Flying Guillotine (3.5e Equipment)

The flying guillotine is a strange exotic weapon which is a metal sawblade ring on the end of a long rope or chain, and a bowl attached to one side to form a "hat". The weapon can be swung about, striking creatures with the bladed edge. The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach (or twice one's reach + 5 for larger or smaller creatures), though you don’t threaten the area into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes).

Using a flying guillotine provokes an attack of opportunity, just as if you had used a ranged weapon.

Wielders have additional options against flatfooted creatures up to one size category larger than them with a defined head and neck. As a full attack action they can make an attack against the flatfooted creature. If successful, the "hat" falls on their head and with a pull of the rope blades shoot out from the inside of the hat, slicing off the head. The attack is a x4 critical hit instead of x2, and if the damage kills the target their head is removed. Even if they survive, the creature is blind as the hat obscures its head and the wielder's subsequent attacks automatically hit and deal x4 critical damage. Either the target or the wielder can remove the hat as a move action.

If you have the death attack class feature, you may make death attacks with the flying guillotine, even though it is technically a ranged weapon. If you can already make ranged death attacks, your death attack DC increases by +2.

You can make trip attacks with a flying guillotine. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the flying guillotine to avoid being tripped.

You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a flying guillotine sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon for you.

The flying guilotine is so difficult to use, the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat is a must. Those without proficiency treat this as a whip that deals lethal slashing damage, and on a natural one you manage to hit yourself, and drop the hat on your own head.