Best method to use a falcata, and kick @ss with it


Advice


As stated in the subject, what are some of the best builds to make optimal use of the falcata weapon? I'm considering it for the underdark campaign I mentioned in a prior post, so im thinking easiest access would be half elf drow with ancestral arms.

Kensai magus? Swashbuckler? Weapon master monk? Straight fighter? I have no idea.

Grand Lodge

What races are available?


Maybe rondelero duelist as they get strong swing at 5th level (+1 attack and damage when wielding a falcata and buckler and +1 additional for every 4 levels beyond 5th) and they still get weapon training 2, 3, and 4.

Though considering the falcata is the best melee weapon for non-crit centric builds, any build works with it.

Any character with martial weapon proficiency can get the proficiency with an opalescent white cracked ioun stone.

Grand Lodge

Barbarian, with a Large Falcata.

Basically, what the Iconic Barbarian Amiri does, but with a Falcata, instead of a Bastard Sword.


Wanderer Monk.

That FREAK of a class gets Exotic Weapon Proficiency AS A BONUS FEAT.

Sensei Wanderer Monk 1 / Strategist Standard-Bearer Cavalier 4 / Battle Herald

That is just a MONSTER of a commander right there, son.


From a mathematical standpoint, this is how it works:

If we're comparing 1d8 19-20/x3 versus 1d10 18-20/x2 (Nodachi, traditionally the best two-handed weapon): Falcata is better once you deal 19 points of static damage that is multiplied on a crit. Your standard Barbarian with 18 Str and Power Attack, at level one, does +12. So this is not a hard goal to reach. If Keen is on the table, this requires a mere nine points of static damage instead.

If we're comparing 1d8 19-20/x3 versus 1d8 18-20/x2 (katana, the other really good one-hander): Falcata is always superior, with or without Keen.

Amusingly, among the few who don't want it much are the Swashbuckler and Kensai. The Swashbuckler can hit that +9 (as Improved Critical is a fair assumption for a Swash, given their level 5 ability) without too much trouble even though Precise Strike doesn't help, but they have an outside demand for sheer volume of crits (panache) that means they're generally better off with the katana for the same investment.

The Magus is in much the same boat. Their two main damage dealing abilities are Precise Strike (not multiplied on crits) and Spellstrike (multiplied on crits, but caps at x2 damage).

If you ran those numbers for a Magus using Spellstrike on a 5D6 Shocking Grasp, with Keen in play (because Arcane Pool): the two weapons are equal at 13 points of static damage. Which, to be honest, is not all that easy for a Magus to reach. On a 10D6 Grasp, the falcata only wins at +30 static damage, which is pretty much out of Magus reach. Of course, that's looking only at Spellstrike, because the math for a full attack in there too is more annoying to program into my sheet right now.

Using Frostbite instead, at level 5: nine static damage is again the pull-ahead point for the falcata. That will go upward slowly, but it's close enough to constant (at level ten nine is instead the break-even point).

So. Find a class other than the Magus or Swashbuckler, but there are tons that can do it.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

The falcata is a great weapon, and will work well in almost any build... You might get better feedback if you could ask a more specific question... Do you have any idea what kind of character you want to play? Something like "what's the most effective way my [insert class here] could use a falcata" would probably get you good feedback.

If you're just looking at damage output... Maybe a fighter with the mutation warrior archetype and variant multiclassing with barbarian (if you'll be using pathfinder unchained)- you'd get all the normal fighter goodies (weapon training and specialization) plus be able to crank your Str super high by stacking rage and mutagen.


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nate lange wrote:

The falcata is a great weapon, and will work well in almost any build... You might get better feedback if you could ask a more specific question... Do you have any idea what kind of character you want to play? Something like "what's the most effective way my [insert class here] could use a falcata" would probably get you good feedback.

If you're just looking at damage output... Maybe a fighter with the mutation warrior archetype and variant multiclassing with barbarian (if you'll be using pathfinder unchained)- you'd get all the normal fighter goodies (weapon training and specialization) plus be able to crank your Str super high by stacking rage and mutagen.

You, sir, have an awful avatar

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Lol- I'm pretty sure I had it first (you copycat)


rungok wrote:
Kensai magus? Swashbuckler?

Pretty much anyone else but them (and Daring Champion Cavaliers), honestly. Magi rely on threat range because they really deal damage with spell crits (which don't use your weapon's multiplier), not weapon damage. Swashbucklers/Daring Champions need threat range because they regenerate Panache on crits (so, more crits are better than harder crits) and their main damage boost (Precise Strike) doesn't multiply on a crit anyway, so the volume of crits is much more important than the power behind it.

Just about anyone else that swings a weapon can benefit, though. 19-20/x3 is mathematically the best crit profile around.


Well if you are allowed to use a 3rd party thing called AEG's Mercenaries tag on the Laminated and Serrated Edge to it and you get a weapon that deals 1d8+1 18-20/x4. With that put on a Swashbuckler/Kensai/Daring Champion is awesome.
Because when you get to 15-20/x4 is sick.


Race is pretty much anything.

The 3rd party AEG's Mercenaries? I'll have to look into it. I'm sure he'd allow it he has bladed shields which I cannot seem to find anywhere and he swears it's a thing.

I was thinking of a fun concept last night: someone who uses two Falcata that look like halves of a pair of scissors, Kill la Kill style. Could do a tiefling with the large weapons use ability, and have one be a large falcata and the other a medium one. Or any other race with a medium and small sized one? I don't know if that's viable though. It sounds like the best bang for my buck would be 2 handing a falcata.

I was wondering how Warpriest scaled up on the Falcata. I'd be starting at level 12, so the favored weapon wouldn't be a D6.

Perhaps the bonuses from Slayer would stack well for Falcata Crit multiplier?


It's statistically the best weapon for a Warpriest due to the crit range.

I'm actually going to disagree with MLP though: at high levels, and only at high levels, a Daring Champion can utilize the falcata well if they're TWFing. Volume of attacks will make up for the lost crit rate. That's not something to do until you've got some spare wealth and a strong Challenge though.


rungok wrote:

Race is pretty much anything.

The 3rd party AEG's Mercenaries? I'll have to look into it. I'm sure he'd allow it he has bladed shields which I cannot seem to find anywhere and he swears it's a thing.

I was thinking of a fun concept last night: someone who uses two Falcata that look like halves of a pair of scissors, Kill la Kill style. Could do a tiefling with the large weapons use ability, and have one be a large falcata and the other a medium one. Or any other race with a medium and small sized one? I don't know if that's viable though. It sounds like the best bang for my buck would be 2 handing a falcata.

I was wondering how Warpriest scaled up on the Falcata. I'd be starting at level 12, so the favored weapon wouldn't be a D6.

Perhaps the bonuses from Slayer would stack well for Falcata Crit multiplier?

Bladed shields are probably klars.


kestral287 wrote:
It's statistically the best weapon for a Warpriest due to the crit range.

Agree, though the proficiency is trickier to pull off with the 0 BAB at level 1. Half elf will be the most common option. And of course bow is still more powerful most of the time due to range.

The warpriest will two hand the falcata and power attack as usual. No need to worry about large versions when your dice will eventually pass that. The bonus fighter feats and fighter crit feats will work really well with the falcata's crit stats.


Aye; I should have clarified that to best melee weapon. Range and rate of fire give the longbow its own advantages.

Shadow Lodge

Put the sharp edge in the other man.


There's a table for large sized favored weapons...


rungok wrote:
There's a table for large sized favored weapons...

That table is based on the size of the wielder and not the size of the weapon.


Damn. Wait does that mean i can twf with small sized falcata?


Melkiador wrote:
rungok wrote:
There's a table for large sized favored weapons...
That table is based on the size of the wielder and not the size of the weapon.

And Lead Blades would work on Unarmed and Natural Attacks, since your BODY is the weapon itself - YAY, LOOPHOLES! - but, yeah, Impact on a weapon for a Warpriest isn't very useful, sadly.


rungok wrote:
Damn. Wait does that mean i can twf with small sized falcata?

Yes, but you still get a total of -4/-4:

-2 for using an Inappropriately Sized weapon, and -2 from TWF.

Best way to TWF with a Falcata is with Effortless Lace

Effortless Lace wrote:

When wrapped around the grip of a one-handed piercing or slashing melee weapon for 24 hours, the ribbon's magic permanently merges with the weapon, reducing the attack roll penalty incurred by a wielder who is smaller than the weapon's intended wielder by 2 (to a minimum penalty of 0).

If the weapon is wielded by a creature whose size matches that of the weapon's intended wielder, the weapon is treated as a light melee weapon when determining whether it can be used with Weapon Finesse, as well as with any feat, spell, or special weapon ability that can be used in conjunction with light weapons.

Unfortunately, the Lace is both non-PRD and not legal for use in PFS, so its use in games is a little limited.

Otherwise:

Race EWP - Falcata
CL1 Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Flacata)
CL2
CL3 Two-Weapon Fighting, Slashing Grace

Say hello to Saint Shankab+@%@.


TWF dexterity focused halfling mouser swashbuckler 1 / savage technologist barbarian 11 using slashing grace & risky striker. Invade your opponent's personal space and slash them to little tiny pieces.

As for the warpriest, it's meh. Spiritual weapon makes a 1d8 into 1d10 at level 12 and with the enchancement bonus is +3 results in an average damage bonus of +4ish with +1 to hit from free weapon focus on a 3/4th BAB class while the barbar gets +3 to hit and damage from rage on a full BAB class. Plus the barbar gets beast totem for rage pounce.


I'm able to take the effortless lace. Should buy one for each weapon. That sounds great.

Maybe Mythic Champion? Or should i take something from Paths of the lost spheres?

[Edit] shit forgot to say i also can pick mythic tier 2. Just found out this morning.


Champion is fantastic for its Pounce ability alone (and other stuff, but seriously, Pounce). Comes at tier three though.

Heirophant is decent, Guardian is solid. I'd look into picking up Dual Path.

Grand Lodge

Well, with Tiefling, you can get an ability that will allow you to wield a Large Falcata, without penalty.


rungok wrote:

I'm able to take the effortless lace. Should buy one for each weapon. That sounds great.

Maybe Mythic Champion? Or should i take something from Paths of the lost spheres?

[Edit] s#@~ forgot to say i also can pick mythic tier 2. Just found out this morning.

You only need one lace; you can wield a 1-handed weapon in one hand without additional penalties as long as the weapon in the other hand is light.

Grand Lodge

Interestingly, the Tongi, is a 1d6 19-20/x3 weapon.

What makes it better for a Swashbuckler, is that it is piercing, which means it automatically can be used with Swashbuckler Finesse, and means it can be enchanted with the Skewering enchantment.

That is this:

Advanced Class Origins wrote:

Skewering

Aura: faint divination CL 5th
Slot: none; Price: +1 bonus; Weight —
Description
This special ability can be placed only on light or one-handed piercing melee weapons. Weapons with this enhancement are particularly devastating in the hands of a swashbuckler. Anytime the weapon threatens a critical hit, the wielder can spend 1 panache point as an immediate action to automatically confirm the critical hit. When the swashbuckler confirms a critical hit in this fashion, she doesn’t regain panache for confirming the critical hit, though she can regain panache normally if the attack is a killing blow.


Arachnofiend wrote:
rungok wrote:

I'm able to take the effortless lace. Should buy one for each weapon. That sounds great.

Maybe Mythic Champion? Or should i take something from Paths of the lost spheres?

[Edit] s#@~ forgot to say i also can pick mythic tier 2. Just found out this morning.

You only need one lace; you can wield a 1-handed weapon in one hand without additional penalties as long as the weapon in the other hand is light.

BUT with lace on each they both can be used with Weapon Finesse, which makes them single-stat dependant with Mythic Weapon Finesse.


rungok wrote:
Arachnofiend wrote:
rungok wrote:

I'm able to take the effortless lace. Should buy one for each weapon. That sounds great.

Maybe Mythic Champion? Or should i take something from Paths of the lost spheres?

[Edit] s#@~ forgot to say i also can pick mythic tier 2. Just found out this morning.

You only need one lace; you can wield a 1-handed weapon in one hand without additional penalties as long as the weapon in the other hand is light.
BUT with lace on each they both can be used with Weapon Finesse, which makes them single-stat dependant with Mythic Weapon Finesse.

Do yourself a favor and buy Slashing Grace as a third-level Feat - you'll already have Finesse & Weapon Focus anyway. Spend your Mythic Feat on something else, like Mythic Weapon Focus (which basically erases your penalty for attacking with 2 weapons)


Arachnofiend wrote:
rungok wrote:

I'm able to take the effortless lace. Should buy one for each weapon. That sounds great.

Maybe Mythic Champion? Or should i take something from Paths of the lost spheres?

[Edit] s#@~ forgot to say i also can pick mythic tier 2. Just found out this morning.

You only need one lace; you can wield a 1-handed weapon in one hand without additional penalties as long as the weapon in the other hand is light.

Two laces if he wants Dex to Hit/Damage.

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Interestingly, the Tongi, is a 1d6 19-20/x3 weapon.

What makes it better for a Swashbuckler, is that it is piercing, which means it automatically can be used with Swashbuckler Finesse, and means it can be enchanted with the Skewering enchantment.

Except that Swashbucklers typically want to use Dex, and the Tongi can't do that... so that kind of kills its use.

It can with Mythic Weapon Finesse, but in that case the falcata's still strictly better. And Skewering is... not great honestly. It's not bad, but you're sacrificing the panache you would gain off the crit, which is most of the reason why the Swash wants it.

Grand Lodge

kestral287 wrote:


blackbloodtroll wrote:

Interestingly, the Tongi, is a 1d6 19-20/x3 weapon.

What makes it better for a Swashbuckler, is that it is piercing, which means it automatically can be used with Swashbuckler Finesse, and means it can be enchanted with the Skewering enchantment.

Except that Swashbucklers typically want to use Dex, and the Tongi can't do that... so that kind of kills its use.

It can with Mythic Weapon Finesse, but in that case the falcata's still strictly better. And Skewering is... not great honestly. It's not bad, but you're sacrificing the panache you would gain off the crit, which is most of the reason why the Swash wants it.

Actually, the Whirling Dervish Swashbuckler can use Dex to damage with it, at 4th level.

No additional feats needed.


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The Whirling Dervish really needs the high crit range due to how they generate panache, so it doesn't really want the Tongi or Skewering from a mechanical perspective.


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nate lange wrote:
Lol- I'm pretty sure I had it first (you copycat)

FROST JARL FIGHT!!!!!!!!


pezlerpolychromatic wrote:
nate lange wrote:
Lol- I'm pretty sure I had it first (you copycat)
FROST JARL FIGHT!!!!!!!!

I have popcorn.


kestral287 wrote:
Two laces if he wants Dex to Hit/Damage.

Ah, that's true. I generally prefer going the strength route with a Ranger or a Slayer if I want to TWF though. Slashing Grace and TWF are both very feat intensive.

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