D&D 5E Unexpected but (mostly) awesome new rules in Basic

JC99 · Jul 8, 2014

vecna00 said:
Any thoughts on Exotic weapons making a comeback? I have a tendency to really like weird weapons, especially loved the double weapons, even if I never really utilized them personally.

On that same note, no bastard swords? I'm not being nitpicky, just really surprised it's not on the list.

I think under 5E, a bastard sword would be mechanically identical to a longsword.

Kobold Stew · Jul 8, 2014

vecna00 said:
Any thoughts on Exotic weapons making a comeback? I have a tendency to really like weird weapons, especially loved the double weapons, even if I never really utilized them personally.

In the play test documents, there was a pole arm feat that created double weapons. We'll see if it makes the final cut, but I expect it will.

(also: bonus points for de-lurking -- ten years and only 2 posts!)

vecna00 · Jul 8, 2014

Kobold Stew said:
(also: bonus points for de-lurking -- ten years and only 2 posts!)

Hehe, oh yes, I actually had my first post yesterday on Echohawk's Aarakocra thread. I was very surprised my old login still worked, I guess it proves how much I actually use forums in general :-D

Particle_Man · Jul 8, 2014

Given the versatile weapon trait, I think long swords killed bastard swords and took their stuff.

I bet the feat in phb is probably along the lines of (you can get the versatile damage in long swords even if used in one hand).

Kobold Stew · Jul 8, 2014

That would be a comparatively weak feat, if so.

Wulf Ratbane · Jul 8, 2014

pemerton said:
re: prepared spells and spell slots: Didn't Monte Cook have a system a bit like this in Arcana Unearthed/Evolved?

Unless I'm not reading deeply enough into the changes, AU was exactly like this. A great leap forward in design.

I wonder if it was Monte or Mearls' work...?

pemerton · Jul 8, 2014

Wulf Ratbane said:
Unless I'm not reading deeply enough into the changes, AU was exactly like this.

Though it also had the "weaving" system for manipulating slots, and the various baroque systems (spell complexity and type managed via class and feats) for managing access to spell lists.

But other than that, as you say it was the same.

DreamChaser · Jul 8, 2014

Particle_Man said:
They came kinda/sorta close with the Dax symbiote stuff in DS9 (and almost in TNG), but yeah, they could do better there.

To be honest, Rejoined while an entertaining ep, actually reinforced the hetero bias of ST. After 8 (9) lives of male and female living--and given that clearly Jadzia didn't have trouble being physically intimate with Lenara--there is no reason at all that Jadzia wouldn't have been bisexual. But we only ever saw her flirting with/dating/marrying men.

The only queer character we ever really got was the Commandant (mirror Kira). She was also evil. Nana Visitor actually went off in an interview about how absurd that "creative" decision was.

Re: bastard sword...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastard_sword#Longsword_and_bastard_sword

It's always sort of annoyed me that it's in there anyway. Given that two historical definitions place it between the short sword and longsword in length rather than as a "hand-and-a-half" version of the longsword most often used in D&D, there is clearly a question of role, construction, and purpose.

I'll reserve the term bastard sword for those unfortunate intelligent blades who don't know who their maker was.

TwoSix · Jul 8, 2014

pemerton said:
Though it also had the "weaving" system for manipulating slots, and the various baroque systems (spell complexity and type managed via class and feats) for managing access to spell lists.

But other than that, as you say it was the same.

AU was the first time I saw the system, but it popped up again in other incarnations. The Spirit Shaman class in 3.5 used the same system, as does the Arcanist class for Pathfinder, which releases next month. And I think Wulf's own Trailblazer system did as well, although it's been a few years since I read it.

SkidAce · Jul 8, 2014

Wulf Ratbane said:
Unless I'm not reading deeply enough into the changes, AU was exactly like this. A great leap forward in design.

I wonder if it was Monte or Mearls' work...?

Not taking away anyone's credit for a polished and complete product...

Having the spells you prepared in the morning be the list of spells you could cast from (up to your spells per day limit) has been a common (IME) house rule since at least AD&D.