Is it just me or is this the new spiked chain?
Is it just me or is this the new spiked chain?
No, As far as I recall the scorpion whip is basicaly a lethal damage whip, and as such is more like a ranged weapon than a melee weapon.
What resource is the Scorpion Whip in?
What resource is the Scorpion Whip in?
Legacy of Fire player's guide I believe.
Thanks.
Is it just me or is this the new spiked chain?
You need to probably read the whip description before making that assumption. The scorpion adds one thing to the already disadvantageous whip, lethal damage. That is all. You can now hurt someone in armor because there's a blade on the end of the whip.
Using a whip you do not threaten so you cannot flank or sneak attack unless the opponent is unaware of you. Using the whip to attack while in melee provokes an attack of opportunity. This and it's low damage balances out it's 15 foot reach and combat manuevers.
Is it just me or is this the new spiked chain?You need to probably read the whip description before making that assumption. The scorpion adds one thing to the already disadvantageous whip, lethal damage. That is all. You can now hurt someone in armor because there's a blade on the end of the whip.
Using a whip you do not threaten so you cannot flank or sneak attack unless the opponent is unaware of you. Using the whip to attack while in melee provokes an attack of opportunity. This and it's low damage balances out it's 15 foot reach and combat manuevers.
It's basically a dagger-whip from the old Arms and Equipment guide.
On a related note, I had a character that used dual whips. I took an exotic weapon proficiency to have other weapons built into the handles of the whips (really it was just a mace handle and a dagger handle, for switching to close in work by reversing the whip). Worked out relatively well.
Yes, usually the main purpose of using a whip is to disarm or trip without getting right next to your target.
A scorpion whip is going to add a bit of flexibility since you can also choose to attack for some (very moderate) damage.
All in all, a pretty moderate and reasonable powerup for the whip.
Definitely not the next Spiked Chain. The spiked chain was a reach weapon that threatened both the reach square and the adjacent squares as well. This was the primary reason it was considered to be the most powerful weapon in the game. The tripping option with it was just "gravy".
I'd say the meteor hammer from the same player's guide is closer to being a "spiked chain replacement" than the scorpion chain; 10 foot reach, d8 damage, TWF or a shield bonus to AC, trip/pull maneuvers. It's very versatile and even has more solid roots in real-world weaponry than the spiked chain, if that's something that concerns you.
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I'd say the meteor hammer from the same player's guide is closer to being a "spiked chain replacement" than the scorpion chain; 10 foot reach, d8 damage, TWF or a shield bonus to AC, trip/pull maneuvers. It's very versatile and even has more solid roots in real-world weaponry than the spiked chain, if that's something that concerns you.
Note that the converted meteor hammer for Core no longer threatens adjacent squares and has been nerfed in the same ways as spiked chain.
I never assumed the meteor hammer threatened adjacent foes. Where is the converted version?
So, just to double-check, does the Scorpion Whip have a 10ft or 15ft reach? I thought 10, but some posts in the release thread make me think that it's a 15. Any place this is stated?
It's in the Adventurer's Armory product. Doesn't state a range, just says it's the same as a standard whip, except blah blah blah rules.
Since it doesn't state a range, but does say it's the same as a whip except for the type of damage it does, that means it has the same range as a whip.