3.5 weapon sizing is a badly done.  Here's the new system.

All weapons have a size that corresponds to size categories (primarily Small, Medium, and Large).  Characters can wield weapons of their size category in one hand.  They can wield weapons one size category smaller in their off-hand (as a light weapon).  They can wield weapons one size category larger in two hands.

For instance:

Dagger - Small - 1d6 damage.
Longsword - Medium - 1d8 damage.
Greatsword - Large - 1d10 damage.

A gnome could wield a dagger in one hand or a longsword in two hands.  He could not wield a greatsword.  A human could wield a dagger and longsword in one hand and a greatsword in two hands.  A troll could wield a greatsword and longsword in one hand, but he could not wield a dagger.

With ranged weapons, it's a little trickier (bows always take two hands while crossbows take one or two hands) but overall works better.  In theory.  Your thoughts?

Hmm, looks like you've reinvented 3.0 weapon sizing.

I did prefer it since there's less "Oh an ogre-sized longsword, into the trash", since a PC could use it as a greatsword.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;508242Hmm, looks like you've reinvented 3.0 weapon sizing.

I did prefer it since there's less "Oh an ogre-sized longsword, into the trash", since a PC could use it as a greatsword.

I always thought it was weird when humans used ogre weapons. I mean, a long sword and a great sword have similar handles. I imagine an ogre long sword would have a really meaty handle.

Maybe. At least some swords had a hilt separate to the main blade though, didn't they? In which case, unplug the ogre hilt and get a smith to make you a new one (assuming the magic is in the blade).

That's a problem not applicable to all weapons, either (e.g. this discussion has been had previously at the Gaming Den with the Orcish Shotput getting an honourable mention - since it comes in varying sizes but is literally a featureless sphere).

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;508242Hmm, looks like you've reinvented 3.0 weapon sizing.

I'm a genius.

Plus two handed weapons in all rpgs (save for GURPS) are underpowered and a little too fast.

So, make the strength bonus for any 2H wielded weapon (which can be any weapon you can wield 2H for your size and the weapon) doubled.

Every round you use a 2H wielded weapon, drop the initiative for that character by a small amount, say 1d6 or 4 minus strength bonus (yes 4--1 is 5). This simulates the slowing down effect of keeping that 2H weapon swirling all the time.

Bows are tensioned for the user's strength, so I'd leave them be. In effect if you can't pull it, you can't pull it. If it's too weak then you can pull it, but you can't overpull it without breaking it.

Mind you, bows are too slow in most rpgs, but let's not go there. Shit, let's an have the opposite. I'd say if you use a bow then every round you add to your initiative your Dex bonus plus 4, which simulates the faster cycling of a bow.

But on the other hand, it's just a game.

Fleshing this out a little more...

Weapon (size) damage - crit range - weapon properties.  Also, we need a way to make graphs on this site.  Weapon properties include:

Finesse: Can use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls with the weapon.
Reach: Extends wielder's reach by five feet, attacks against adjacent enemies take a -4 penalty.
Defensive: When wielding the weapon, gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Reload: Weapon must be reloaded after each shot with the indicated amount of time.  Reload (move) is a move action, reload (free) is a free action, etc.
Thrown: The weapon can be thrown with a range increment of 20 feet.
Heavy: Heavy weapons reroll their damage if the die roll comes up as a 1.  If rolling more than one die for damage, you may reroll each die that comes up as a 1.  Once you reroll, the result is final, even if another 1 comes up.

No, I'm not bothering doing weapon ranges, prices, weights, or anything of the sort in this yet.

Simple Weapons: Melee
Dagger (small): 1d6 dmg - 18-20 crit - finesse, thrown.
Club (medium): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - none.
Mace (medium): 1d8+1 dmg - 20 crit - none.
Shortsword (small): 1d6+1 dmg - 18-20 crit - finesse.
Spear (medium): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - reach.
Quarterstaff (large): 1d8 dmg - 20 crit - defensive.

Simple Weapons: Ranged
Dart (small): 1d4 dmg - 18-20 crit - none.
Crossbow (medium): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - reload (move).
Shortbow (small): 1d6 dmg - 19-20 crit - reload (free).

Martial Weapons: Melee
Axe (medium): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - heavy, thrown.
Battleaxe (large): 2d6 dmg - 20 crit - heavy.
Greatsword (large): 1d12 dmg - 19-20 crit - none.
Longsword (medium): 1d8+1 dmg - 19-20 crit - none.
Morningstar (medium): 1d10 dmg - 19-20 crit - none.
Polearm (large): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - reach.
Rapier (medium): 1d8 dmg - 18-20 crit - finesse.
Scythe (large): 2d4 dmg - 18-20 crit - heavy.
Scimitar (medium): 1d8+1 dmg - 19-20 crit - none.
Spiked chain (large): 1d10 dmg - 19-20 crit - reach.
Warhammer (medium): 1d10+1 dmg - 20 crit - heavy.

Martial Weapons: Ranged
Longbow (medium): 1d8 dmg - 19-20 crit - reload (free).
Sling (medium): 1d8+1 dmg - 19-20 crit - reload (move).
Heavy crossbow (large): 1d10+1 dmg - 19-20 crit - reload (move).

Sizing rules: if you need to increase the size of a weapon, you go from 1d4 - 1d6 - 1d8 - 1d10 - 1d12 - 2d6 - 2d8 - 2d10 - 2d12 - 3d6 and so forth.

Unarmed strikes: a melee attack that does a base damage of 1d4 for small critters.  Increase accordingly to the size of the creature attacking (1d6 for medium, 1d8 for large, and so on).

Uhm why is there's just a battle axe? Not all battle axes are monstrously huge?

I mean seriously...

Because this is D&D and this is what battleaxes look like in D&D:



If you don't like it, use the normal axe.

This might be D&D but not all axes are the same

Hand axe:



Battle Axe:


Greataxe



Seems to me they're different, don't you?

Yes, but not so different that I feel that there need to be three different kinds of axes.

Why not? I mean you have short swords and longswords? Why shouldn't axes have more than one?

Well, mostly OK.
"Heavy" is one of those things that looks good on paper, but adds slightly less than half a hit point of damage per die, on average.

"Finessable" is something that's realistic better run off relative size rather than being an inherent property - so the halfling can't finesse a sword it can barely lift - although if you want to do it the way you're doing it for balance reasons, then whatever. Not sure Dex giving bonuses to damage with light weapons isn't slightly gay though.

I think if we're arguing over what weapons go where, there's little to no reason we need to worry about weapon sizing BECAUSE there's no agreement here.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;510653Well, mostly OK.
"Heavy" is one of those things that looks good on paper, but adds slightly less than half a hit point of damage per die, on average.

"Finessable" is something that's realistic better run off relative size rather than being an inherent property - so the halfling can't finesse a sword it can barely lift - although if you want to do it the way you're doing it for balance reasons, then whatever. Not sure Dex giving bonuses to damage with light weapons isn't slightly gay though.

Actually the idea of giving Dex bonus as damage isn't that bad, actually - I'd say that it's something to give to the Fighters in general.

"You are a brute, or a fencer?"

Even perhaps combining the 2 at some level.