[Request] I would like rules for an Exotic 2H Orc Axe

[cfalcon]

I'm hoping this is the correct forum for this: I run my games pretty simulation-y, and as such I throw away all the "double" weapons as being ahistorical.

This creates a small issue whenever a player chooses a race with the ability to "treat all exotic weapons with $RACE in the name as martial" or similar, as no less than three of the core races have a legacy 3.X weapon inherited in the rules that is a "double" weapon. Orcs in particular get hurt by this, and I have a half-orc PC in my new game. I'm perfectly fine with a made-up racial weapon (just not those weapons), one that adds a bit of player power to a player running that build.

So I'd like something that is, power-wise, similar to the exotic "Elven Curve Blade" (in terms of its small bump over its martial equivalent), except an axe, and themed for orcs. I wouldn't mind hearing about any other "orc" weapons that have had a run in a campaign either.

Thanks for your time.

[blahpers]

Make the butchering axe an orc weapon, just as it ought to have been in the first place. Boom. Done.

[cfalcon]

Holy moly that thing uses an exotic feat to add +1d6 to the top end martial dudes. I had never heard of that- is that correct, 3d6 damage? I'm fairly certain I can't allow that for power concerns for any characters in my game, but I could use that as a template.

The "Elven Curve Blade" is like +0.5 damage over its martial equivalent. 3d4 adds 1 point over the greataxe, 3d6 adds +4. I could probably bring that guy in with that, and its in line with what is intended as an orc weapon.

[blahpers]

Yup, it's a monster.

[avr]

It's a monster, but I think part of the reason the ECB has such a small bump is that it's finessable. +0.5 is weak even for an exotic weapon feat, which is weaker than most other comparable feats. If you compare 3d4 to a greatsword's 2d6 it only comes in at +0.5 too. And d4s are a pain to roll... 2d8 might be fair and it comes in at ~+2 damage on average, the same as weapon specialization. If the players in your game know how to stack size increases never mind that.

[cfalcon]

> It's a monster, but I think part of the reason the ECB has such a small bump is that it's finessable.

Probably. That counts for something, but finessable weapons don't really pay a consistent price for it. +1 seems a reasonable upgrade (and the comparison isn't exactly even with a greatsword, but it is with a greataxe). The case for +2 is mostly based on the idea that a two handed weapon should get a bit more of a boost for moving "up a step" (the top simple two handed weapons in core are usually 1d8, brace, one minor perk like reach, and normal crit range- the martial versions that match that template tend to gain 1 damage and a perk). d4s do suck to roll though, and that's definitely a solid point.

[doomman47]

butchering axe does come with the down side of needing a certain str score to use, so any ability dmg or drain and they can't use their weapon its a pretty big drawback

[Turgan]

I don't know if the Poll Axe (not Pole Axe) is already part of the rules. For details see Wikipedia. Damage: d8, 19-20 x 3, Piercing, slashing or bludgeoning. Funny enough, it is a historical weapon widely used in the late middle ages, that could be seen as a double weapon. German name: Mordaxt (Murder axe).

I hate German auto-correction in an English forum