In Lion & Dragon, I'm not listing a specific damage for each weapon (you know, like swords doing a d8, maces a d6, flails 2d4 or whatever). Instead I'm just listing weapons into certain categories, of small, medium or large, plus a couple of special categories.

I think this will encourage Players to choose the weapon they want their character to have, rather than worrying about how one weapon does a d6 while the other does a d6+1 or 2d4-1 versus large creatures or whatever.

How much does it matter to you that weapons work with the standard D&D 'weapon damage' lists where every specific weapon has its specific damage? Would you prefer something more generalized into categories of weapons like what I'm suggesting?

Seems fine, makes it more useable in an edition-neutral way as well.

I run OD&D/S&W:WB and I've been much happier since I went to D6 as the base weapon damage. Daggers and clubs do 1D6-1, 2H weapons and crossbows do D6+1 damage. But to make weapon choices meaningful, I gave each weapon some mechanical effect. AKA, axes and hammers are great tools, whereas other weapons don't function well as tools to hacking doors or chests.

The response from players has been great. My OD&D game has fighters who use a spear, or two handaxes, or a two handed flail without concern for "which is best" numbers wise.

Doesn't matter to me, as long as it's consistent and there aren't any weird corner cases that can be exploited.

It depends:

If it is along the lines of WFRP just having maces, swords, axes etc. all be 'Hand Weapon', that is fine with me.

On the other hand, if its along the lines of the rebooted 7th Sea RPG having you to do the same damage with a teacup as you would with a halberd, no thanks.

Removing the consequences of a choice is the same as removing the choice itself. Would you also say,

"You can chose any armor you want, but everyone is AC5"
or
"You can cast any spell you want but all spells do d6 damage/level"

I could see removing all equipment from the game and just assigning damage, AC, and other effects via a chart based on class and level. Effects based games, such as Champions, work fine. But I don't see why you'd remove the significant of the weapon choice while still retaining such minor things as whether or not someone bought a mirror versus a vial of holy water.

I'd prefer d6 for everything, but understand folks wanting different dice.  Right now I'm running Swords & Wizardry complete, using the variable dice for damage.

In my homebrew version of Whitebox D&D, I use weapon categories to differentiate damage types.

Small weapons - 1d3, 2d6 if backstab
1-hand weapons - 1d6
2-hand weapons - 2d6 drop lower

I go round and round on this question even in my own mind, never mind when other people discuss it.  Today I'm unsure.  Ask me tomorrow, and I'll probably give another answer.

I like any of 1) a consistent small/medium/large or light/1H/2H system where specific weapon type doesn't matter and is just for flavor, 2) a historically accurate system where weapon A is good in this situation and weapon B is good in this situation (this is only good in games where you are expecting complexity), or 3) a balanced, complex system mastery focused system where weapon choice, weapon skill, and investment in the weapon decision is part of the character decisions. Any will work, as long as it supports the rest of the game style (so #3 only in games where character build is 'part of the fun').

What doesn't work, IMO, is a system like AD&D 2e (or 1e and OD&D+GH if people don't use WvsAC) where there is a clear and obvious 'best choice' weapons.

Not especially as the idea that one sword does more damage than another is fairly nonsensical anyway if combat is at all abstracted. A poniard to the throat can be just as deadly as a broadsword.

Quote from: Nerzenjäger;962826In my homebrew version of Whitebox D&D, I use weapon categories to differentiate damage types.

Small weapons - 1d3, 2d6 if backstab
1-hand weapons - 1d6
2-hand weapons - 2d6 drop lower

Kinda like that idea of advantage/disadvantage for weapon damage according to type.

Quote from: RunningLaser;962835Kinda like that idea of advantage/disadvantage for weapon damage according to type.

Well, it was important for me to have players choose their weapon according to their fancy (as in the LBBs), but also take shields into account.

Quote from: RPGPundit;962774In Lion & Dragon, I'm not listing a specific damage for each weapon (you know, like swords doing a d8, maces a d6, flails 2d4 or whatever). Instead I'm just listing weapons into certain categories, of small, medium or large, plus a couple of special categories.

I think this will encourage Players to choose the weapon they want their character to have, rather than worrying about how one weapon does a d6 while the other does a d6+1 or 2d4-1 versus large creatures or whatever.

How much does it matter to you that weapons work with the standard D&D 'weapon damage' lists where every specific weapon has its specific damage? Would you prefer something more generalized into categories of weapons like what I'm suggesting?

Actually I prefer that, as long as there are some other ways to distinguish between the weapons within a category.

That doesn't bother me at all. Hit Points are already an abstraction, why shouldn't damage rolls be a simple scale (size) abstraction as well?

Even the distinction of an enemy being more susceptible to a certain type of damage, (blunt vs edged, that sort of stuff), isn't served by a different bonus without making the damage rolls or modifiers an encumbrance on the rules. Ultimately, this sort of distinction is better served in how the enemy is stated up in the first place rather than on the damage roll end of things. Sure, it's nice to get the occasional bonus (and it's exciting) but it adds little in the long run.