Talk:Katana (4e Equipment)

Why does it have the defensive property? Katanas were not known for their parrying ability and has a very small handguard. Marasmusine (talk) 07:08, 6 June 2016 (MDT)

I thought it was pretty cool. It may not be the right move, though.

I wanted a versatile weapon, but I can't come up with something that seems practical. The Bastard Sword is a versatile sword so, that's already there. I plan on expanding it, but I don't know how. I imagine the Katana is alright for defense; also, I wanted a two-handed weapon with the defensive property. --JohnSmith82 (talk) 16:52, 6 June 2016 (MDT)

I will also point out that a fullblade is a +3 / 1d12 heavy blade.

Since the katana is a longsword, could you not just use the statistics for a longsword? We've have had attempts at a 4e katana before (now deleted), people tended to go a bit overboard with the katana's purported superiority. Marasmusine (talk) 17:13, 6 June 2016 (MDT)

Well, that's why I was trying to keep it light. The other option is a +3, 2D6 weapon that averages out to 7 damage, more or less equal to the Fullblade at 6.5 damage + high crit. It's more so for flavor, and certain feat bonuses/fighting styles. I figured the defensive property is just nice to have, more so for what the Katana is perceived as than it actually is. Which is a weapon where you don't need a shield since, you have an awesome sword. The Japanese believed that if you went in to combat trying to survive you were more likely to die than if you were prepared to die, and went all out. I believe it reflects the philosophy rather than the actual ability. Which since this is D&D and flail in real life sucked, it seems plausible.

Special Feat

Also, check out dis feat. Miyamoto Musashi (4e Feat)

Essentially, you can wield it as if it's a one-handed weapon but, it gains a -1 penalty to attack rolls. Further, since the defensive property doesn't stack, there's no real fear of that, either.

The is also the Kenjustu Style!

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Kenjutsu_(4e_Feat)

Note About Defensive Weapons

So there are three defensive weapons that are not double weapons. All of which are superior one-handed melee weapons. The Parrying dagger is a +2 1d4 offhand, The Gauntlet Axe is a +2 1d8, and The Singing stick which is a +3 1d6. Defensive weapons are mostly to give dual-wielding rangers extra defense. And they are equal to wielding a light shield. Additionally in the description of the defensive property it explicitly says that you gain the bonus with a defensive weapon in one hand and another melee weapon in the other hand. this implies two weapons. Double weapons work around this as it is described as two separate weapons with one end often being defensive.

As such a two handed defensive weapon should be thought of as a one-handed weapon + light shield or a one-handed weapon + heavy shield. (with the exception of the bonus to Reflex) So I don't really see a good niche for this weapon at the moment.

From the perspective of one-handed + shield the weapon falls quite a bit above the average as the +3 1d12 is better than any current one-handed weapon. So I find this weapon in a sort of grey area without any real way to properly balance it.--Aitharious (talk) 15:34, 9 January 2017 (MST)