Katanas. Are they worth it?
Senash
Member Posts: 405
Well, title says it all. I wanted to start a Blade with katanas for RP, but now I'm swaying towards F/M with Scimitars... Or long swords, since they are just so much better (This discussion is NOT about Blade vs. F/M!). Probably take one pip in BG2 for Celestial Fury.
So katanas... How I see them:
PROs:
1. They are badass cool.
2. d10 dmg for one hand.
3. Pretty good speed factor (but not that much)
4. Celestial Fury.
CONs:
1. Rare. By the time you get a decent one, you are already able to choose from many badass long swords.
2. Have lower THAC0 bonuses than most other weapons in the same game (this also goes for bastard swords in BGEE, but at least we have some different +1 ones with some minor bonuses)
3. In BGEE there's only one katana +1, so no dual wielding.
4. Best katana in BG series (Hindo's Doom) is only +4 even when upgraded, and it get's it's ass kicked by Spectral Brand, Angurvadal, Foebane, Purifier, Flail of Ages and almost all the other top weapons.
5. Apart from Celestial Fury (and Dak'kon's Zerth Blade if you are a bard or F/M) no cool bonuses.
6. Oh, and you can't buy a katana from your starting money in Candlekeep.
So, what do you guys think?
So katanas... How I see them:
PROs:
1. They are badass cool.
2. d10 dmg for one hand.
3. Pretty good speed factor (but not that much)
4. Celestial Fury.
CONs:
1. Rare. By the time you get a decent one, you are already able to choose from many badass long swords.
2. Have lower THAC0 bonuses than most other weapons in the same game (this also goes for bastard swords in BGEE, but at least we have some different +1 ones with some minor bonuses)
3. In BGEE there's only one katana +1, so no dual wielding.
4. Best katana in BG series (Hindo's Doom) is only +4 even when upgraded, and it get's it's ass kicked by Spectral Brand, Angurvadal, Foebane, Purifier, Flail of Ages and almost all the other top weapons.
5. Apart from Celestial Fury (and Dak'kon's Zerth Blade if you are a bard or F/M) no cool bonuses.
6. Oh, and you can't buy a katana from your starting money in Candlekeep.
So, what do you guys think?
Post edited by Senash on
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Comments
Start with Scimitars for BG1's sake, but throw a pip in Katana as well.
Level 1: ** Scimitars ** Two Weapon Style
Level 3: ** Scimitars *** Two Weapon Style
Level 6: ** Scimitars *** Two Weapon Style * Katana
BGII HAPPENS
Level 9: ** Scimitars *** Two Weapon Style ** Katana
What I'm more interted in is if there are any people here, who are maybe better with the rules than I am and would say, that for that chance for some minor extra damage and that small speed factor bonus it's actually worth it to go with katanas.
I think I'm basically missing any good katanas from the game that can measure up to other weapons. (With the exception of Celestial Fury.)
On a side note, I don't consider speed factor to really be important enough to factor it into a decision of which weapon to use.
Flail has the foa, but axe has sweet stuff in soa and tob for both hands and throwing.
And Oger mages drop Katna +1 so you can get more then one.
To be honest - I am also guilty of trying to powergame at times. And I have tried to determine the best one-hand weapon class to get in ToB...but there's 2 things to consider:
1) There won't be such a bit difference between highest-tier weapons when you are past lvl 20. Honestly...get a weapon that fits your style, your roleplay or that you particularly like. You will be strong anyway. (Okay...maybe not so much with daggers, short swords or some hammers due to their small dmg 1d4 or 1d6)
2) BG2EE will come with new weapons and new content. You can't foresee what the devs will hide into TobEE. (Maybe a totally killer dagger? (usually the underdog of weapons))
But you have a point ofc... It would be awesome if they would introduce some new katanas and wakizashis/ninja-tos in ToB (especially a +5 Katana, hopefully).
And the Dagger of the Star itself is not bad at all... It has a 15% chance to make you go invisible. Now, combine that with Angurvadal +5 in the hands of an assassin rogue, or maybe a stalker, and you got yourself a slaughter fest
That's one reason, anyway. I have no idea if it was the one IkMarc was getting at.
Let's see (only 1 handed "large" swords):
BG:EE:
Katana+1 vs Varscona: 2-11 dmg (6,5 average) +1 THAC0 vs 4-11 dmg (7,5 avg) +2 THAC0 --> +1 dmg, +1 THAC0
vs Albruin: 5-11 dmg (8 avg) +1 THAC0 (+immunity to poison and detect illusion) --> +1,5 dmg
Rashad's Talon: 3-11 (7 avg) +2 THAC0 --> +0,5 dmg, +1 THAC0
Clearly all 3 are superior to the Katana +1.
BG2:
OK, in BG2, without ToB, there is no match for Celestial Fury. Actually maybe some tougher other swords would indeed be welcome there in BG2EE... But, we have Watcher's Keep though:
Celestial Fury vs Foebane +3: 4-13+5% for 20 electrical dmg (9,5 avg) vs 5-11 (8 avg) with +6 against many types of creatures, which makes it 11-17 (14 avg) in their case. But ofc Fury is still better with its stun (Foebane still rocks against undead and stuff
Blackrazor is also awesome with its lvl drain heal and STR bonus and haste, but you get it veeery late... (actually that one might even beat the katana...)
ToB:
Hindo's Doom+4: 5-14 (9,5) dmg +4 THAC0, 10% magic res, immunity to death amgic and 1/day restoration
vs Angurvadal +5: 8-18 (13 avg) dmg, 22 STR (depends how much you have, but with 18 to start with, plus tomes and without evil bonus from hell, it's still +1 THAC0 and +2 dmg boost; with evil bonus there's nothing to gain in this case) --> +3,5 avg dmg +1 THAC0 with str bonus, maybe more, and neg plane prot, while Hindo gets the defensive buffs and resto.
vs Foebane +5: 7-13+Laroch's(1-4) (together: 12,5 avg), 1-4 heal for each hit, insane dmg against demons, undead, elementals, etc. and +1 saves --> +3 dmg, minor heal, +1 THAC0 and bonus dmg for foebane, prot buffs and resto for hindo.
vs Spectral Brand +5: 7-19 (13 avg) dmg, summon spectral blade and +10 THAC0 1/day --> +3 dmg, +1 THAC0, offensive abilities and neg plane prot for Spectral, buffs and resto for Hindo.
So with this, they are actually making katanas do less dmg, than others, while that would be their exact speciality (as always with the exception of BG2:SoA). While the defensive buffs of the Hindo are pretty good, the other 3 washes up the floor with him in turns of offensive capabilities. Even if you would give Hindo that +1 THAC0 and dmg. In BGEE we could have (had) a Katana +1 with some minor buff, like +1 elemental dmg, immunity to fear, movement speed buff, +1 AC buff, +1 saves, or +1 DEX, so oriental playstyle could measure up to the others.
Sorry for the long post! I just got carried away
P.S.: could someone tell me how to do a spoiler tag, so next time I could put all this long stuff under one?
Put "[ spoiler ]" (no quotes, close up spaces), then text, then "[ /spoiler ]"
If that seems like cheating, roll a rogue with a high Charisma and rob the nobleman/noblewoman in the inn by conning them to lock their valuables up.
But you said blade, so let uncle Firebead give you the money and be done with it.
-Steal it from Winthrop if you're a thief or bard
-Get the star sapphire if you're a thief
The trick is to get and sell the dagger +1 as well for 150 gp (without paying to get it identified using either the spell; or I thought with a bard, tethoril's scroll), with firebead's 300 and other gold just lying around. The Katana cost 635 with a CHR of 18
Breakdown:
Katana 635 (/w 18 chr)
- 130 starting gold
- 300 firebead
- 150 dagger + 1
- 20 from Hull
- 18 from the chest /w the scrolls
- 15 from the chest outside the bunkhouse
- 5 for killing rats
gives you 3 whole gp to play with and a bunch of other stuff to sell after purchasing the katana.