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oh well, this is fantasy. so many rules of common sense and physics are already violated simply to allow the game to function...There's a lot more that science wouldn't let work if the game were real, of course. Dragons that can fly. Giant bugs. An underdark that's not boiling hot. Magic.
It never ceases to amaze me how something like a big sword throws the sense of disbelief right out the window, but people don't bat an eye at something like an elephant-sized spider or the concept of a monk being able to walk 3 times as fast as anyone else.
Precisely.
By the way, I love the Barbarian and her huge sword!
If we want to complain about the sword, then let's do it logically. First off, the sword should only be 26% longer than a medium sized bastard sword (cube root of 2 ~ 1.26). Since we are told in the PHB, that as you go up a size, you double the weight, and thus it should increase in length, width, and thickness. Also if you look at the handle, it is much too thin for a large creature to use comfortably. It is obvious in the drawing that the handle is sized for a medium character (at least in thickness), than for a large creature.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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If we want to complain about the sword, then let's do it logically. First off, the sword should only be 26% longer than a medium sized bastard sword (cube root of 2 ~ 1.26). Since we are told in the PHB, that as you go up a size, you double the weight, and thus it should increase in length, width, and thickness. Also if you look at the handle, it is much too thin for a large creature to use comfortably. It is obvious in the drawing that the handle is sized for a medium character (at least in thickness), than for a large creature.
Hm... I didn't notice the handle. Perhaps she trimmed or sanded it down for easier use?
Creative Director
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If we want to complain about the sword, then let's do it logically. First off, the sword should only be 26% longer than a medium sized bastard sword (cube root of 2 ~ 1.26). Since we are told in the PHB, that as you go up a size, you double the weight, and thus it should increase in length, width, and thickness. Also if you look at the handle, it is much too thin for a large creature to use comfortably. It is obvious in the drawing that the handle is sized for a medium character (at least in thickness), than for a large creature.
Or perhaps Wayne didn't even care about that stuff when he was painting the picture, and just wanted to give her a big sword. I knew when the art came in that the size of her sword was going to rile up a lot of readers, in a way that someone shooting fire out of his eyes or someone floating in the air wouldn't, since a big sword is apparently either more unrealistic than fire eyes or floating OR some people seem to assume that big swords are examples of anime influencing the game (I'd argue that it works the other way, that the game has influenced anime), so that meant that her backstory had to address the sword and make it the focus of her tale. Personally, I think the art looks awesome, big sword backstory or not.
Personally, I think the art looks awesome, big sword backstory or not.
Here, here. I'm not going to argue the realism of the sword, whats the point, you don't like her, don't use her or make up your own shoanti barbarian iconic with a greataxe. I like it, it makes her look fearsome, I dunno about 'hawt' and her armor covers all but her midriff. Whatever you can say about it, its evocative and looks damn cool!
I'm afraid of her, just like one would be afraid of a wizard who could spontaneously produce energy from nothing, which violates alot more fundamental laws of physics.
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I knew when the art came in that the size of her sword was going to rile up a lot of readers, in a way that someone shooting fire out of his eyes or someone floating in the air wouldn't, since a big sword is apparently either more unrealistic than fire eyes or floating OR some people seem to assume that big swords are examples of anime influencing the game (I'd argue that it works the other way, that the game has influenced anime), so that meant that her backstory had to address the sword and make it the focus of her tale. Personally, I think the art looks awesome, big sword backstory or not.
I guess I'm a bit sheltered...this really upsets people that bad? I have a player that will cry a literal tear of joy when he see the size of that mighty blade.
Maybe this is just a ploy to divert attention away from the 3.x/4e civil war?
I like big swords and I can not lie
You other fighters can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an menacing grin
And a broad blade in your face
You get sprung
Wanna pull up tough
Cuz you notice that steel was scuffed
Deep in the leather she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh, baby I ready an action
Defensive is my reaction
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that blade you got
Make me so ...
...never mind
I knew when the art came in that the size of her sword was going to rile up a lot of readers, in a way that someone shooting fire out of his eyes or someone floating in the air wouldn't, since a big sword is apparently either more unrealistic than fire eyes or floating ...
Well I can understand why some people would find an exaggeratedly large sword more troublesome than flying or shooting fire. The reason is simple, those other things are "magic", they are not suppose to seem "real" (as in real world activity), a sword though has real world examples. In D&D, wielding a sword (typically) is not suppose to be a "magical" event. It is therefore assumed that all of the basic laws of physics still apply (gravity, density, center of mass, torque, etc), when it comes to wielding a sword.
Frankly though, a piece of art should not be assumed to truly represent an object. It is probably an exaggeration of the object itself, just as in Hollywood movies they use larger weapons than what would be truly wielded, so that they stand out more and are easier to see onscreen.
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I like the big sword. It's groovy.
But I can see where people are coming from, and I don't think the sword's believability is analogous to fire eyes or levitation, or any of the other fantastic flimflam that fills D&D. Suspension of disbelief is a tricky thing: it doesn't function the same way for all circumstances in the same setting. It's often easier to imagine fantastic things for which we have little frame of reference. For most people there's a comfortable distance when describing the impact of fireball, because they haven't actually seen someone hit by one. The game reaction tends to be mild. But when you describe the crack of a snapped limb or, heck, even a bad paper cut, there's a strong reaction from most players. It's something they understand, viscerally.
I think the barbarian’s sword gets a reaction because it’s just big enough (but not too big) for people to imagine, viscerally, how unwieldy it would be. Most people on these boards have probably swung a sword once or twice, so they probably imagine similar weaponry on an instinctual kinesthetic level.
Basically, the sword is not fantastic and unbelievable enough to escape scrutiny using some real world criteria. It’s on the fence. Those people who accept it have probably seen enough giant swords in anime where the concept is part of their unquestionable fantasy lexicon (like me). But for those who haven’t, it looks silly - in a way that lightning breath and giant wasps don’t.
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Well keep in mind, she does take a penalty for wielding it, and to wield is just as well as everyone using a normal weapon, she has to rage and unless you fight, rest, fight, rest, fight, rest.. there's going to be a lot of cases where she's swinging and missing.
One thing I am wondering is if she has reach or not.
One thing I am wondering is if she has reach or not.
Bastard swords are not reach weapons, so no.
I agree that it looks kinda dumb, but she's a barbarian, she's entitled.
I have read/seen a story or two about berserkers/barbarians who would carry weapons that were too heavy for them to lift properly - until they went berserk. At that time, they handled it as easily as a rapier. I think it's a wonderful way to increase the business of cleaning places specialising in underwear all over Golarion.
Well keep in mind, she does take a penalty for wielding it, and to wield is just as well as everyone using a normal weapon, she has to rage and unless you fight, rest, fight, rest, fight, rest.. there's going to be a lot of cases where she's swinging and missing.
She is less likely to hit, but when she does, she'll deal more damage, because the thing does more damage (2d8, more than a greatsword).
So think of it as a form of power attack that's always on.
She's a barbarian. Not really supposed to use well-measured thrusts with a rapier. When I think barbarian I think violence. Simple, unadulterated violence. Just like mom used to make when you didn't behave.
It never ceases to amaze me how something like a big sword throws the sense of disbelief right out the window, but people don't bat an eye at something like an elephant-sized spider or the concept of a monk being able to walk 3 times as fast as anyone else.
You know what they say: If you tell someone that there are 20 billion galaxies with 20 billion stars in each, they just accept it at face value. But when you tell them that the paint on the bench is still wet, they have to check.
A too-large sword simply isn't extreme enough to get this kind of unconditional acceptance.
And, and, why doesn't she ever sharpen the blade and take those nicks out of it?
Sharpen? Why? It must weigh as much as the girl herself. It's going to introduce you to nice, wholesome agony even if it's blunt and wrappted in cotton.
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Sharpen? Why? It must weigh as much as the girl herself. It's going to introduce you to nice, wholesome agony even if it's blunt and wrappted in cotton.
And, and, why doesn't she ever sharpen the blade and take those nicks out of it?
She probably doesn't sharpen it because it would take all night. :)
One thing I am wondering is if she has reach or not.Bastard swords are not reach weapons, so no.
Yeah I know, but it's a HUGE bastard sword... *shrugs*
Yeah I know, but it's a HUGE bastard sword... *shrugs*
Actually it is a LARGE bastard sword. But it doesn't give anymore reach for a creature of the correct size, so why should it give more reach to someone smaller?
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Actually it is a LARGE bastard sword. But it doesn't give anymore reach for a creature of the correct size, so why should it give more reach to someone smaller?
Her arm + her sword has a much longer span then Valeros's arm + his longsword.
Not really vital.. but it's gotta be asked. Her sword is as big as a longspear.. so logically.. *shrugs*
I must admit that the first thing I thought when I saw that weapon was "manga sword" - even though I understand that oversized weapons aren't the norm in mangas, either. Only in certain mangas. The big sword = manga sword notion is a cliché, At least as far as I know.
And I must confess that one of the berserkers I talked about was from anime - from Record of Lodoss War (though when I think of it, he actually didn't have an oversized sword)
But, as I said, the notion of barbarians in the D&D sense wielding weapons that seem to big for them (and are when they're not in rage) isn't necessarily a D&D thing, and it makes sense to me. At least as much sense as those guys becomong actually stronger and more resilient when they rage.
And when I picture D&D barbarians, they have a big large two-handed weapon nine times out of ten. Actually, it's closer to 99 times out of 100.
And using a weapon that was actually made for a giant that is several feet larger than you does have a certain style. Beyond the implication that you went and killed a giant to take his sword, seeing someone using that weapon with ease will make people give pause, probably take fright, and maybe leave something in their underwear. It's psychological warfare.
And finally, I might add that I kinda like anime/manga stuff. Not everything (keep that Dragonball stuff away from me I tell you), but some of it is quite cool. So I don't mind the occasional mange in my Golarion (just as I like the occasional Cthulhu in there as well). As long as it won't take over, it's no big deal. (And again, I've been told that oversized swords aren't that common in anime, either.)
no wonder it is so difficult for mainstream academia to take fantasy seriously.
Nobody on this thread is allowed to make references to her symbolically wielding "the phallus." It wrecks my procrastination from grading papers when the subtext becomes text.
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And I must confess that one of the berserkers I talked about was from anime - from Record of Lodoss War (though when I think of it, he actually didn't have an oversized sword)
If I remember correctly though, the blade of Orson's sword was much thicker then Parn's sword in their fight (when Parn gets the holy sword that's much thicker then is longsword too.) I'd say twice as thick... length wise it was very long, but I'd say acceptable for a greatsword.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL9UDEQ-WYQ&feature=related
Sword at 1:25 into the video. ;)
If anyone hasn't seen the original Record of Lodoss War, you should. Good stuff. :)
(paraphrase) Would proper capitalization make my argument any better?
First off, it sucks that you have partial paralyzation in the relevant hand. It's completely understandable that you don't bother.
Second, it does matter actually. There are two parts to any act of communication: sending the message and receiving the message. Standardization in the presentation of the sent message allows the receivers to step past translation more fully into the world of your ideas. When the presentation gets in the way, I tell my students, it undermines your authority as an author. number of receivers classify poorly presented messages under messages not worth thinking about, as many such posters don't have ideas worth decoding in many people's past history with discussion boards (e.g. Fox sports discussion boards.) That's not the case with you.
It just so happens that their poor work reflects badly on your ideas. It's too bad that your ideas, through little fault of your own, end up the collateral damage of their carelessness.
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Oh James, the continuity bunnies are going to freak out when they find out she gets a magical large bastard sword out of no where. :P
Yeah, that was kind of my concern. If we were to play through this campaign with her, we'd have to find some way to allow her to get her sword enchanted, because otherwise she a) has to give up her sword, which we all know isn't going to happen, or b) try to get all the way through an AP without a magical weapon, which also isn't going to happen.
Anybody got any suggestions?
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Creative Director
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Yeah, that was kind of my concern. If we were to play through this campaign with her, we'd have to find some way to allow her to get her sword enchanted, because otherwise she a) has to give up her sword, which we all know isn't going to happen, or b) try to get all the way through an AP without a magical weapon, which also isn't going to happen.
Anybody got any suggestions?
If you were to play a campaign with her (or any of our iconics), you'd take her 1st level stats and start from there. How she develops from that point on is up to the player. An iconic played as a PC from 1st to 15th level is going to look VERY DIFFERENT from the 15th level version we stat up in the last adventure, in other words.
In fact, all of the PC stats you see at the end of Pathfinder or a module assume that these PCs are going to either be used as one-shots/disposable PCs, or that they'll be under their player's control after. What happens before is meaningless for a pregenerated PC. For a PC that's been played from 1st level, there's no need for higher level pregeneated characters.
For the purposes of where ANY of our iconics get their equipment when we stat them up at higher level, it doesn't matter if they found their gear in a treasure stash, looted them off a dead NPC, made the items themselves (or had another PC/NPC make them), or bought them in a store. None of these characters are assumed to have any part in an adventure except as a PC. If you want to use them as an NPC... how they got their gear is left up to you (if it ever even matters).
If we ever do something with these characters in fiction, we'll handle the situation as necessary for fiction; building a story follows entirely different rules than building an adventure.
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Sharpen? Why? It must weigh as much as the girl herself. It's going to introduce you to nice, wholesome agony even if it's blunt and wrappted in cotton.
And, and, why doesn't she ever sharpen the blade and take those nicks out of it?
Heck, I remember another story where (mind you, this is in an anime, so for the sake of you manga-haters, I'll put it in spoiler text so that your sensibilities aren't tarnished or whatever)
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In any case 2d8 + STR + Rage + Power Attack will likely net her enough damage to bypass most Damage Reduction anyway.. besides, depending on who she's traveling with, there are quite a few buff spells that can be cast to help her out. :)
Plus it'll be fun to see her smashing apart mooks, then go up against a big bad, and her getting frustrated because the guy keeps on dodging her, then she rages...
Her arm + her sword has a much longer span then Valeros's arm + his longsword.
Valeros's arm + his longsword is longer than Mersiel's arm + her dagger. Reach rounds to 5 ft. intervals.
Not really vital.. but it's gotta be asked. Her sword is as big as a longspear.. so logically.. *shrugs*
It's not. A longspear is 8-10 feet long (for a medium character. The fact that gnomes can get 10ft reach is just a silly rules causualty.) Her sword is not quite that long. Even if it was, she surely can't be swinging it at full arm's reach.
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Her arm + her sword has a much longer span then Valeros's arm + his longsword.Valeros's arm + his longsword is longer than Mersiel's arm + her dagger. Reach rounds to 5 ft. intervals.
And her sword is larger then 5ft... Valeros's sword + arm is MAYBE that long.
Mersiel and her dagger just get closer to her target then Valeros.
Not really vital.. but it's gotta be asked. Her sword is as big as a longspear.. so logically.. *shrugs*It's not. A longspear is 8-10 feet long (for a medium character. The fact that gnomes can get 10ft reach is just a silly rules causualty.) Her sword is not quite that long. Even if it was, she surely can't be swinging it at full arm's reach.
Well if she's not swinging it at full arm's reach and using her shoulders and back to control it then what is she doing, using her wrists.. that's a joke. There's no way she can fence with that blade. :P
And her sword is larger then 5ft... Valeros's sword + arm is MAYBE that long.
Mersiel and her dagger just get closer to her target then Valeros.
And an ogre wielding a large bastard sword "should" be able to hit farther than just that ogre's fist, yet it doesn't. Also another thing to consider, given the size and weight, she probably has to get much of the mass closer to her center of mass to keep from being thrown off balance, thus, she has to suck up much of the length, so can't fully use the weapon to get reach.
"Standardization in the presentation of the sent message allows the receivers to step past translation more fully into the world of your ideas. When the presentation gets in the way, I tell my students, it undermines your authority as an author."
...
nevertheless, i see your point. i guess that i will have to endure the blow to my paizo board authority....
if i require Harvard Bluebook standards, i let my secretary fix it. otherwise...
Hey, man, I was answering a question you posed. And I started and ended by saying that I understood your decision and that I'd try to remember your situation. I'm on your side. Don't send your snark my way.
re: Joyce and other authors
When nonstandard language is in a book, our common experience with publishers leads readers to assume that it's an intentional device. We think to ourselves, "Hmm... someone must have liked their experimental literature class!"
When nonstandard language is on an internet discussion board, our common experience leads us to place learning or physical disability a distant third on the list of likely explanations, behind "poster is using their second language" and the BIG winner of "poster does not care."
It never ceases to amaze me how something like a big sword throws the sense of disbelief right out the window, but people don't bat an eye at something like an elephant-sized spider or the concept of a monk being able to walk 3 times as fast as anyone else.
It's because they've already accepted that monstrous spiders and monks with supernatural powers are part of the world in which they are playing. To them, those things are "the rules" of how the world works. Our suspension of disbelief is based on what creators of a world tell us exist within that world. So long as the world is internally consistent we accept the fantastical things that happen there.
Elephant-sized spiders and super-fast monks are accepted as a part of D&D. A skinny girl with a super-large sword is not what many people consider to be D&D (or, for that matter, what has been visually established for Pathfinder). As such it is going to raise objections, especially from people who don't like anime (a major source of little people with big honkin' swords) or don't want anime in their D&D.
Suspension of disbelief requires consistency. If something doesn't feel like it is in the same world -- or reminds people of another world -- then their disbelief is broken.
Or, to put it another way: I can accept the great Cthulhu sleeping away the eons. I can't accept his cultists working for a cartoon duck named Bucky. Both of them are fantastical ideas, but I suspect you'd object to the latter suddenly popping up in your Lovecraft.
(Yes, I'm exaggerating; this Pathfinder cover is not as extreme a variation in theme.)
What never ceases to amaze me is that people who design worlds for a living are amazed when their fans object to things that don't seem to belong. Paizo followed nine covers establishing the world of their campaign with a skinny girl holding a huge sword. That's an image that hasn't been seen much (maybe at all) in the context of Pathfinder's world. (The cover of Spires of Xin-Shalast has the huge swords, but they fit well with their wielders.)
It shouldn't surprise you when someone's sense of disbelief hits its limit by that. Your imagery up until now has been pretty consistent, which only reinforces the idea that this sword doesn't belong. I suspect if it had been just as long but half as wide (i.e., more "medieval looking") that the number of comments in objection would have been much smaller.
Personally, I like the art and the sword doesn't bug me. My only objection is that she doesn't appear to have the muscle to wield that thing (raging or not). She looks like a "scrappy" barbarian, not a sword-hefting killing machine. I like the description that someone suggested of her half-swinging/half-dragging that thing in combat. But she doesn't look like she can do even that.
So, I like the art. But I would have preferred a barbarian with some muscle.
When i first read this post and the other one about the psuedodragons and the imps, i thought of several comments and suggestions, most of which were merely amusing(though probably only to me). Since i couldn't post from work, i've had time to think first. I am primarily a player and only DM when i really want to play a particular game, so i haven't started reading these books. But if they are so well built that the experienced DM's and players on this board can be stressed about artistic renderings of a character concept and unexplained monster ecology, i need to pick them up. Thank you Paizo, for raising the bar so high.
P.S. In my day, we had vegepygmies and Erol Otus illustrations and were glad to get them. We also walked uphill, through the snow (both ways) to toy stores to spend our money on games that came in boxes.
P.P.S. Get off my lawn!
It never ceases to amaze me how something like a big sword throws the sense of disbelief right out the window, but people don't bat an eye at something like an elephant-sized spider or the concept of a monk being able to walk 3 times as fast as anyone else.It's because they've already accepted that monstrous spiders and monks with supernatural powers are part of the world in which they are playing. To them, those things are "the rules" of how the world works. Our suspension of disbelief is based on what creators of a world tell us exist within that world. So long as the world is internally consistent we accept the fantastical things that happen there.
Elephant-sized spiders and super-fast monks are accepted as a part of D&D. A skinny girl with a super-large sword is not what many people consider to be D&D (or, for that matter, what has been visually established for Pathfinder). As such it is going to raise objections, especially from people who don't like anime (a major source of little people with big honkin' swords) or don't want anime in their D&D.
Suspension of disbelief requires consistency. If something doesn't feel like it is in the same world -- or reminds people of another world -- then their disbelief is broken.
Or, to put it another way: I can accept the great Cthulhu sleeping away the eons. I can't accept his cultists working for a cartoon duck named Bucky. Both of them are fantastical ideas, but I suspect you'd object to the latter suddenly popping up in your Lovecraft.
Well done, sir! Well done!
I can't accept his cultists working for a cartoon duck named Bucky.
Oh snap!!! <scraps idea for next CoC game and cries a little>
When nonstandard language is on an internet discussion board, our common experience leads us to place learning or physical disability a distant third on the list of likely explanations, behind "poster is using their second language" and the BIG winner of "poster does not care."
Even if the poster isn't writing in his native tongue, the actual reason comes down to "poster does not care" as often as "poster isn't good enough in the foreign language"
But if they are so well built that the experienced DM's and players on this board can be stressed about artistic renderings of a character concept and unexplained monster ecology, i need to pick them up. Thank you Paizo, for raising the bar so high.
Yes, they are that good.
P.S. In my day, we had vegepygmies and Erol Otus illustrations and were glad to get them. We also walked uphill, through the snow (both ways) to toy stores to spend our money on games that came in boxes.
What? You had toy stores? And games that actually came in boxes? Back in the day, we didn't have any fancy toy stores. Or toys. I had a stone! It was shaped kinda funny. It kept me busy for weeks on end.
And it was the envy of all the other kids, they didn't have that.
Spoiled little brat.
:P
Personally, I like the art and the sword doesn't bug me. My only objection is that she doesn't appear to have the muscle to wield that thing (raging or not). She looks like a "scrappy" barbarian, not a sword-hefting killing machine. I like the description that someone suggested of her half-swinging/half-dragging that thing in combat. But she doesn't look like she can do even that.
So, I like the art. But I would have preferred a barbarian with some muscle.
From an artistic standpoint, I can accept the sword being a bit oversized from what it should be (i.e., stylized and exagerated like in 300). According to the PHB, a large bastard sword would weigh 12 lbs, compared to 8 lbs for a medium greatsword, so it's not unlikely that someone could use it.
However, I also think that she should be more muscular. Not necessarily Chyna/Joanie Laurer (female wrestler, retired) muscular, but perhaps Serena Williams (pro tennis) muscular. She does have 15+ Str, after all (if she's statted as I expect).
True but you can't see her arms, or legs, only her midriff. And the serena williams kind of lean athlethic muscles wouldn't show through that hide armor either. I assume she doesn't have a big slab six-pack, because well I'm sure that that would be a) a bit unnerving, b) hard to draw right on a woman and c) not sell nearly aswell as the image would without the taut wash-board belly.
And as said, she can't wield it proper until she's raging.
I'm not really sure why people keep saying this, what does raging have to with wielding a weapon? You take a -2 for the incorrect size, rage doesn't make you larger, so you'd still take the -2. Your attack would still be worse (though the damage might be better) than if you were using a correctly sized greatsword for example, even if you were raging (raging using oversized weapon: +2-2=0, raging using a correct sized weapon: +2+0=+2). I guess people might mean, as compared to a non-rager.
I was talking about Serena Williams, not her older sister Venus. Looking at the barbarian, the neck, upper arms (taking the bulk of the armor into account), and torso (lack of "Y" shape below the armpit), do not look like they belong to a powerful build (something I'd assume from a 15+ Str). This is just my opinion, though.
I was talking about Serena Williams, not her older sister Venus. Looking at the barbarian, the neck, upper arms (taking the bulk of the armor into account), and torso (lack of "Y" shape below the armpit), do not look like they belong to a powerful build (something I'd assume from a 15+ Str). This is just my opinion, though.
You Wayne Raynolds-bashers never know what they want: First, everything is too muscular, then, they're not muscular enough.
:p
(Seriously, I have a friend, you'd think WAR ran off with his wife or something.)
And I had another look at the weapon: It's broad-edged, but not that long. She's still larger than her sword, so it's not a proper "manga-sword" ;-)
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I'm not really sure why people keep saying this, what does raging have to with wielding a weapon? You take a -2 for the incorrect size, rage doesn't make you larger, so you'd still take the -2. Your attack would still be worse (though the damage might be better) than if you were using a correctly sized greatsword for example, even if you were raging (raging using oversized weapon: +2-2=0, raging using a correct sized weapon: +2+0=+2). I guess people might mean, as compared to a non-rager.
Because you're looking at numbers and not roleplay.
From a roleplaying standpoint, she's no longer "dragging" the sword around anymore. The added strength lets her off set the added weight of the sword and wield it like she's meant to in the eyes of those around here.
Because you're looking at numbers and not roleplay.
From a roleplaying standpoint, she's no longer "dragging" the sword around anymore. The added strength lets her off set the added weight of the sword and wield it like she's meant to in the eyes of those around here.
So it would be bad roleplaying to let her use it when she wasn't raging?
You Wayne Raynolds-bashers never know what they want: First, everything is too muscular, then, they're not muscular enough.
Heh.
It's a minor quibble from a representational standpoint, when all's said. It's not like I refuse to buy RPG products because the artwork isn't "realistic," after all!