. Wasn't too familiar with them before, but after taking the night to think about it, I realize it's totally better. Think my DM will regret giving me it in the near future.
Yeah, Vorpal swords are one of the most powerful non-artifact weapons in the game. Legendary level rarity, massive offensive power. Much more powerful than what a PC would normally have at that level.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Yeah, even without the other bonuses, vorpal swords count as +3 weapons so that right there makes them superior to +1 weapons. (Though the chance of an auto-kill is only 5% per attack, since it only triggers on a natural 20).
Vicious weapons, on the other hand, are garbage. If you don't have another magic weapon they're better than nothing, but that's it. Dealing an 7 extra points of damage on a natural 20 is very inferior to getting +1 to hit and damage on every attack.
Brewsky might have been factoring in advantage from reckless attacks. I've found that to be commonplace on the forums and the number is right.
Yeah, a Barb with a “on critical hit” weapon is downright dangerous. That DM is gonna regret it haha. At 9.75% per hit, that’s 18.5% chance per round of attacks that the Barb gets a crit.
Yeah, even without the other bonuses, vorpal swords count as +3 weapons so that right there makes them superior to +1 weapons. (Though the chance of an auto-kill is only 5% per attack, since it only triggers on a natural 20).
Vicious weapons, on the other hand, are garbage. If you don't have another magic weapon they're better than nothing, but that's it. Dealing an 7 extra points of damage on a natural 20 is very inferior to getting +1 to hit and damage on every attack.
Brewsky might have been factoring in advantage from reckless attacks. I've found that to be commonplace on the forums and the number is right.
Yeah, a Barb with a “on critical hit” weapon is downright dangerous. That DM is gonna regret it haha. At 9.75% per hit, that’s 18.5% chance per round of attacks that the Barb gets a crit.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I find that an axe fits better thematically for Berserkers in particular. The equal chance for high or low damage works with the high risk, high reward thing they've got going on. 4d12 is always gonna look better than 6d6 on a crit when talking about standard weapons (at least to me). But, there's no such thing as a Vorpal Greataxe, so.
To be fair, the actual comparison between a +1 greataxe crit and a Vorpal Greatsword crit , for a level 11 half-orc barbarian, is 4d12 vs. DED. Or, 6d6+6d8, if the critter is immune to getting Vorp'd.
At no point, in no way, does a +1 greataxe compete with a Vorpal greatsword. Not mechanically, anyways.
The base crit on the greatsword would still be 8d6 before Vorpal, not 6d6. Base 2d6 damage plus 2d6 damage for crit plus 2d6 damage for Barbarian Brutal Crit plus 2d6 damage for Half-Orc Savage Attacks.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Both Savage Attacks and Brutal Critical say that the barbarian adds "a" damage die, not "the" damage die. J-Craw has confirmed that this means greatswords add 1d6, not 2d6, for those features. It's an intended behavior, and a way of rewarding barbarians for using their iconic weapon rather than the objectively better in basically every conceivable way greatsword.
Don't recall. I heard about it secondhand myself. Kinda makes sense, though. Either way, it doesn't really affect the fact that a Vorpal greatsword is clearly the winner by a light year.
So I play a Half-Orc Berserker Barbarian in my campaign and recently obtained a Vorpal Greatsword. I'm currently at level 11 with +5 Strength and have the Orcish Fury feat, as well as Great Weapon Master. With Savage Attacks, Brutal Critical, and Orcish Fury, I'd be adding 2-3 extra weapon damage die on a critical in addition to the doubled base weapon die at current level. I'm not too good with the math stuff, so I wanted to know which would be better to use right now and if that would change down the line as I leveled and got additional dice for Brutal Critical.
Vorpal?? That’s 9.75% chance of instant death. Per attack. There’s no comparison.
Do you mean Vicious?
Yeah, even without the other bonuses, vorpal swords count as +3 weapons so that right there makes them superior to +1 weapons. (Though the chance of an auto-kill is only 5% per attack, since it only triggers on a natural 20).
Vicious weapons, on the other hand, are garbage. If you don't have another magic weapon they're better than nothing, but that's it. Dealing an 7 extra points of damage on a natural 20 is very inferior to getting +1 to hit and damage on every attack.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
It could theoretically be a homebrew of a Greatsword with the Vorpal snickersnack but no other bonuses. 🤷♂️
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Now I'm hungry for a Vorpal Snickers.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Brewsky might have been factoring in advantage from reckless attacks. I've found that to be commonplace on the forums and the number is right.
Nope, definitely meant Vorpal. Wasn't too familiar with them before, but after taking the night to think about it, I realize it's totally better. Think my DM will regret giving me it in the near future.
Most do.
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Yeah, Vorpal swords are one of the most powerful non-artifact weapons in the game. Legendary level rarity, massive offensive power. Much more powerful than what a PC would normally have at that level.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Yeah, a Barb with a “on critical hit” weapon is downright dangerous. That DM is gonna regret it haha. At 9.75% per hit, that’s 18.5% chance per round of attacks that the Barb gets a crit.
29.25% chance with a Frenzied Rage, oh man.
swords are always cooler than axes.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I find that an axe fits better thematically for Berserkers in particular. The equal chance for high or low damage works with the high risk, high reward thing they've got going on. 4d12 is always gonna look better than 6d6 on a crit when talking about standard weapons (at least to me). But, there's no such thing as a Vorpal Greataxe, so.
That would actually be 4d12 vs 8d6, not 6d6.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
To be fair, the actual comparison between a +1 greataxe crit and a Vorpal Greatsword crit , for a level 11 half-orc barbarian, is 4d12 vs. DED. Or, 6d6+6d8, if the critter is immune to getting Vorp'd.
At no point, in no way, does a +1 greataxe compete with a Vorpal greatsword. Not mechanically, anyways.
Please do not contact or message me.
The base crit on the greatsword would still be 8d6 before Vorpal, not 6d6. Base 2d6 damage plus 2d6 damage for crit plus 2d6 damage for Barbarian Brutal Crit plus 2d6 damage for Half-Orc Savage Attacks.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Both Savage Attacks and Brutal Critical say that the barbarian adds "a" damage die, not "the" damage die. J-Craw has confirmed that this means greatswords add 1d6, not 2d6, for those features. It's an intended behavior, and a way of rewarding barbarians for using their iconic weapon rather than the objectively better in basically every conceivable way greatsword.
Please do not contact or message me.
Did he say that on Twitter, or in official errata?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Don't recall. I heard about it secondhand myself. Kinda makes sense, though. Either way, it doesn't really affect the fact that a Vorpal greatsword is clearly the winner by a light year.
Please do not contact or message me.
Indeed.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.