in all of our lives
i'm sure there was a phase
where we thought the grim reaper was cool
and sought to base an avatar of some kind upon the concept.
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Arumat from Star Ocean: The Last Hope wields an absurdly wicked multi-bladed energy scythe.
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Come to think of it, the god Nerull in 1st and 2nd edition had a big harvest scythe. Then again, he was an explicit Grim Reaper ripoff, so that's hardly surprising, but still, the precedent was there.
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Scythes were not on the 1st and 2nd edition weapons list. They were however in game. As stated above, Nerull toted one about, and if you drew the Death card from a Deck of Many Things, you were attacked by a minor death who used a scythe. There are prolly other examples, but it wasn't a normal weapon people carried around. 3.0 is when it became popular.
Forgot about the minor deaths. Sorry. But I don't think they were anywhere else either, beyond the weapon lists.
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I've had many characters use scythes, because I like the way they look, and the symbolism with the grim reaper, harvesting, etc. The x4 crit has only come up maybe 2 or 3 times.
If wizardy types can fly around shooting fire from their fingers, and druidy folk run around turning into animals and casting spells, then I really don't give two wits about the angle that the blade on a stick is pointing, and how "realistic" it is. The Rule of Cool, and all.
Scythes were not on the 1st and 2nd edition weapons list.
Pedantic correction: unmodified farm-implement (harvest) scythes, with the name "scythes," were not. However, the "war scythe," as noted above, is modified in regards to the blade mounting. And when you do that to a scythe, the weapon you end up with resembles a polearm, and in French-speaking countries was called a fauchard. Check the 1e Player's Handbook weapon list.
Come to think of it, the god Nerull in 1st and 2nd edition had a big harvest scythe. Then again, he was an explicit Grim Reaper ripoff, so that's hardly surprising, but still, the precedent was there.
true.
Pharasma is a Yama Ripoff
Courthouse
Judge
Determines where you get sent to in the afterlife based on a Karma point compilation
allows you to cash in Karma points for a free true Resurrection as a young adult
in some parodies of the system
has a club card system that allows you to build up points that can be cashed in for free true ressurections
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Scythes were not on the 1st and 2nd edition weapons list.Pedantic correction: unmodified farm-implement (harvest) scythes, with the name "scythes," were not. However, the "war scythe," as noted above, is modified in regards to the blade mounting. And when you do that to a scythe, the weapon you end up with resembles a polearm, and in French-speaking countries was called a fauchard. Check the 1e Player's Handbook weapon list.
Yes I know fauchards are in there, as well as variant fauchards. But weapons named scythe weren't. Scythes didn't appear on the base weapon list until 3rd ed.
Odd side note, the scythes the minor deaths used did 2d8 per hit. Good thing they weren't x4 weapons back then.
Yeah well, I really feel that third edition was Diablo 2 edition. Sure, harvest scythes have been used for ages in various fantasy pictures... But the necromancer was in Diablo 2. I repeat... Where was it detailed in first or second edition?Yes, there were scythes in 2nd edition.
3.0 predated Diablo 2 btw.Fine. Where? Reference please.
By the by, Diablo 2 was released at the end of June 2000, 3.0 PHB was released early August 2000. So, no, Diablo 2 was first. Admittedly, it is not much time to "be influenced" by something... But please, do a search for Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game, Diablo 2 edition, Diablo 2 The Awakening, Diablo 2 Diablerie, and Diablo 2 To Hell and Back. Guess when they were released?
Even if they hadn’t been in 2nd ed the above wouldn’t have proved a thing.
The book had probably already been sent to the presses in spring of 2000.
When things like this happen the explanation is probably that the devs on both camps probably came up with the same idea at approximately the same time.
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My Oracle of battle adores his scythe. Each crit makes the GM weep.
Who says Scythe's aren't cool?You know, if you didn't bring it up... I would've.
"Are you... robbing.. me?"
"YES!"
"ooohhhh..." *violence*
I was surprised it hadn't come up before.
You are confusing the farming Scythe with the War Scythe which is not a farming implement. The war scythe was typically created from a farming scythe by extending the blade up right from the pole and it becomes a weapon more like the Fauchard.
The price of the scythe is out to lunch though. A Fauchard could be that price but a war scythe is the cheap mans fauchard. The price should be 1/3 that cost. A halberd is only 10 GP.
You are confusing the farming Scythe with the War Scythe which is not a farming implement. The war scythe was typically created from a farming scythe by extending the blade up right from the pole and it becomes a weapon more like the Fauchard.
The price of the scythe is out to lunch though. A Fauchard could be that price but a war scythe is the cheap mans fauchard. The price should be 1/3 that cost. A halberd is only 10 GP.
It is a bizarre attempt at balance that only affects level 1 characters. It is the same reason why the falchion is the most expensive non-exotic melee weapon other than the syringe spear. This is bizarre since actual falchions seemed more like machetes and were "a lower-than-average quality and status than the longer, more expensive swords" as wikipedia tells us.
My problem is that they are not consistent at all with this attempt at 'balance'. While many of the more expensive weapons are the ones with either 18-20/x2 or x4, scimitars cost as much as longswords and heavy picks cost half as much.
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Who says Scythe's aren't cool?
My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
Who says Scythe's aren't cool?My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
I live to serve...
thats more of a metaphor
Who says Scythe's aren't cool?My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
I'm trying to figure out why the hell I've never heard of this before. My housemate has some bloody explaining to do, given that I just yelled out asking if he's ever heard of RWBY and his response was 'of course'. Why the hell wasn't he sharing the awesome?
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As I recall, he used a SICKLE to do the deed, not a scythe?
I grew up on a farm. We had a farming Scythe. As a small child is was told - "never touch the scythe - it will cut your leg's off".
All though i never testet this theory as a child - this would explain the x4 crit modifier....
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Having actually used a Scythe I can see why it's a exotic weapon. It easy enough to cut wheat with it. Trying to use it combat can be tricky and imo requires minimal training at least. The weapon requires one to use with two hands and to hit something in combat espcially moving even more. It's one of the few times I agree with the devs on a weapon being exotic. Usually it feels like they put a weapon into a exotic category that is easy to use yet because they consider it too good a weapon for a feat tax on players to use it.
If anything I would be less worried about the Scythe requiring training and wondering why Druids don't have access to a handaxe. Try cutting any decent sized branch with a hand scythe then get back to me.
Scythe's are martial, not exotic.
I'm trying to figure out why the hell I've never heard of this before. My housemate has some bloody explaining to do, given that I just yelled out asking if he's ever heard of RWBY and his response was 'of course'. Why the hell wasn't he sharing the awesome?Who says Scythe's aren't cool?My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
Obviously you need to punish the barbaric criminal. I suggest tying them to a chair, taping their eyelids open, and putting the two hour 'The History of Polka' DVD in on loop and leaving for the weekend.
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I'm trying to figure out why the hell I've never heard of this before. My housemate has some bloody explaining to do, given that I just yelled out asking if he's ever heard of RWBY and his response was 'of course'. Why the hell wasn't he sharing the awesome?Who says Scythe's aren't cool?My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
Developer
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le sigh.
I miss my Neverwinter Nights scythe wielding weapons master.
:(Still haven't seen someone actually use one in a D&D game though.
-S
Back in 3.5 I used it with Psychic Weapon Master. He added +1 to the critical multiplier and +2 to critical threat range (stacked with IMproved Critical). A 17-20 x5 critical threat weapon will deal a lot. Mind you, that class was pretty busted (full BAB, half manifestor, free weapon enchancing, +wisdom modifier to AoO if you have combat reflexes, standard action whirlwind attacks...).
Mind you, 19-20 x4 is the same average damage as 15-20 x2. Statistically. It just comes by less often. And 2d4 is just .5 less damage than 1d10 (with a higher low-threshold). That being said, "effective" Scythes in high-fantasy/low-exalted are wielded more like quarterstaffs. In realistic settings, they are wielded like halberds because "war-scythes".
Obviously you need to punish the barbaric criminal. I suggest tying them to a chair, taping their eyelids open, and putting the two hour 'The History of Polka' DVD in on loop and leaving for the weekend.I'm trying to figure out why the hell I've never heard of this before. My housemate has some bloody explaining to do, given that I just yelled out asking if he's ever heard of RWBY and his response was 'of course'. Why the hell wasn't he sharing the awesome?Who says Scythe's aren't cool?My infinite thanks for reminding me of this. ^_^
Slight problem, my housemate would probably enjoy that. He's a little strange...
To get myself back onto topic. Yeah, I personally favour the classic fantasy depiction of the war scythe as an implement. Impractical or not, it's awesome. Only player I've ever played who had one though was a LE monk who had gone into a prestige class that allowed it. Can't remember the name of the class, but I think it was one from Dragon.
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I played a cleric/monk who flurried with a scythe.
Worship god with scythe for favored weapon.
Take Crusader Flurry Feat, flurry with diety weapon.
Take Flowing Monk, trip opponents, smash with scythe while on ground.
Giggle and ask strangers if they have their will up to date...
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Druids don't cut trees with axes. They ask the trees nicely to give them some wood and the trees happily oblige.
Sure at high levels. Not at low levels and definitely not at first level. Try cutting through a larger sized branch that say was broken off a tree by wind or a lightning strike with a hand sycthe. As well last I checked Druids protect nature. They are not Greenpeace renamed for a fantasy rpg imo. As well as long as a Druid is not going out of his way to harm a tree or at least taking wood found on the floor first I don't see anything wrong with a Druid using a handaxe.
A few years ago I helped my grandad in Italy because I was using a hand scythe to help him cut wheat. It's boring and I started doing it without paying an attention. He got angry at my lack of attention because one time a cousin had done the same thing. His hand scythe had hit a rock and bend back. Since he was not paying attention when he pulled his hand back to cut he stabbed himself in the stomach. As the blade had curved on the stone. So no way are you going to be clipping any branches or at least thick ones with a hand scythe. Strip some branches of leaves. Cut a few smaller ones. Big ones not going to happen. What you see in the books is Paizo being shall we say very creative and to a leeser extent unrealistic when it comes to hand scythes as weapons imo.
Sure at high levels. Not at low levels and definitely not at first level. Try cutting through a larger sized branch that say was broken off a tree by wind or a lightning strike with a hand sycthe. As well last I checked Druids protect nature. They are not Greenpeace renamed for a fantasy rpg imo. As well as long as a Druid is not going out of his way to harm a tree or at least taking wood found on the floor first I don't see anything wrong with a Druid using a handaxe.
Druids don't cut trees with axes. They ask the trees nicely to give them some wood and the trees happily oblige.
But do you need to be proficient in the ax as a weapon in order use it as a tool? I mean, light hammers are also martial weapons, but I doubt anyone would complain if a rogue took profession (carpenter). I kind of thought of a weapon proficiency as more along the lines of the skill needed if you wanted to hit something that could get out of the way.
But you do make a perfectly reasonable argument for allowing axes through the Rough and ready trait though if someone had profession (gardener) or something along those lines.
The 300 Spartans never held of a horde of Persians with farming tools.
The 300 Spartans didn't exist in a D&D game, so this is irrelevant.
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But do you need to be proficient in the ax as a weapon in order use it as a tool? I mean, light hammers are also martial weapons, but I doubt anyone would complain if a rogue took profession (carpenter). I kind of thought of a weapon proficiency as more along the lines of the skill needed if you wanted to hit something that could get out of the way.But you do make a perfectly reasonable argument for allowing axes through the Rough and ready trait though if someone had profession (gardener) or something along those lines.
I get the point being made against allowing the use of handaxes as well. Just that as long as a Druid does not delibrately harm a tree it just seems a much better tool to use. As well it's not going to break the game if one allows a druid access to it imo.
Don't forget, the weapon/tools you find in the books, are weapons based off of common tools. If I took my sledge-hammer into a fight, granted, I could do some serious damage, but it isn't meant to be used like that. The shaft isn't meant to be used to block a weapon, nor is it weighted for easy use. It's designed to smash objects, not people.
A war hammer, is a hammer that has been designed for war. It's shaft is treated and hardened to withstand weapon blows, and it's weight is more balanced for more consistent and accurate swings.
Granted, that's how things are IRL, and you probably won't find such facts in the rule book, but it doesn't make them less true.
I played a cleric/monk who flurried with a scythe.
Worship god with scythe for favored weapon.
Take Crusader Flurry Feat, flurry with diety weapon.
Take Flowing Monk, trip opponents, smash with scythe while on ground.
Giggle and ask strangers if they have their will up to date...
i wounder if you can pull that off without dual classes
Yeah well, I really feel that third edition was Diablo 2 edition. Sure, harvest scythes have been used for ages in various fantasy pictures... But the necromancer was in Diablo 2. I repeat... Where was it detailed in first or second edition?Yes, there were scythes in 2nd edition.
3.0 predated Diablo 2 btw.Fine. Where? Reference please.
By the by, Diablo 2 was released at the end of June 2000, 3.0 PHB was released early August 2000. So, no, Diablo 2 was first. Admittedly, it is not much time to "be influenced" by something... But please, do a search for Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game, Diablo 2 edition, Diablo 2 The Awakening, Diablo 2 Diablerie, and Diablo 2 To Hell and Back. Guess when they were released?
The Scythe is a 2nd edition AD&D weapon (which costs 5 gold). It can be found in The Complete Ranger's Handbook, the Monstrous Manual (used by Skeletons), used by the Void from the Deck of Many Things, The Complete Priest's Handbook, The Complete Ninja's Handbook, Legend and Lore, Combat and Tactics, and very likely several OTHER handbooks.
Addendum note: It's described as having the blade mounted perpendicular to the handle and is a converted farming tool. So the War Scythe from Wikipedia is the Scythe in AD&D and Pathfinder.
If anything I would be less worried about the Scythe requiring training and wondering why Druids don't have access to a handaxe. Try cutting any decent sized branch with a hand scythe then get back to me.Druids don't cut trees with axes. They ask the trees nicely to give them some wood and the trees happily oblige.
at high levels
even Druids and Wood Elves, require firewood to survive
and not until the high levels, can they ask a tree for firewood
so they too, have to chop down dying trees to acquire the wood
so what they do, in moderation, is chop the dying trees, taking what they need to survive and using every bit of the tree they kill. much like how the Native Americans use every part of every living creature they slay.
I get the point being made against allowing the use of handaxes as well. Just that as long as a Druid does not delibrately harm a tree it just seems a much better tool to use. As well it's not going to break the game if one allows a druid access to it imo.
Well, that is a slight point since they already have the spear(like pretty much everyone else), which is another 1d8 crit x3 weapon when compared to a battleaxe (closest I could find to a decent ax; a hand ax might be better for cutting off dead limbs though)