Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Orrin_CQ 04-22-07, 10:39 AM	Is there any way to avoid the devestating effect of these weapons? Any spell one could cast? Or maybe fortification armor?
Stigger 04-22-07, 11:32 AM	I'd say fortification armor would offer some protection, immunity to it if its heavy fortification. As to spells... can't think of any offhand that offer protection from critical hits, so I'd say no unless someone else can think of one. Maybe an epic spell could be crafted that could negate them, but that would largely depend on if your DM allowed it or not.
BadCatMan 04-22-07, 08:35 PM	Maybe a spell or 'lucky' class feature or feat that forces a reroll. Kind of depends on the character though. Really, vorpal weapons are cursed. I once had two for a year, and never ever rolled a 20 with either of them
Khaelieth 04-25-07, 11:22 AM	Be undead=)
Another Gnome 04-26-07, 03:48 AM	Being undead would prevent you getting killed by the vorpal effect, but you would still be decapitated (which for a vampire would be a bad thing, and would still blind and deafen the separated body of most other undead as well). The sword does not kill, it merely removes the head (most people dying after getting their head removed is just an unfortunate side effect), so immunity to death magic or such would be of no help either. You could argue that fortification armor renders the wearer immune to vorpal effects, but unless and until I see that printed in the FAQ, I will assume that 100% immunity to crits from armor special ability grants no more protection than 100% immunity to crits from creature type.
lucas 04-30-07, 07:34 AM	being undead makes you immune to the vorpal strike, if you read the vorpal blade, it to does work on things/people that are immune to critical hits, and undead a one of those things that are immune. so it does not work. also read into the item that mansoon (leader of the black network) has as it makes him immune to vorpal hits. it is something he wears around his neck.
Another Gnome 04-30-07, 09:54 AM	DMG, p. 226: Some creatures, such as many aberrations and and all oozes, have no heads. Others, such as golems and undead creatures other than vampires are not affected by the loss of their heads. Most other creatures, however, die when their heads are cut off. The DM may have to make judgment calls about this sword's effect. Now, unless you read the "are not affected by the loss of their heads" to mean that it's physically impossible to sever an undead creature's head from its body, it seems to me that the vorpal effect very much can decapitate any creature with a discernable head. Furthermore, the vorpal effect activates on "a roll of natural 20", not on a critical threat. It uses a critical confirmation roll, but is otherwise independent from critical hit mechanics.
Empirate 04-30-07, 11:19 AM	Has any of these weapons ever popped up in your campaigns? I must admit to liking the concept, but our play is usually so slow-moving (average of about one XP-wise meaningful encounter per gaming session) that my PCs never see the very high levels at which vorpal weapons become available.
BadCatMan 04-30-07, 10:51 PM	My dwarf at level 3 was in a party that killed an undead minotaur that wielded two battleaxes. I looted them and they turned out to be two +1 almost-vorpal battleaxes (they did a coup-de-grace instead of outright death). Except I never rolled a 20 with them again. It was a crappy Monty Haul campaign anyway.
Burningspear 05-01-07, 08:38 PM	Alusair seems to have a +3 vorpal long blade... a little overpowered:gah: :bump: :behold: for her level, but she has her daddy's armory to plunder so...
The WarOverlord 05-01-07, 09:03 PM	Is there any way to avoid the devestating effect of these weapons? Any spell one could cast? Or maybe fortification armor? The Magic conserning a vorpal weapon has to do with taking a dimesional side away from it like it's lessor brethern, the Sword of Sharpness, which makes it really,really,sharp. Another aspect of the Vorpal Sword is that it will slice though all armor (magical or not) and magical effects giving force resistance and the like when it hits that dreaded 20....so yeah, having a head and requiring it to live is a problem in that moment Polymorphing into a creature with no discernible head (pudding) or using a dimensional effect like "Blinking" to not be there are possibilities to not "becoming a Blondie" (nice body, no head)
wtf_thats_my_head 05-04-07, 07:03 PM	i would go with vapire that wat i would do
Steelwind 05-06-07, 11:57 AM	Alusair seems to have a +3 vorpal long blade... a little overpowered:gah: :bump: :behold: for her level, but she has her daddy's armory to plunder so... Shoot, her daddy had a +5 Vorpal Longsword, and a little off point but Im still a little bitter about the fact that Azoun is dead. Lets not even get started on Khelben.
Khaelieth 05-06-07, 03:43 PM	Poor Jabberwocky.
Philalexandros 05-06-07, 06:51 PM	Meh, I've done away with most Vorpal weapons. I use the Sharpness table from the earlier editions, instead. If I were to use a Vorpal sword, it would be a malevolently intelligent weapon with a special purpose--to remove heads.
WightPower 05-12-07, 11:20 PM	I think is mandatory for Vorpal sword wielders to track a "head count" in the last game I played with a Vorpal sword, my mate was up to 20-something
The WarOverlord 05-13-07, 09:38 AM	Alusair seems to have a +3 vorpal long blade... a little overpowered:gah: :bump: :behold: for her level, but she has her daddy's armory to plunder so... Yes, there is that and the fact that she isn't a PC so isn't bound and gagged by the over compensation of rules to limit her equipment by levels for "game balance" Pfft. If there is a Vorpal Sword in a Dragon Horde then there is a Vorpal Sword in the Treasure horde no matter what "level" the treasure finder is when they find it. Likewise not being able to Shoot a bow and Arrow or swing a sword because it is magical and "unidentified" or you don't have enough levels when it is "identified" has always been a silly concept to me. (Just don't allow anything you don't want a low level character wielding into the game) Oh, and Vorpal Swords within the Forgotten Realms are "old Magic" which means they aren't common, Are usually found and/or captured as looted booty, and it is unlikely you'll find a Artifist capable of forging a new one in modern Forgotten Realms.
Steropes 05-13-07, 03:06 PM	I'd say Regenerate: after the head has been removed quickly get the head back where it was(hopely it is not done by partys I've got int 6 and wisdom 8 barbarian or...) and then cast it. Naturally this has to be done in one round, but if it works whit ogre mage why not with PC?
Another Gnome 05-14-07, 03:57 AM	An ogre mage who loses its head, dies. Even a troll dies of decapitation. (However the DM chooses to describe it, strict reading of the rules means that normal weapons can't lethally sever the head of a troll to kill it -- but a vorpal or flaming weapon could.)
Khaelieth 05-14-07, 09:31 AM	An ogre mage who loses its head, dies. Even a troll dies of decapitation. (However the DM chooses to describe it, strict reading of the rules means that normal weapons can't lethally sever the head of a troll to kill it -- but a vorpal or flaming weapon could.) Coup de grace? Prince John, Disney's version of Robin Hood: Off! With his head!
Steropes 05-14-07, 09:51 AM	An ogre mage who loses its head, dies. Even a troll dies of decapitation. (However the DM chooses to describe it, strict reading of the rules means that normal weapons can't lethally sever the head of a troll to kill it -- but a vorpal or flaming weapon could.) You are wrong: the MM says (at page 200) that if the HEAD or other vital organs of ogre mage are severed it must be reattached in 10 minutes or the ogre mage will die. Therefore it does not die immediately if its head is cut off.
Another Gnome 05-14-07, 11:21 AM	Sorry, my bad with the ogre mage. Never actually noticed until now that they have regeneration in 3.5 instead of improved fast healing... :embarrass Even so, that's a creature-specific exception to what happens upon losing one's head. Well, until someone proves me wrong on that too. :P
Misery_The_Duelist 05-14-07, 02:34 PM	Remember, the vorpal only takes affect after a roll of natural 20 and then you CONFIRM that critical hit. So if they hit the 20 and fail the confirmation, you're still fine. So a good way to avoid this is just get a high AC to avoid confirmations :D
Straploknight 05-20-07, 09:24 PM	The Magic conserning a vorpal weapon has to do with taking a dimesional side away from it like it's lessor brethern, the Sword of Sharpness, which makes it really,really,sharp. Sword of Sharpness you say, is there an official 3.5 version? - My (N)PC misses his sword of sharpness so very much. The keen weapon ability is really a poor cousin to an actual sword of sharpness. However I've been pondering how to best implement a sharpness weapon ability for awhile and just need to collect my thoughts on the matter and present them here to be disected.
The WarOverlord 05-21-07, 10:52 AM	Sword of Sharpness you say, is there an official 3.5 version? - My (N)PC misses his sword of sharpness so very much. The keen weapon ability is really a poor cousin to an actual sword of sharpness. However I've been pondering how to best implement a sharpness weapon ability for awhile and just need to collect my thoughts on the matter and present them here to be disected. Er, no. There isn't a 3.5 version that I know of as it is "old Magic". In layman's terms a sword's edge can be no thinner then a atom thick, though relative technology makes an edge a few atoms thick Without magical means it may be possible to get a Sword up to maybe +3 damage in which case it exactly 1 atom thick (+2 = 2 atoms thick, +1 = 3 atoms thick) but this only applys to normal damage and not to hit. For example Spanish steel Swords were considered +1 and Damascus Steel Swords +2 in a resource I once read (Think 2nd eddition Arms and Equipment guide...not sure) NOw again in laymans terms, a Sword of Sharpness uses magical means to make the edge less then 1 atom thick which is impossible without the magic to alter the dimesions of the edge (take a dimension away to make it possible to make a edge less then 1 atom thick). On a sucessful roll that causes "severing" it means that the Sword manages to slice through all worn armor and magical force effects. A Vorpal sword goes 1 step beyond being less then 1 atom thick by magical means, it actually partially exists in the ethereal plane which is why it can traditionally damage incorporeal undead as well as bypass all worn armor without having to sever through worn armor like a regular sword of Sharpness. It should be noed that unless you are making a called shot for the head at the time of severing rather by the Sword of Sharpness or the VOrpal Sword the successful attack won't mean much thus that blasted roll for avoiding being beheaded. Don't remember the specific mechanics but making a called shot at the head or for cleaving the target in half, or taking off an arm or a leg had their own specific rolls with the easiest being "disarming" someone (Weapon and arm...lol)
+4_vorpal 05-25-07, 01:25 AM	I have a character with a vorpal weapon too("Necksever" +4 Keen Vorpal Longsword, hence the name) and i have always wondered why it wouldnt work on undead myself. I mean its just decapitation not outright death ya know.
The WarOverlord 05-25-07, 02:34 AM	I have a character with a vorpal weapon too("Necksever" +4 Keen Vorpal Longsword, hence the name) and i have always wondered why it wouldnt work on undead myself. I mean its just decapitation not outright death ya know. Just because their head fell off doesn't mean they can't direct their attacks from their 3 person perspective In fact intelligent undead not effected by being beheaded would be able to pick up their head and put it back on...or could be like the undead in the Mummy and severly disoriented but still trying to do stuff or even like in Pirates of the Carribian where the head is trying to call out to it's body but the body crashes into a tree...lol
Crust 05-25-07, 02:25 PM	In our previous epic campaign, the barbarian, wielding his +3 keen vorpal greataxe "Executor," swept off the head of a balor demon on his first attack roll against it... and was promptly blown back several yards by the demon's death throes... which ultimately dealt minor damage. ;) I only really ever allow vorpal weapons when it becomes obvious that the PC will slay most things easily with or without it. Like giving an archwizard a staff of the magi. I've always ruled that undead are decapitated. It makes things interesting, and I think that ruling makes sense, even if it's not explained in so many words in a rulebook. Any corporeal undead would be blinded and deafened, lose spellcasting, etc. Vampires would slip right into gaseous form. And there would be no reattachment either unless powerful magic is used. Stitching the head back on would not work, either. Incorporeal undead cannot be beheaded. Trolls are not "dead" (full XP not awarded) until fire or acid is used to end the regeneration process.
divide_by_zero 06-03-07, 01:44 AM	This spell may be applicable: Spell Compendium: Elemental Body Wiz/Sor 7 You are ... not subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking.
Mastergrubb 06-16-07, 02:59 PM	Yea i would either disarm or shoot from a distance either one would pervent the sword from getting to you. Cant kill what you can touch.
Eccerion 06-17-07, 09:27 AM	Only ways I know of to avoid a Vorpal weapon chopping of your melon are the following: 1. Dont get hit :P stay out of reach and pelt the one who has it from afar, then loot the shiny blade from his corpse. 2. Get the heavy fortification ability on armor or somesuch, the "off with his head" effect only happens on a confirmed critical hit, and since Heavy fort makes you immune to crits, anything else that would come from a crit is likewise negated. 3.Use a spell that transforms you into something immune to crits, like a plant or undead, that way if you should happen to loose your head it will be an inconveniance, not a curtain call.
Zanan 06-21-07, 11:15 AM	We did that debate to death only recently over at the German D&D - Gate ... and unless I am mistaken, the latest Dragon (355?) has a Sage advice saying that on the basis that vorpal is an "effect" much like a burst weapon, it hits creatures immune to critical hits ... or something along that line. IMHO, that's only half the truth. For "vorpal" does indeed - by RAW - require a critical hit ... 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. ... to work. Fortification negates critical hits (speaking of the Heavy version) and IMHO the "vorpal" effect does not come to pass, as the requirements cannot be met. Same for burst weapons. Now, people argue that a +5 weapon enchantment shall defeat a +5 armor enchantment ... mainly because it is more expansive. Obviously, this is the case for all magical weapons, but that is an in-built problem. Because you need to be able to cast spells and spend XP for the creation of any other magic item bar weapons and armor - which is strange - and in this case, quite irritating as well. For the creation of a vorpal weapon you need a 6th-level spell costing 300 XP (and another 3rd-level spell), while the heavy fortification requires a 9th-level divine spell (I ... nasty me ... assume that Heavy Fortification requires a Miracle, while the lesser version only the Limit Wish (why do wizards always get away with it?) costing up to 5,000 XP, usually. Of course, the special way of creating fortification armor means that the creator - while he needs to have access to the spells - does not always cast a full spell for each variant. Which is in itself a bit of a conundrum. But I don't want to spare much more thought on magic item creation stuff ... In my games, heavy fortification will block a vorpal attack. It is touch nasty on a vorpal-blade swinger who needs to roll a natural 20 too, but ...
The_Wrath_of_Talos 06-21-07, 01:23 PM	Lumi's are my personal favorite vorpal immune races. Otherwise an antimagic field would make a charector immune to the beheading effect, or a dispeling.
silentmaster101 06-21-07, 03:28 PM	my druid used to run around with a vorpal keen scimitar, which was pretty good as its critical was 15-20, and with the ring of thorns(i think it was called) you could confirm a critical automatically if you took 2d6 damage from the ring, three times a day. a pretty sweet combo for easy kills on hard creatures.
Zanan 06-21-07, 06:42 PM	my druid used to run around with a vorpal keen scimitar, which was pretty good as its critical was 15-20, and with the ring of thorns(i think it was called) you could confirm a critical automatically if you took 2d6 damage from the ring, three times a day. a pretty sweet combo for easy kills on hard creatures. Sadly enough, D&D 3,5E requires a "natural roll of 20", not just a critical hit. ;)
Slayergnome 06-22-07, 03:22 AM	Is there any way to avoid the devestating effect of these weapons? Any spell one could cast? Or maybe fortification armor? Don't have a head. Don't let them hit you or crit on you. Be immune to critical hits/massive damage. Be undead. Don't need your head to survive.
Samej 06-22-07, 03:59 PM	Using the Spell "Contingency" and setting the effect to someone that has a Vorpal blade rolling a natural 20 could help if you then program the contingency to cast 2 castings of this bad boy from Legend of the Five Rings Rokugan: (supposing you allow the spell) Bad Kharma Necromancy (Air) Level: Shugenja (Wizard/Sorceror) 5 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 Action Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels) Target: 1 Creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will Negates SR: Yes This spell summons a vindictive Kami to bestow a streak of bad luck on the target, forcing the target to roll an automatic "1" on their next Skill Check, Saving Throw, Initiative Roll or Attack Roll. ------ Thus if the target fails his/her will save the confirmation of the critical will automatically fail, giving the caster the knowledge of that character having a Vorpal blade and maybe giving them a reason to run.
Samej 06-22-07, 03:59 PM	Using the Spell "Contingency" and setting the effect to someone that has a Vorpal blade rolling a natural 20 could help if you then program the contingency to cast this bad boy from Legend of the Five Rings Rokugan: (supposing you allow the spell) Bad Kharma Necromancy (Air) Level: Shugenja (Wizard/Sorceror) 5 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 Action Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels) Target: 1 Creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will Negates SR: Yes This spell summons a vindictive Kami to bestow a streak of bad luck on the target, forcing the target to roll an automatic "1" on their next Skill Check, Saving Throw, Initiative Roll or Attack Roll.:P ------ Thus if the target fails his/her will save the confirmation of the critical will automatically fail, giving the caster the knowledge of that character having a Vorpal blade and maybe giving them a reason to run.;) Why did it post it twice, this is strange....
Eccerion 06-23-07, 07:41 AM	We did that debate to death only recently over at the German D&D - Gate ... and unless I am mistaken, the latest Dragon (355?) has a Sage advice saying that on the basis that vorpal is an "effect" much like a burst weapon, it hits creatures immune to critical hits ... or something along that line. IMHO, that's only half the truth. For "vorpal" does indeed - by RAW - require a critical hit ... ... to work. Fortification negates critical hits (speaking of the Heavy version) and IMHO the "vorpal" effect does not come to pass, as the requirements cannot be met. Same for burst weapons. Amen :angel:¨ Perfectly logical far as im consearned, its like trying to light a match in space, fire (vorpal effect) needs oksygen (crit hit) to ignite (chop off head), well guess what? there is no oksygen.
Trobriand 06-25-07, 02:48 PM	I can't remember where it was, maybe in an old Greyhawk supplement or module, but there was a magical item a wizard I believe had created to protect against vorpal weapons. I believe it was a magical torque. Does this ring a bell with anyone else?
King_Neckchopper 06-26-07, 12:01 AM	The Mighty King Neckchopper wields a +10 Vorpal, Anarchic power, Icy Burst, Human Bane Lg Falchion. Its called the Guillotine. I have yet to chop off a head but I have the Devastating Critical feat that pretty much kills everyone, Fort SV. DC 65. You best be immune to criticals b4 stepping this way. In any event being immune to crits wont help you out vs. the vorpal weapon. Displacement will help and hope that the 20 fails to come up!
itwasntme 06-26-07, 01:54 AM	Ive allways had my Vorpol weapon monsters with boots of teleport ... oh your going to be way back there? Teleport Swing Oh well thats a good chance of your head gone ... Ya get Fort Heavy which can negate things like Vorpol SA and other bad things like that But one question is this ... Brillent Nrg and Vorpol ... now Brillent Energy ignores Armor so can it ignore Armor and ignore the special effects of the Armor like Fort Heavy?
gospel357 07-23-07, 05:58 PM	if you want something to prevent from a vorpal swing you have to dust off the old shelves and pull out the book of wonderous magic i think it was (1st ed) and look up the Collar of Stiffness. Collar of Stiffness will deflect a vorpal blade. or if you go and kill Gawain on the round table and steal his green scarf. lol both work just fine. Joe
BlackHalfDragon 07-23-07, 06:18 PM	another way is to be something that isn't effected by decapitation like a zombie or a golem
ducttapekiller 07-23-07, 07:06 PM	i have seen an choker that keeps the wearer from losing there head even from vorpal weapons
runestar 07-25-07, 11:52 PM	Note that the latest sage entry states that fortification/immunity to crits does not negate vorpal (as a reversal to his earlier statement).:)