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Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-06-20, 08:40 PM
Recently I've been looking over the 3.5 and 4e rules, searching out things that I like and want to incorporate into my system, and I happened across the weapon section (surprise surprise...). This irritated me, as I remembered something that's always bugged me about D&D: Weapon choice isn't a choice.

Well, that's a lie. It is a choice, but some are just obviously better. Why, given two equally skilled opponents, does the one with the Longsword beat the one with the Quarterstaff most of the time? Both are equally good weapons in the right hands. Why isn't a fighter with a dagger as potent a force as one with a Greatsword? Again...a trained dagger expert is just as lethal as a trained Greatsword fighter.

So here's my suggestion...tell me what you think.

Weapon Mechanics:

Most of these aren't exactly worked out yet, but here's a general idea. There are three levels of proficiency with weapons: Non-Proficient, Skilled, and Mastery. All these determine is weapon damage and attack roll penalties/bonuses.

Non-Proficient: The weapon deals 1d8 points of damage, with a -1 to attack rolls.
Skilled: The weapon deals 1d10 points of damage, with a +0 to attack rolls.
Mastery: The weapon deals 1d12 points of damage, with a +1 to attack rolls.

Now that all weapons are an equal choice damage-wise for a character, what makes them different? Well, their abilities, of course!

What are abilities? They're at-will powers that can be used in place of a Basic Martial Attack (i.e. attack roll). Bear in mind that the terminology used is currently for the most recent revision of G6, and may not fit with standard terminology.

Attacks are in place of normal attacks, and Attack Augments are used as Swift actions. As other abilities will give additional Attack Augments, choosing which to use becomes strategically important.

Anyway, here are some samples. Opinions?

Duom
Description: This longspear looks like any other, except for the wicked blades mounted halfway down the shaft, ready to catch unwary foes.
Type: Exotic Piercing
Keywords: 2-handed, Heavy Spear
℗ Backlash (Attack Augment): When you successfully use Distant Strike or Sweeping Spear against an opponent 10ft away, you may make an additional basic Martial Attack against a single adjacent foe as an immediate action.
℗ Distant Strike (Attack): Make a single Basic Martial Attack against an opponent within 10ft.
℗ Sweeping Spear (Attack): Make a single Martial Attack roll against an opponent within 10ft. If successful, your deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage and your opponent must make a Saving Throw (Ref vs. Str) or fall prone.


Quarterstaff
Description: This six foot length of white oak has been polished and well oiled, turning it from a simple piece of wood into a lethal weapon.
Type: Simple Bludgeoning
Keywords: 2-handed, Heavy Club
℗ Distant Strike (Attack): Make a single Basic Martial Attack against an opponent within 10ft.
℗ Doublestrike (Attack Augment): To use this ability you must first have made a successful Martial Attack roll. Deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage to any single adjacent opponent, even the one previously attacked.
℗ Tap the Wrist (Attack): Make a single Martial Attack roll again an opponent within 10ft. If successful, deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage and your opponent must make a Saving Throw (Dex vs. Str) or be disarmed.


Greatsword
Description: At almost four and a half feet long, this mighty blade is truly an imposing sight.
Type: Simple Slashing
Keywords: 2-handed, Heavy Blade
℗ Brutal Blow (Attack): Make a single Basic Martial Attack at a -2 penalty. If successful, you deal maximum damage.
℗ Cleave (Attack): Make a single Basic Martial Attack against an adjacent opponent. If successful, deal (1d4 + your Strength modifier) Martial damage to another adjacent opponent.
℗ Pommel Slam (Attack Augment): To use this ability you must first have made an unsuccessful Martial Attack roll against an adjacent opponent. Deal your Strength modifier in Martial damage to the opponent missed in this fashion.

Lady Tialait
2008-06-20, 08:52 PM
Interesting, it's against my tastes, but it'll work. I'll keep my eye on it.

Innis Cabal
2008-06-20, 08:57 PM
agree with the above, seems intersting, but....i dont really see a need to change and complicate weapons, even if its a simple and easily understood system, its still one more rule to remember other then roll to hit, roll damage, done

Pie Guy
2008-06-20, 09:20 PM
It might give more choice than just "I hit you with my pointy thingie."

But a quarterstaff as a club? Honestly?

Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-06-20, 09:30 PM
It might give more choice than just "I hit you with my pointy thingie."

But a quarterstaff as a club? Honestly?

Yep. At least, at the moment, in my "I need a hasty name for this to remind myself of approximately what category it's in." It may well change (Possibly to a "staff" category).

Also, remember that "club" is basically "something blunt that I hit somebody with." A mace is a type of club, as is a quarterstaff. It's just a much more refined club, with a different style behind it.

As for choice, that's the idea. Weapon becomes a whole style of fighting, not just a different damage die and crit range.

Pronounceable
2008-06-21, 04:01 PM
Although it has a certain charm, I don't like the main idea.

You're looking at it from the wrong end. Place two equally unskilled combatants against each other wielding different weapons and see what happens. What'll happen is the one using dagger against the one using greatsword/axe will end up bleeding dead. Dagger is a puny weapon compared to others. A very skilled dagger fighter could kill someone armed with another weapon, but against a very skilled sword/axe/mace fighter he'll be dead. He'll need a LOT more mastery over dagger to defeat a master swordsman. Size matters.

Innis Cabal
2008-06-21, 04:21 PM
another thing to consider is space. I know its a very niy picky thing, but it matters if you are going for the mastery aspect, at least to me. A dagger is better then say, a ball and chain in a narrow corridor, and the moves dont seem to..reflect that other then how far a weapon can attack

arkanis
2008-06-21, 04:26 PM
I like this, but realistically Light weapons are going to do less than One-handed weapons and One-handed weapons are going to do less damage than Two-handed weapons.

Perhaps you could set damage up by Size as well as Proficiency:

{table="head"]Proficiency|Size|Damage
Not proficient|Light|1d4
Not proficient|1-handed|1d6
Not proficient|2-handed|1d8
Proficient|Light|1d6
Proficient|1-handed|1d8
Proficient|2-handed|1d10
Specialized|Light|1d8
Specialized|1-handed|1d10
Specialized|2-handed|1d12[/table]

And have options based on weapon keywords like:

Two-handed Weapon Tactics
℗ Backlash (Attack Augment)
Weapons: Two-handed Spears, Two-handed Polearms, and Two-handed Finesse weapons
Tactic: When you successfully use Distant Strike or Sweeping Spear against an opponent 10ft away, you may make an additional basic Martial Attack against a single adjacent foe as an immediate action.

℗ Distant Strike (Attack)
Weapons: Two-handed Spears, Two-handed Polearms, and Two-handed Finesse weapons
Tactic: Make a single Basic Martial Attack against an opponent within 10ft.

℗ Sweep (Attack)
Weapons: Two-handed Spears, Two-handed Polearms, and Two-handed Finesse weapons
Tactic: Make a single Martial Attack roll against an opponent within 10ft. If successful, your deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage and your opponent must make a Saving Throw (Ref vs. Str) or fall prone.

℗ Doublestrike (Attack Augment)
Weapons: Two-handed Double Weapons and Light Weapons
Tactic: To use this ability you must first have made a successful Martial Attack roll. Deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage to any single adjacent opponent, even the one previously attacked.

℗ Tap the Wrist (Attack)
Weapons: Two-handed Double Weapons
Tactic: Make a single Martial Attack roll again an opponent within 10ft. If successful, deal your Strength modifier (minimum 1) in Martial damage and your opponent must make a Saving Throw (Dex vs. Str) or be disarmed.

"Finesse" Weapons are weapons which can use the Weapon Finesse feat.

Pronounceable
2008-06-21, 05:38 PM
You know, I might as well write how I dealt with weapons in my ruleset.

Fold attack and damage rolls (which conveniently removes those pesky polyhedra). More your attack total exceeds defender's AC, the more damage is inflicted. After that, you assign numbers to weapons: unarmed 0, tiny weapons +2, small weapons +4, medium weapons +6, large weapons +8. Wielded weapons also increase AC by half these amounts (why the weapon you're wielding never helps with your defense is a mystery). This way, bigger weapons are easier to hurt others with and help you defend. Proficiency and mastery and whatnot gives a static bonus up to +5 on top of that. The master daggerer has +7 while master zweihanderer has +13 from their weapons. But bigger weapons are slower, and blah blah, rules go on...

This is quite certainly what you're not looking for, but I think this is more "realistic" (make of that term what you will).

Yakk
2008-06-21, 06:24 PM
Why is the unit of proficiency a weapon?

Why not a style being the basic unit of proficiency?

Rapier-and-Dagger:
Basic Attack: +3+Dex
Hit: 1d8+(Dex+Str)/2 damage
Miss: Make a Dagger attack, +0+Dex @ 1d4+(Dex/2) damage
Defense: +1 AC

Quarterstaff:
Basic Attack: +2+Dex
Hit: 1d6+Str, target takes a -5 penalty on any attack that targets you
Defense: +2 AC

Two-Handed Sword:
Basic Attack: +2+Str
Hit: Cascade attack at -2 per roll until miss.
Do 1d6+Con damage for every success (including first one).
Defense: -2 AC