Vorpal Sword 5e
Weapon (any sword that deals slashing damage), legendary (requires attunement)
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.
Commentary by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Vorpal Swords are one of D&D’s more iconic magic weapons- they decapitate with startling efficiency.
+3 to hit and damage is great- stacked on top of ignoring resistance to slashing damage makes this one of the most consistent weapons in the game.
Rolling a 20 isn’t the same as scoring a critical hit; a Champion fighter with an improved critical hit range will only decapitate on a 20, not on a 19 even though both crit for them.
The bonus 6d8 damage is dealt by the weapon; usually, a 20 results in a critical hit, meaning this damage is doubled when you crit.
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