Weapon Group: Heavy Blades

Pictured here: 1) scythe, 2) longsword or jiàn, 3) scimitar or dāo, 4) bastard sword or sprout dāo, 5) cutlass or slashing dāo, 6) greatsword or horse-chopping dāo, 7) elven dueling sword or willow leaf dāo, 8) elven curve blade or long-handled dāo, 9) falchion or dadāo, 10) ankus, 11) temple sword, 12) falcata or shark-head dāo, 13) katana, 14) nodachi, 15) two-bladed sword or cicada wing dāo, 16) seven-branched sword, 17) shotel, and 18) nine-ring broadsword.

Perhaps the most famous and well-recognized group of weapons, the Heavy Blades are the swords which form the backbone of most people's image of the warrior.  From the ubiquitous jiàn to the legendary katana to the intimidating horse-chopping dāo, they are all weapons of deadly grace.  Though they lack an axe's brute power or a spear's reach, no other group of weapons can rival the versatility of these blades, and even warriors that no longer count them among their panoply likely spent at least some time training with a familiar hilt in hand.

ANKUS
Damage: 1d8, x2
Type: One-handed martial piercing
Special: Disarm, trip
Description: Also known as an elephant goad, this tool consists of a 2- to 3-foot rod ending in a spearhead and a backward-facing hook. Traditionally used to train and direct large animals, the ankus can be used as a weapon in a pinch.
Cost: 8 gp
Weight: 5 lbs

BASTARD SWORD [SPROUT DĀO]
Damage: 1d10, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: —
Description: A bastard sword is about 4 feet in length, making it too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. You can use a bastard sword two-handed as a martial weapon.
Cost: 35 gp
Weight: 6 lbs

CUTLASS [SLASHING DĀO]
Damage: 1d6, 18-20/x2
Type: One-handed martial slashing
Special: —
Description: This short, curved sword is favored by seafarers for close-quarters combat. It is treated as a scimitar for any effects that apply to scimitars.
Cost: 15 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

DOUBLE CHICKEN SABER
Damage: 1d6, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed martial slashing
Special: Disarm, monk
Description: The tip of this 3-foot-long, straight-bladed sword is bent into two staggered, opposing sharpened spurs that can be used to pull weapons from an opponent’s hands.
Cost: 12 gp
Weight: 3 lbs

ELVEN CURVE BLADE [LONG-HANDLED DĀO]
Damage: 1d10, 18-20/x2
Type: Two-handed exotic slashing
Special: Finesse
Description: Essentially a longer version of a dueling sword, the elven curve blade is exceptionally rare. You receive a +2 circumstance bonus to your CMD whenever a foe attempts to sunder your elven curve blade because of its flexible metal.  You can apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls with an elven curve blade that is sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon.
Cost: 80 gp
Weight: 7 lbs

ELVEN DUELING SWORD [WILLOW LEAF DĀO]
Damage: 1d8, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: Finesse
Description: Rare outside of elven circles, these slightly curved swords measure just over 3 feet in length. A dueling sword can be used as a martial weapon (in which case it functions as a longsword), but if you have Exotic Weapon Proficiency [Dueling Sword], you can use its finesse quality to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls.
Cost: 20 gp
Weight: 3 lbs

ESTOC [GOOSE-QUILL DĀO]
Damage: 2d4, 18-20/x2
Type: One-handed exotic piercing
Special: Finesse
Description: An estoc is a sword about as long as a bastard sword, but designed exclusively for thrusting attacks. Its "blade" is a steel spike with a triangular, square, or hexagonal cross-section. Like the bastard sword, an estoc requires special training to use one-handed, but it can also be wielded two-handed as a martial weapon. If you can use the estoc proficiently with one hand, you can apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls even though it isn’t a light weapon.
Cost: 50 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

FALCATA [SHARK-HEAD DĀO]
Damage: 1d8, 19-20/x3
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: —
Description: This heavy blade has a single sharp edge, concave at the bottom and convex at the top, with a hook-shaped hilt.  Its shape distributes the weight to give it the momentum of an axe with the cutting edge of a sword, much like a larger version of a kukri. The hooked hilt is sometimes carved to resemble the head of a horse or bird of prey, and may have a thin chain stretched across its opening, acting as a partial guard for the hand and fingers.
Cost: 18 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

FALCHION [DADĀO]
Damage: 2d4, 18-20/x2
Type: Two-handed martial slashing
Special: —
Description: This sword has one curved, sharp edge like a scimitar, with the back edge unsharpened and either flat or slightly curved. Its weight is greater toward the end, making it better for chopping rather than stabbing.
Cost: 75 gp
Weight: 8 lbs

GREATSWORD [HORSE-CHOPPING DĀO]
Damage: 2d6, 19-20/x2
Type: Two-handed martial slashing
Special: —
Description: This immense two-handed sword is about 5 feet in length. Many greatswords have elongated hilts or a dulled lower blade that can be gripped.
Cost: 50 gp
Weight: 8 lbs

KATANA
Damage: 1d10, 19-20/x3
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: Deadly
Description: Swords of unparalleled sharpness, with slender, curving blades, the true power of katana comes from the unique drawing cuts that can slice through foes from hip to shoulder in a single slash.  Untrained wielders can use a katana two-handed as a martial weapon, but doing so reduces the critical multiplier by 1 and the weapon gains the "fragile" special quality.
    Due to the unusual method of their manufacture—purposefully beginning with lower-quality metal that is then folded in a quasi-religious process to purify it—few weaponsmiths have the knowledge necessary to produce them, artificially inflating the weapon's price.  Because this level of skill is both rare and prized, it is almost impossible to find katana that are not also of masterwork quality, driving the cost of ownership even higher.  This, in combination with a drive for aesthetic perfection amongst the secretive, cloistered artisans, has led to the katana being regarded more often as a piece of art rather than an actual tool for battle.  As a result, the possession and use of such a weapon is considered a violation of imperial sumptuary law without a special dispensation from authorities.  On the other hand, those who can openly bear such arms will often do so to display their status, even if they are wholly untrained in the sword's use.
Cost: 500 gp
Weight: 6 lbs

KHOPESH
Damage: 1d8, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: Trip
Description: This heavy, 20-inch-long blade has a convex curve near the end, making its overall shape similar to that of a battleaxe. Its curved shape allows the wielder to hook around defenses and trip foes. The elegant shape of a khopesh leads some artisans to cover them in ornate decorations.
Cost: 20 gp
Weight: 8 lbs

LONGSWORD [JIÀN]
Damage: 1d8, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed martial slashing
Special: —
Description: This archetypical sword is about 3-1/2 feet in length.
Cost: 15 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

NINE-RING BROADSWORD
Damage: 1d8, x3
Type: One-handed martial slashing
Special: Monk
Description: This broad-bladed weapon has nine heavy rings threaded through its spine, providing additional weight to add to the force of its already-impressive chopping power.
Cost: 15 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

NO-DACHI
Damage: 2d6, 19-20/x3
Type: Two-handed martial slashing
Special: Deadly
Description: Built in much the same fashion as a katana, this long, two-handed weapon has a slender but wickedly sharp 4-foot-long blade at one end. It is predominantly used by ground troops to attack mounted warriors and can be used to hack riders from their mounts.  Untrained wielders can use a no-dachi two-handed as a martial weapon, but doing so reduces the critical multiplier by 1 and the weapon gains the "fragile" special quality.
    Due to the unusual method of their manufacture—purposefully beginning with lower-quality metal that is then folded in a quasi-religious process to purify it—few weaponsmiths have the knowledge necessary to produce them, artificially inflating the weapon's price.  Because this level of skill is both rare and prized, it is almost impossible to find no-dachi that are not also of masterwork quality, driving the cost of ownership even higher.  This, in combination with a drive for aesthetic perfection amongst the secretive, cloistered artisans, has led to the no-dachi being regarded more often as a piece of art rather than an actual tool for battle.  As a result, the possession and use of such a weapon is considered a violation of imperial sumptuary law without a special dispensation from authorities.  On the other hand, those who can openly bear such arms will often do so to display their status, even if they are wholly untrained in the sword's use.
Cost: 600 gp
Weight: 8 lbs

SCIMITAR [DĀO]
Damage: 1d6, 18-20/x2
Type: One-handed martial slashing
Special: —
Description: This curved sword is slightly shorter than a longsword, with only the outer edge being sharp; the back is flat, giving the blade a triangular cross-section.
Cost: 15 gp
Weight: 4 lbs

SCYTHE
Damage: 2d4, x4
Type: Two-handed martial piercing or slashing
Special: Trip
Description: Despite the common misconception, this weapon is not simply a repurposed farming implement.  Instead, the wicked, curved head of the scythe is detached and reinforced before being mounted in line with a haft in a design often called a "war scythe" to distinguish it from its mundane cousin.  In extremis, one can use a farming scythe with the same stats listed here, but it is treated as an improvised weapon (giving wielders a -4 to hit) and it gains the "fragile" weapon quality.
Cost: 18 gp
Weight: 10 lbs

SEVEN-BRANCHED SWORD
Damage: 1d10, x3
Type: Two-handed exotic slashing
Special: Disarm, monk
Description: This unusual sword has a straight 2-foot-long blade with six shorter L-shaped blades protruding from it, three on each side in a staggered pattern. The shorter blades can be used to snag opponents’ clothing or armor, or can target weapons in order to disarm them. To snag armor or clothing, the attacker makes a trip attempt. If successful, the victim doesn’t fall prone, but instead is snagged and stumbles forward, leaving the victim flat-footed for the remainder of the round.
Cost: 50 gp
Weight: 7 lbs

SHOTEL
Damage: 1d8, x3
Type: One-handed exotic piercing
Special: Performance
Description: The shotel is a downward-curving sword designed to reach over or around an opponent’s shield. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with a shotel against opponents using shields. The curve of a shotel’s blade varies from sword to sword, and some models are double-edged, while others are single-edged, with the back edge able to be braced against a shield for additional power. Shotels are particularly useful for hooking mounted combatants and ripping them from their steeds, granting a +2 bonus to CMB on any attempt to bull rush, drag, or reposition a mounted target off of their mount.
Cost: 30 gp
Weight: 3 lbs

TEMPLE SWORD
Damage: 1d8, 19-20/x2
Type: One-handed exotic slashing
Special: Monk, trip
Description: Heavy blades typically used by guardians of religious sites, temple swords have distinctive wide blades. Many have holes drilled into the blade or the pommel so that charms, bells, or other holy trinkets can be attached to reflect the owner’s devotion, allowing the weapon to serve as a divine focus for spellcasting purposes.
Cost: 30 gp
Weight: 3 lbs

TWO-BLADED SWORD [CICADA WING DĀO]
Damage: 1d8/1d8, 19-20/x2
Type: Two-handed exotic slashing
Special: Double
Description: A two-bladed sword is a double weapon: twin blades extend from either side of a central haft, allowing the wielder to attack with graceful but deadly flourishes.
Cost: 100 gp
Weight: 10 lbs