Preferred weapon modifiers

[Bombfish]

I've noticed certain modifiers on weapons are less desirable than others... Keen for example, not apparently needed if you have Improved Crit for that weapon type. Maiming is ok, but only triggers on crits. Experimented with Vicious for a minute, didn't care for it. Etc.

I've noticed it's really good to have two separate-but-similar modifiers; I have this neat little +4 True Law Falchion of Pure Good, and with it my Paladin kills things up pretty fast. But the alignment-based modifiers seem, IMO, more conditional than elemental ones? Is that accurate? Haven't really run into anything that's somehow Lawfully Good *and* my enemy, but you know what I mean?

Basically I guess what I'm asking in so many words is - is my Paladin (or any character) going to succeed better with a given set of modifiers that's already been determined to help it succeed the best? Like, do I keep my eye out for a "+x Icy Burst Falchion of Pure Good" since those two types combo pretty well together? Sort of like the old Pokemon trick of teaching any poke that could learn both Ice and Electric attacks, as between those two types you were almost guaranteed to deal everything under the sun "normal damage", or unresisted damage. Is there some combo in DDO that we strive to attain via our weapon choices? And likewise any that just get avoided like the plague?

See the above example - a True Law of Pure Good weapon in the hands of a Paladin. Since I know that I'll one day be making +5 Holy Burst weapons, do I give a **** about the TLoPG falchion in the long run? Is there enough overlap in the True Law/Pure Good/Holy coverage that Holy Sword can just fill in for weapon types that are 'near misses' of that?

[Maelphistez]

It's completely situational.

Harry Beaters: These are silver weapons with good (pure good, holy, flametouched iron) which break the DR of most raid bosses. The most sought after version of these are Holy Burst Silver of Greater Evil Outsider Bane. But Pally's don't need to concern themselves with these due to the Holy Sword spell. Your holy sword combines Holy Burst with Silver/Cold Iron/Byeshk attributes to make an inexpensive Harry Beater.

Outright Damage: Generally, an elemental burst of Pure Good is ideal for this. Some of the most sought after are the Shocking Burst of PG since lightning damage affects a large number of mobs. If you can tailor it to the mobs you are facing (Ice Burst for fire mobs, Flaming Burst for icy mobs, etc.)... so much the better.

Stat Damage leading to Autocrit: Used to be that Wounding of Piercing (which reduce Con) were the ultimate in stat damagers. Stat damagers got nerfed long ago though and now while they are still very effective when used in the correct situations, they are no longer the uber weapons they once were.

"Effect" weapons: The king of these is probably the paralyzer. Paralyzers can turn mid-level content from a real challenge to just another walk in the park. You'd be amazed just how often paralyzers stick in GH. Extremely effective. Other popular effect weapons are vorpals, stunners, and vertigo weapons.

Portal Beaters: Portals are constructs which are immune to crits with high DR and essentially zero AC. Portals however are LE (for who knows what reason) so they susceptible to Anarchic, True Chaos, Pure Good, and Holy damage. For Pallys, the best portal beaters are Holy Burst of Greater Construct Bane.

Axiomatic or True Law weapons have limited usefulness, but they are very useful in those occasions. They work well against demons (like the Hezrou in Red Fens, Tharaak Hounds, or the Demon Queen) and against the Eladrin (Chaotic Good Outsiders) in Running with the Devils. A good golf bag of weapons includes many different types for many occasions.

[Red_Knight]

In a simi-related question...

Someone on my home server mentioned pallys getting a faith weapon at 7. Where did they come up with this? Is my Sovereign Host pally suppose to be getting a free longsword for example with desirable effects just because I'm a paladin of the Sovereign Host? Or was this person just talking out their rear?

[Bombfish]

It's completely situational.

A good golf bag of weapons includes many different types for many occasions.

Ok, this. I thought maybe I was getting gear-happy and holding onto a bunch of stuff because I liked showing off - well that and they work good too. :P

Heh I like the idea of a golf bag. Need now a caddy; little halfling following you everywhere, pulling up grass and surveying the land, muttering about ideal weaponry. "Hmm today sir shall I recommend the +3 Frost Axe of Tendon Slice"

[Red_Knight]

My pally so far has... A pure good longsword, acid scimitar, +4 longsword, muckbane, morningstar of lesser elemental bane, adamantine returning throwing axe, and a silver longsword. I got rid of the ghost touch sword I had when I got the first tier of Hunter of the Dead.

[Maelphistez]

Pally's don't get a "free weapon" until they get the Holy Sword spell. And even then, it isn't exactly free as you have to buy the blessed cold iron blank each day/play session. But it is a beast of a free weapon considering that the standard +x Met of PG weapons can often sell for prices reaching into the many hundreds of thousands of plat.

[Bombfish]

Pally's don't get a "free weapon" until they get the Holy Sword spell. And even then, it isn't exactly free as you have to buy the blessed cold iron blank each day/play session.

Ohhhh, so you burn up your transmogrified weapon with each time you use Holy Sword?? Eww, sad sad panda. Looks like I need to get better at hanging onto my plat. Too bad Eschew Material probably doesn't work on HS, eh?

[Mister_Peace]

Vicious is decent against Crateos. I have a Solar Phoenix that uses Dream Edges against him - Vicious and +Ki.

[Mister_Peace]

Ohhhh, so you burn up your transmogrified weapon with each time you use Holy Sword?? Eww, sad sad panda. Looks like I need to get better at hanging onto my plat. Too bad Eschew Material probably doesn't work on HS, eh?

100-200 plat per game session is a great deal for a +5 Holy Burst semi-met weapon of your choice.
Note that currently Falchions cannot be made with this spell, although lots of other weapons can.

[rimble]

Lawful (damages anything non-Lawful) and Pure Good (damages anything not Good) is great for all those Neutral things out there--animals, vermin, elementals...

I pretty much just use my dual +5 True Law Rapiers of Pure Good (with Icy Burst) or Holy Sword Rapiers.

[Calebro]

Ohhhh, so you burn up your transmogrified weapon with each time you use Holy Sword?? Eww, sad sad panda. Looks like I need to get better at hanging onto my plat. Too bad Eschew Material probably doesn't work on HS, eh?

Run to House J, buy 10-12 of them, throw them in the bank, grab two out every time you log in, head straight for an explorer zone, create your Holy Sword(s), go to a tavern, drop the spell in favor of something else, go a'questin!

You only have to run to House J every 5 sessions or so. (I grab 2-4 out, just in case a bad DC drops the ones I'm carrying, so I have backups.)

[Maelphistez]

Rather than spend my time wacking animals with a True Law, I prefer elemental effects like Flaming Burst/Shocking Burst of PG because these work more effectively on more creature types in my mind. But to each his own.

And yes, spending a few hundred plat each time I need a Holy Sword is pretty inconsequential compared to what I spend on my Arcane throwing Stoneskin onto a raid group.