How does Vorpal really works? (ie. Can I 'kill' a tarrasque with it?)

[John Call]

I've been thinking about getting a Vorpal sword to my 19th level fighter, but I'm not sure it will work the way I think it will.

The description of Vorpal in the book is as follows: "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. Some creatures, such as many aberrations 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."

There is no mention about creatures like Dragons, creatures Immune to critical hits, creatures immune to death effects and so on.

So, could I kill a dragon with a Vorpal strike? Or a tarrasque?

[Ughbash]

John Call wrote:

I've been thinking about getting a Vorpal sword to my 19th level fighter, but I'm not sure it will work the way I think it will.

The description of Vorpal in the book is as follows: "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. Some creatures, such as many aberrations 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."

There is no mention about creatures like Dragons, creatures Immune to critical hits, creatures immune to death effects and so on.

So, could I kill a dragon with a Vorpal strike? Or a tarrasque?

Dragon Yes, Tarrasque probably not, Jabberwocky absolutely.

*snicker snack*

[OgeXam]

You can take the head off the Tarrasque with a vorpal hit but that won't kill it.

3 rounds later it is back at 1 hit point with a new head.

PRD wrote:

Regeneration (Ex) No form of attack can suppress the tarrasque's regeneration—it regenerates even if disintegrated or slain by a death effect. If the tarrasque fails a save against an effect that would kill it instantly, it rises from death 3 rounds later with 1 hit point if no further damage is inflicted upon its remains. It can be banished or otherwise transported as a means to save a region, but the method to truly kill it has yet to be discovered.

So you can stop it for a few rounds, but you cannot kill it per say.

You do not try to kill the tarrasque you try to get it in the negatives then transport it somewhere else to save the place that is currently being ravaged.

As for dragons yep, chop their heads off!

Though most DMs would rule if the creature is not effected by death effects then a vorpral sword will not kill the creature.

[TriOmegaZero]

John Call wrote:

There is no mention about creatures like Dragons, creatures Immune to critical hits, creatures immune to death effects and so on.

So, could I kill a dragon with a Vorpal strike? Or a tarrasque?

Creatures immune to crits never trigger the vorpal quality.

A dragon would be affected if it had not gotten immunity to crits.

Since vorpal is not a death effect, protection from those effects would not stop vorpal.

The Tarrasque is unkillable due to Plot Armor. No mechanic can kill it, only DM Fiat.

[Morgen]

I thought if you got it unconscious, then used a couple of well worded wishes and did a little dance it would die?

[OgeXam]

Morgen wrote:

I thought if you got it unconscious, then used a couple of well worded wishes and did a little dance it would die?

Not in Pathfinder, that wording was taken out.

Though that wording was in previous versions of DND.

Since you cannot wish something dead you just needed to wish for its regeneration to stop.

[Selgard]

in Paizo's version they removed the Wish clause.

[Ughbash]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Creatures immune to crits never trigger the vorpal quality.

In 3.5 it distinctly did work. Sage advice was asked and responded that way. Now they first came out and said it did not, but then later reversed their opinion and offically it was yes a vorpal can take the head of a creature immune to critical hits.

So unless Pathfinder specifies differntly, it should still take the head of a creature that can not be critted.

[TriOmegaZero]

Using Wish on it is pretty much DM Fiat as well.

Ughbash wrote:

In 3.5 it distinctly did work. Sage advice was asked and responded that way. Now they first came out and said it did not, but then later reversed their opinion and offically it was yes a vorpal can take the head of a creature immune to critical hits.

So unless Pathfinder specifies differntly, it should still take the head of a creature that can not be critted.

Yeah, Sage Advice was hit or miss.

If you take the Vorpal quality by itself, it says on the roll of a natural 20 (followed by a successful roll to confirm the critical hit) the weapon severs the opponent's head.

However that line in parentheses states you must confirm the crit. If the immunity blocks the crit roll, then vorpal cannot function. Unless you count that line as optional since it is not fully a part of the sentence.

[Morgen]

As for Vorpal, given what it is and the iconic-ness of it, a 5% chance to lop off something's head probably isn't going to be too much more ridiculous then the things people will be able to do by the time they can afford to get a vorpal weapon in the first place.

[TriOmegaZero]

Agreed, 11/12th level is crazytown anyway.

[Princess Of Canada]

Just be grateful they didnt carry over the 'Sharpness' ability from 2nd Edition...on a critical hit it severs a random limb, you didnt need to roll a natural 20 to make it happen either depending on the weapon.
Not nice...I remember losing both of my Drow Cleric's arms in one round to a VERY dangerous Deathknight in Undermountain.
Rapid blood loss ensues and death soon followed.

Vorpal only works on a natural 20, and it kills anything on a confirmation roll that doesnt have the 'Regeneration' quality (unless for some reason the weapon deals ONLY damage a regenerating creature is vulnerable to) pretty much or anything that doesnt need a head to survive. Most Constructs, some Undead, definately all Oozes and other stranger creatures are immune to this effect (treat as critical hit instead where relevant).

[John Call]

As far as I've been reading the only monsters in the Bestiary that are immune to criticals are those that vorpal wouldn't affect anyway.

But both Dragons and the Tarrasque are not immune to critical hits according to the Bestiary, so would it be possible do decapitate them then?

There is no specifics about regeneration preventing vorpal - actually, the creature would not actually die, but would be reduced to 1 hp or something like that, like the tarrasque, but I'm not sure about it. Probably in a few rounds the monster would just put his head back in place and start attacking again. Either way, the only place in the book that says a creature would just come back after a death effect is the Tarrasque's version of Regeneration; So would it be possible to just go Highlander against trolls ans other regenerating things?

[OgeXam]

Against other regneration creatures yes. Since vorpal states that they die.

PRD-Regeneration wrote:

Attack forms that don't deal hit point damage are not healed by regeneration.

A vorpal attack does not deal damage just kilsl it, so it is not healed by regeneration.

The Tarrasque has a special form of regeneration that works always.

[Pax Veritas]

LOL. I miss the Sword of Sharpness.

I'm inspired to pull those 2e books off the shelf tonight, and dish out a SoS next Monday in my Pathfinder RPG game! I remember those...... a whole lot of descriptive fun!

Hmmmmn.

Any reason why I shouldn't? Does anyone have the skill to give me a PFRPG write-up for one including stat details? ^ ^