Vorpal Sword (Scimitar)
D&D 5e · 2014·Weapons·Legendary·Requires attunement
Base weapon damage before your ability modifier. Use the calculator to include hit chance and critical hits.
Damage calculator
Hit chance
70%
Expected damage / attack
6.83
Attack bonus
+8
Average normal hit: 9.5 · Average critical hit: 13 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Martial weapon
- Damage type
- Slashing
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +3
- Weight
- 3 lb
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Attack with this weapon.
Calculator assumptions & rules
One attack against a creature. Natural 1 misses; natural 20 hits and doubles damage dice, not flat modifiers. Expected damage includes misses and critical hits. Advantage uses the higher of two d20s; Disadvantage uses the lower. Magic bonuses shown on the item are counted once.
Uses only the weapon’s ordinary hit and the listed on-hit extra dice, when enabled. Class features, Sneak Attack, fighting styles, mastery effects, damage on a miss, special critical-hit effects, ongoing damage, resistance and immunity are excluded. Check the full rules below for additional effects.
Changing calculator inputs does not change the item’s rules or create a new page URL.
What Vorpal Sword does
- Strength or Dexterity can drive this martial weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 1d6 +3 weapon damage averages 6.5 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. In addition, the weapon ignores resistance to slashing damage. When you attack a creature that has at least one head with this weapon and roll a 20 on the attack roll, you cut off one of the creature's heads. The creature dies if it can't survive without the lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to slashing damage, doesn't have or need a head, has legendary actions, or the GM decides that the creature is too big for its head to be cut off with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an extra 6d8 slashing damage from the hit. This is the Scimitar variant.
Full item details & properties
Rules for this edition
- Proficiency
- A martial melee weapon; proficiency allows adding your Proficiency Bonus to its attack rolls.
Magic properties
- Activation
- Attack with this weapon.
- Consumable
- No
- Attack Rolls
- +3. With this weapon; use any target-specific or allocation rule below.
- Damage Rolls
- +3. Included once in the displayed weapon damage; add the applicable ability modifier separately.
- Vorpal strike
- Ignores Slashing Resistance. Attack roll 20 cuts off a head; death if the target cannot survive losing it. Slashing immunity, no needed head, Legendary Actions or a head too large (GM) prevent decapitation; extra 6d8 Slashing applies instead, subject to normal damage immunity.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 1d6 + 3 slashing
- Weapon class
- Martial Melee
Properties
Finesse
When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
Light
A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
Tags & related references
Compare alternatives
Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.
Same base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Scimitar (+1)4.68 expected damage / attack60% hit chance1d6 +1 slashing · +1 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 3 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Vorpal Sword (Greatsword)9.45 expected damage / attack70% hit chance2d6 +3 slashing · +3 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 6 lbSame item type and rules edition
Vorpal Sword (Longsword)7.58 expected damage / attack70% hit chance1d8 +3 slashing · +3 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 3 lbSame item type and rules edition
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Vorpal Sword FAQ
Does Vorpal Sword require attunement?
Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.
Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?
The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.