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I initially asked this on my WHAT'S MY WEAPON? thread here but as that thread seems to have faded into obscurity for the time being, I'd like to reiterate it here:
At the moment, there appears to be only one type of weapon modeled after the Chinese dao, the nine-ringed broadsword. How would one simulate similar weapons that didn't have rings, but were still part of Chinese martial arts like the Yanmaodao or Liuyedao? The only thing that looks close would probably be the scimitar but that's obviously not a monk weapon the way the NRB is.
Sounds good to me Gorbacz.
d8 20 x3
d8 19-20 x2
d6 18-20 x2
All those look fine for what pictures I can find for them.
What Gorbacz said, with the addition of "One Handed" for both of them.
I am also a fan of this style of chinese sword, but realize that most, maybe even all, of its unique character is the fighting style, the construction of the weapon itself falls within the range os standard sword types in PF. So stat it as longsword or scimitar and move on.
Temple Sword then.
One of the great things about a roleplaying game is that it takes place within your imagination. You are not shackled to the imagery provided by the books. Use the Temple Sword.
Isn't the whole point of the temple sword that its abilities come from its weird shape? How does this translate into this?
Answer: By down playing the steep of the front facing curve, in the same way that the designers did in other examples of the temple sword.
Or...y'know... just give up using proper names entirely- again, just like the devs. The basic Rune Giant stat block lists longswords, but just look at pretty much every rune giant image. this creature size comparison make their swords look particularly dao like. This could be seen as quite intentional for the rune giants, since their armors appear to have similar cultural influences. So why bother using proper names, when you are just looking for 'a nice slashing sword with monk property'. While I am the type that tries to limit reflavoring, I think this is such a basic, minor problem that you just as well just call your sword a dao and imagine the shape you want.
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I suppose it works. I mean, apparently there ARE temple swords that look like falcatas and longswords. You think a hypothetical GM would let me get away with that?
I suppose it works. I mean, apparently there ARE temple swords that look like falcatas and longswords. You think a hypothetical GM would let me get away with that?
Honestly? Just put a temple sword on paper and imagine it however you want to in your own head. Your GM can't ban things in your head. Unless they have the right spellcasting levels and have things like read thoughts.
This is why I view this as such a non-issue. Because the only down side here is that you can't shape how the other side pictures your character in their head. And you would barely ever notice that, since it isn't like he will bring up the description of your sword's exact shape all that often.
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The catch is that I'm writing up the character sheet independent of anything so when a recruitment thread pops up on the forums I can drop the character right in at the front page and thus maximize my chances of getting accepted. So this needs to work for ALL hypothetical GMs, who I have no clue what their policies on reflavoring are...
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If a GM has a problem with you reflavoring a sword as a different type of similar sword, you don't want to play with that GM anyway. They'll be really anal about everything else too, I'm sure.
Isn't the whole point of the temple sword that its abilities come from its weird shape? How does this translate into this?
Well I mean, mechanically the temple sword is just a longsword with the trip property (and the trip property does only slightly less than nothing) that weighs slightly less. Nothing there really seems to rely on weird shape. Ditto for the nine ring broadsword, except it's a slightly lighter battleaxe instead.
As for GMs, it's case by case but I really can't imagine any decent GM refusing to let you pass off either as a Dao, so I have to agree with Sundakan completely.
Well, now, I think we are getting to the sticky, sticky world of specific weapon names.
Basically, you are intending to refer to it as a Dao in character? As in "No man nor beast can stand before my dao!".
Just say it is a general term for kinda curved slash-y swords used by your character. Because that is what the term dao is at its heart, isn't it? So since there there isn't some specific sword called 'dao' for the GM to stick onto, then it shouldn't be a problem. Heck, argue that it is a problem with how you learned the common tongue. You can play it as a weird accent type thing, since I assume you are from the easter regions (cause monk).
It is like me going to tian, and calling everyone's jian a longsword (in the common tongue of my land). I am not wrong, but wrong language really.