The problem is, that dex is already a much better stat then str. Rapier is already a problem imo. A finesse longsword doubles down on "this is a bad idea"
if you wanted to make it a d6 -> d8 with two hands weapon, I could get on board. A dex, D10 2her though? Absolutely not.
What seems to be the determining factor for blade damage, is blade length. A longsword is ~33 - 43 inches in blade length. A rapier is ~41 inches in length. A katana is only 24 - 30 inches in length. That's comparable to the Scimitar and Shortsword (arming sword) in length, therefore would be a D6 weapon 1 handed. Versatile would bump it up to D8 two handed.
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.
Why do people think that the katana is a finesse weapon? Nothing in either videos lead me to believe that either long sword or katana are dexterity focused weapons. You maybe could argue that some long swords were finesse weapons, the 15th / 16th century Italian thrusting long sword are almost rapiers. I see the classic long sword and katana to be more slashing style weapon that depends on strength.
I can not think of any 2 handed melee weapon that would be based on dexterity. If you are using a weapon two handed, you are doing so to add power to your blows, to add more strength to your attacks.
A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?
It's not really though. It's more of an arming sword, capable of being used two handed. A longsword is much longer, and there should /never/ be a finesse two handed weapon with D10 damage.
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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.
A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?
It's not really though. It's more of an arming sword (or more appropriately, a 2 handed saber), capable of being used two handed. A longsword is much longer, and there should /never/ be a finesse two handed weapon with D10 damage.
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.
A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?
It's not really though. It's more of an arming sword (or more appropriately, a 2 handed saber), capable of being used two handed. A longsword is much longer, and there should /never/ be a finesse two handed weapon with D10 damage.
RAW, The length between a Longsword and a Shortsword is irrelevant, so the length between a Katana and a Longsword should be irrelevant. I agree that there should be no finesse two-handed weapon. As I said, “A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?” Where did I suggest that a Katana should have finesse?!?
Please show me where RAW blade length is irrelevant. the D8 blades are all 40 inches plus. The Scimitar, with a shorter blade was demoted to D6. RAW says nothing that I am aware of, logic dictates that they came to the decisions they did by setting things to a renaissance time period. The Katana, with that short blade, is nothing more than a 2 handed scimitar, which would be a D6 weapon when used 1 handed.
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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.
Please show me where RAW blade length is irrelevant. the D8 blades are all 40 inches plus. The Scimitar, with a shorter blade was demoted to D6. RAW says nothing that I am aware of, logic dictates that they came to the decisions they did by setting things to a renaissance time period. The Katana, with that short blade, is nothing more than a 2 handed scimitar, which would be a D6 weapon when used 1 handed.
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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.
The Katana is generally shorter by 5 to 10" than a longsword, has a single slicing edge its width is slimer than of the longsword and is used on the move and without a shield typically, though bucklers are often seen. The European Longsword has two slicing edges, and generally comes to a point in a triangular manner, though there are some that are rectangular with a point at the end. It is typically employed with a shield.
The Katana is under the spirit of the rules almost certainly a finnese weapon, but would also be be a d6 weapon, If i was writing the rules for it, id just go all the way, and make it unique type. A versitile weapon d6 with finnese but when used with two hands becomes d8 strength only. Though im not sure if that is game breaking.
Alternatively you could just treat it like a Mithril longsword and make it super expensive and add some hand wavium to it allowing it to become finnese because of the reduction in weight.
Long for a Japanese sword does not mean it's a longsword.
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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.
Blade length has less to do with it than the Center of Percussion. After lots of research like this video I cannot conclude that a Katana should have any different game statistics than a Longsword.
Blade length has less to do with it than the Center of Percussion. After lots of research like this video I cannot conclude that a Katana should have any different game statistics than a Longsword.
Actually it should have a slight modification. Due to the length of a katana's handle, it is unwieldy to use while only grasping it with one hand. Blade length does not matter when it comes to this fact. There are certain hand motions that become either impossible or extremely difficult when using only one hand simply due to the fact that the handle is meant to be gripped with two hands. Therefore katana would not have the Versatile property. Also, a katana's blade is closer to that of an arming sword (one handed sword). So the blade length of a katana is typically shorter than what is considered to be a longsword.
Reading through this thread, I was amused. If D&D was more of a simulator and tried to represent weapons more realistically nearly every sword would be a DEX weapon (because edge alignment and point control are the only ways you're going to hurt anyone with a blade) and all bows would be STR weapons because you need some serious muscle to be drawing those bowstrings. But then the argument comes up as to whether WIS would be needed to aim at a target (perception) and then it just grows into an annoying list of variables to keep track of.
At the risk of giving an odd answer, perhaps there'd be some sort of middle ground. Katana are two-handed weapons. So it might be something like a 1D10 slashing weapon with the Two-Handed property and at that point giving it the Finesse property won't actually make it more powerful than the rapier simply because of the Two-Handed property.
*With 1 slight modification, the length of the hilt (the “handle” of a sword, also sometimes referred to as the “haft”) for both swords is roughly the same. What really makes the difference is the shape.
A Longsword is designed in such a way that both hands fit snugly on the hilt so that the sword can not slip out of the wielder’s grip easily due to the centrifugal force created by swinging it.
The Katana has a straight haft, so it requires greater grip strength to hold on to it. That’s part of why the Katana is shorter, to reduce the tip speed and therefore reduce the centrifugal force.
So if anything, since the Katana is more forgiving to a less dexterous wielder (because of the blade stiffness and harder edge as sighted in the video) and since it requires more strength to hold on to it while swinging, if anything the Longsword has more of a claim to finesse than the Katana.
I understand the desire to make a katana two-handed but that's as silly as requiring a longsword to be two-handed. Both weapons are used two-handed for offensive and defensive reasons, using two hands is not NEEDED to wield either so neither should have the two-handed weapon property.
Like the above poster said, if you want a katana, just use the stats for a longsword. They're close enough.
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Hello. New DnD player here. Just read on the developer notes the comment posted about a katana homebrew weapon. Just wondering, why would "1d8 damage versatile, but then allow finesse with it" break the game like the dev notes say?
it does everything that some existing options do and then more, it does "break the game" as in make the existing options no longer worth choosing unless for some other reason you are forbidden from choosing the hypothetical new option.
The problem is, that dex is already a much better stat then str. Rapier is already a problem imo. A finesse longsword doubles down on "this is a bad idea"
if you wanted to make it a d6 -> d8 with two hands weapon, I could get on board. A dex, D10 2her though? Absolutely not.
What seems to be the determining factor for blade damage, is blade length. A longsword is ~33 - 43 inches in blade length. A rapier is ~41 inches in length. A katana is only 24 - 30 inches in length. That's comparable to the Scimitar and Shortsword (arming sword) in length, therefore would be a D6 weapon 1 handed. Versatile would bump it up to D8 two handed.
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
A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?
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Just watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8oMD0KCE4 and the other video posted.
Why do people think that the katana is a finesse weapon? Nothing in either videos lead me to believe that either long sword or katana are dexterity focused weapons. You maybe could argue that some long swords were finesse weapons, the 15th / 16th century Italian thrusting long sword are almost rapiers. I see the classic long sword and katana to be more slashing style weapon that depends on strength.
I can not think of any 2 handed melee weapon that would be based on dexterity. If you are using a weapon two handed, you are doing so to add power to your blows, to add more strength to your attacks.
It's not really though. It's more of an arming sword, capable of being used two handed. A longsword is much longer, and there should /never/ be a finesse two handed weapon with D10 damage.
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
It's not really though. It's more of an arming sword (or more appropriately, a 2 handed saber), capable of being used two handed. A longsword is much longer, and there should /never/ be a finesse two handed weapon with D10 damage.
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
RAW, The length between a Longsword and a Shortsword is irrelevant, so the length between a Katana and a Longsword should be irrelevant. I agree that there should be no finesse two-handed weapon. As I said, “A Katana is a Japanese Longsword. Why not just reskin the Longsword?” Where did I suggest that a Katana should have finesse?!?
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Please show me where RAW blade length is irrelevant. the D8 blades are all 40 inches plus. The Scimitar, with a shorter blade was demoted to D6. RAW says nothing that I am aware of, logic dictates that they came to the decisions they did by setting things to a renaissance time period. The Katana, with that short blade, is nothing more than a 2 handed scimitar, which would be a D6 weapon when used 1 handed.
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
Please show me where RAW blade length is irrelevant. the D8 blades are all 40 inches plus. The Scimitar, with a shorter blade was demoted to D6. RAW says nothing that I am aware of, logic dictates that they came to the decisions they did by setting things to a renaissance time period. The Katana, with that short blade, is nothing more than a 2 handed scimitar, which would be a D6 weapon when used 1 handed.
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
The Katana is generally shorter by 5 to 10" than a longsword, has a single slicing edge its width is slimer than of the longsword and is used on the move and without a shield typically, though bucklers are often seen.
The European Longsword has two slicing edges, and generally comes to a point in a triangular manner, though there are some that are rectangular with a point at the end. It is typically employed with a shield.
The Katana is under the spirit of the rules almost certainly a finnese weapon, but would also be be a d6 weapon, If i was writing the rules for it, id just go all the way, and make it unique type. A versitile weapon d6 with finnese but when used with two hands becomes d8 strength only. Though im not sure if that is game breaking.
Alternatively you could just treat it like a Mithril longsword and make it super expensive and add some hand wavium to it allowing it to become finnese because of the reduction in weight.
Long for a Japanese sword does not mean it's a longsword.
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
Blade length has less to do with it than the Center of Percussion. After lots of research like this video I cannot conclude that a Katana should have any different game statistics than a Longsword.
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Actually it should have a slight modification. Due to the length of a katana's handle, it is unwieldy to use while only grasping it with one hand. Blade length does not matter when it comes to this fact. There are certain hand motions that become either impossible or extremely difficult when using only one hand simply due to the fact that the handle is meant to be gripped with two hands. Therefore katana would not have the Versatile property. Also, a katana's blade is closer to that of an arming sword (one handed sword). So the blade length of a katana is typically shorter than what is considered to be a longsword.
Reading through this thread, I was amused. If D&D was more of a simulator and tried to represent weapons more realistically nearly every sword would be a DEX weapon (because edge alignment and point control are the only ways you're going to hurt anyone with a blade) and all bows would be STR weapons because you need some serious muscle to be drawing those bowstrings. But then the argument comes up as to whether WIS would be needed to aim at a target (perception) and then it just grows into an annoying list of variables to keep track of.
At the risk of giving an odd answer, perhaps there'd be some sort of middle ground. Katana are two-handed weapons. So it might be something like a 1D10 slashing weapon with the Two-Handed property and at that point giving it the Finesse property won't actually make it more powerful than the rapier simply because of the Two-Handed property.
^^^All of the that.*^^^
*With 1 slight modification, the length of the hilt (the “handle” of a sword, also sometimes referred to as the “haft”) for both swords is roughly the same. What really makes the difference is the shape.
A Longsword is designed in such a way that both hands fit snugly on the hilt so that the sword can not slip out of the wielder’s grip easily due to the centrifugal force created by swinging it.
The Katana has a straight haft, so it requires greater grip strength to hold on to it. That’s part of why the Katana is shorter, to reduce the tip speed and therefore reduce the centrifugal force.
So if anything, since the Katana is more forgiving to a less dexterous wielder (because of the blade stiffness and harder edge as sighted in the video) and since it requires more strength to hold on to it while swinging, if anything the Longsword has more of a claim to finesse than the Katana.
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I understand the desire to make a katana two-handed but that's as silly as requiring a longsword to be two-handed. Both weapons are used two-handed for offensive and defensive reasons, using two hands is not NEEDED to wield either so neither should have the two-handed weapon property.
Like the above poster said, if you want a katana, just use the stats for a longsword. They're close enough.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
A slashing rapier would be fine too
I use that as a Saber.
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"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
“Stick ‘em with the pointy end.” -Jon Snow/Arya Stark
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it does everything that some existing options do and then more, it does "break the game" as in make the existing options no longer worth choosing unless for some other reason you are forbidden from choosing the hypothetical new option.
What does the 1d10 mean for the katana if the damage is 1d8