Greatsword or greataxe, that is the question!

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First: I'm currently considering tanking through NWN2 in one of the three games I'm running (goody pally/ neutral tank/ evil I-don't-know-yet) and I'm somewhat at a loss when it's time to choose the weapon for my character. And among the to-be chosen key feats are clearly cleave and great cleave.

I have eventually decided in favour of a lawful neutral half-orc pure fighter (str 19/ dex 13/ con 14/ int 12/ wis 10/ cha 6). I want to later switch to one or two prestige classes, likely Neverwinter 9, divine champion and/ or weapons master. Don't know yet.

As for the weapons in question, it's gotta be one of the two, greatsword or greataxe.

So what I'm wondering about is which weapon is effectively better, and cooler.

Greatsword
pro: greater likeliness of rolling a crit/ greater average damage (7 as opposed to 6,5 on the greataxe)
con: double damage in a crit

Greataxe
pro: triple damage on a crit, and then usually devastating
con: lower probability of rolling crit, lower average damage

Atm I tend towards choosing greatsword, as I'll probably rather want to have a slightly larger average damage and greater probability of a critical hit. Cleave and Great Cleave allow for extra attacks and extra chances for criticals, further making this choice more attractive.

The same consideration also rules out the scythe for me. It's not only that I think the weapon looks silly, it's generally less effective unless critical. It, sans looks silly, also rules out spears (very weak), staffs and halberds for me. Two handed flail is the blunt equivalent of the greatsword, good weapon, but I brefer blades.

Second: However, then there is the monkey grip feat. However, because a greataxe wielded single handed just looks cooler than a greatsword IMHO, and I think it also feels more half-orcish. The feat does allow for wielding a greataxe or a greatsword single-handed, with a large shield at a malus of -2, and a tower shield at a malus of -4. The obvious AC advantage aside, it alows allows to use magical shields without having to go for a single handed weapon (and waste feats on those), at the cost of a damage malus and attack malus. Advantageous from a powergaming perspective.

I will not go for dual-wielding any of these with my char at some point. That's just insane.

Opinions?

 

I would go for a greataxe for the chance of achieving more damage on criticals. You can get access to a nice greatsword early in the game dependant on your finances. And there is a good variety of both weapons available in the game. I would consider taking the frenzied berserker class for 2 levels to get access to the toughness feat and supreme cleave (2 attacks on cleave hit instead of one). But this would mean you would have to play a character of non-lawful alignment.

 

The greatsword wins if you get down to the bare statistics. If the GS receives a 2x critical twice out of twenty rolls, statistically, you will dish out twice as many criticals in the long run than while using a GA. This might be offset by the GA's 3x critical multiplier, but if not for the fact that the GS incurs a critical hit twice as often, dealing 1.5x the damage more than the GA, neglecting the actual damage values of each individual weapon, which I should add, the GS also has a higher rating in. So while the GA may be nice for those, "sweet, one hit kill!" moments, in the long run, it is the really the GS that dishes out more damage.

Then again, the greataxe looks pretty sweet...

 

I once read where a guy really broke it down in terms of math and the Greatsword wins when compared to all other weapons.

That said, you should consider that a great many enemies are undead, i.e. crit immune and there are enough slashing/piercing immune enemies to warrant carrying a warmace around as back-up.

Above all, the NWN2 campaign isn't so difficult that you need to worry about such things. I say just use what looks cool and have fun.

 

If you're after crits take the scythe. If you're after reliability take the greatsword. Greataxe is a poor mans scythe.

 

At risk of sounding ironic, when I play a tank I want to cut through my enemies like a scythe through the grain, always - and that's why I'd rather take a greatsword and not a scythe.

Only problem is that it ruins your gaming style You should always play a tank last, or you'll be disapointed with your other chart's melee abilities.

I restarted my aasimar paladin, making him paladin only. I gave him fighter levels first, but as Chev rightly hinted on, that denies me the special abilities of a paladin, and will likely keep me from choosing probably more interesting prestige classes. Patience! Thank god I only got as far as Fort Locke by now, which then is also a pity, considering that I play for three days now. I should focus on one game and finish it, instead of playing three chars simultaneously, re-starting them when I feel they're imperfect.

 

You are a half-orc! Axes! Orcs uses axes! Not swords! RP man, you have to RP!

 

joacqin, I'm a roleplaying powergamer. That means that I occasionally make compromises along the way

I haven't really started the game yet, means char is at Fort Locke, and I can still remove the feats I spent on greatswords and replace them with the corresponding greataxe feats through the console. I don't believe in re-investing hours in games for the sake of not-cheating.

 

In terms of crits, the G-sword and the G-axe are almost equal. From a mathematical perspective, a greatsword criticals twice per 20 attacks, giving double damage - so two more attacks, one each per crit. A greataxe will critical once, but do triple damage - so again, it will give two more attacks. However, a greatsword has a minimal edge in terms of damage.

All in all? I prefer a great falchion. 1d12 18-20/x2 is nothing to sneer at

 

Even a normal 2d4 falchion is remarkably powerful. IMO a very much underestimated weapon.

Tip: A normal sized char can use the monkey grip feat, much like the exotic weapon proficiency feat, and wield a falchion single handed or two-handed, depending on conditions. Better than a longsword. 2d4 is mathematically better than 1d8, and it has a better crit range than a longsword.

That makes it attractive for weapon master builds.

 

Dual wield great swords with monkey grip

 

Sheesh, what's this, Neverwinter Fantasy? Get yourself two good warmaces, and start pounding some heads.