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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 9:05PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2008
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3.5 I've got that character that I spoke of, the Roman-esque one. (Actually, Nemedian, from the lands of Conan, we are in that campaign world, but same thing). I feel that the "Sword that conquered the world" should be just a bit more than a mere shortsword, but only enough so that an officer would still use a gladius as well as his legionnaires, though the spatha, or longsword did exist as a cavalry weapon. That said, I'm fleshing this out. Have I missed anything?  Gladius: Martial, Light melee
15 gp
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1d4
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1d6
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19-20/×2
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—
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3 lbs.
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P or S shared focus: shortsword
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The gladius is a shortsword, but it is somewhat heavier and wasp-waisted, or leaf-bladed in shape, putting more mass towards the point. This design makes for a weapon that slashes as well as it thrusts, and also the following unique quality:
You can use the Power Attack feat with a gladius sized for you, even though it isn't a one-handed weapon for you. The benefit applies only to a gladius wielded as a primary weapon; A gladius in the secondary hand (or off-hand) is treated normally as a light weapon.*
You can’t wield a gladius in two hands in order to apply 1½ times your Strength bonus to damage, nor gain the 2:1 Power Attack bonus as per a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. A gladius is a light weapon in all other normal effects, such as disarm and sunder modifiers, except where Power Attack damage is applicable. *Special: The feat Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting allows a gladius in the secondary hand the same benefit of Power Attack as a one-handed weapon, even though it is a light weapon already (rather than create some new feat).
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 9:18PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2005
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That works. I'd also give it the base damage of a short sword +1 (so a Medium gladius would deal 1d6+1 damage as its base).
"Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same. If you are too attentive to the former, you will most certainly not do the hard work of securing the latter." -Condoleezza Rice
"My fellow Americans... I've just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. Bombing begins in five minutes." - Ronald Reagan
This user has been brought to you by the letters "O-R-C" and the numbers "2, 3, 4, and 6"
Resident Pithed-Off Dragon
Poon Slayer of the House of Trolls
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 9:34PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2008
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I don't want to over-power it Draco. Oma said that I can use monkey grip to wield 2 gladii in each hand, that would be a total of 4 x 1d6+1, or 1d8+1 if I were a large creature using dagger-sized gladii betwixt my fingers on the second Tuesday of the month, if Nymph-kissed on the oversized shield between my toes. I think I'll stick with the normal shortsword 1d6, else there's no niche for the longsword spatha, or the german/viking/celtic longswords that came later with better metalurgy. Thanks for the imput as always, my friend.  Neue
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 9:41PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2005
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Only reason I brought it up is that I think that's what they did in 2E. I know that there was a gladiolus in one of the A&E guides for that edition.
"Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same. If you are too attentive to the former, you will most certainly not do the hard work of securing the latter." -Condoleezza Rice
"My fellow Americans... I've just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. Bombing begins in five minutes." - Ronald Reagan
This user has been brought to you by the letters "O-R-C" and the numbers "2, 3, 4, and 6"
Resident Pithed-Off Dragon
Poon Slayer of the House of Trolls
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 10:17PM
#5
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Gladius was designed to Slsh and Pierce.
How about allowing allow Weapon Finese to include the gladius so Dex instead of strength could be used for the attack, this also reflects that some weapons like the rapier might be out of place with your theme so keeps the feat for high dex characters.
As for making it a superior weapon in general, you shoudl also consier equiping a good many enemies with Bronze weapons, to reflect the roman empire having superior technology to many others.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 10:39PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2005
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MrC, because it's a light weapon (and counted as a short sword for everything but PA), it works with both Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade - if Neue used the ToB.
"Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same. If you are too attentive to the former, you will most certainly not do the hard work of securing the latter." -Condoleezza Rice
"My fellow Americans... I've just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. Bombing begins in five minutes." - Ronald Reagan
This user has been brought to you by the letters "O-R-C" and the numbers "2, 3, 4, and 6"
Resident Pithed-Off Dragon
Poon Slayer of the House of Trolls
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 10:48PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Dec 17, 2011
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The best way to capture the essence of the gladius would be do have them be simple masterwork shortswords, and have all non-Romans use primitive weapons(Or whatever they're called, from Frostburn).
Customer Disservice of the House of Trolls
Resident Secretly Ron Paul
God of Spite and Sloth
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5 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 11:42PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2008
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All trains of thought are in my post, I just suck at writing.
It is a basic martial weapon, cheap to produce for the masses.
It can benefit from common array stats, no str, no dex.
But it can excel with either. Str or Dex, or BOTH
Meant to be used in formation with shield and comrade, but can be an officer's mainstay or even a gladiator's, or the rare two-weaponed fighter's thing, but with enough feats either way to not make it a super-weapon without investing in TWF, Finesse, Power Attack, Oversized, whatever directions. (thus a cheap weapon to mass-produce but yet one that a level-ed up officer can use just as well for his/her feats)
No common soldier is going to have more than "phalanx fighting". But morale says that the captain should brandish the same weapon!
I wrote half of that bass-ackwards, but I've worked 3 12-hour shifts in a row, just read it RAI please, I'm not fixing it.
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