I'm thinking, there shouldn't be a mechanical difference between weapons wielded by someone of the same skill level. But a fighter should be more dangerous with a dagger than a wizard. The description of the weapon should just be flavor text, basically.
Here's where I'm going: there are no proficient/ nonproficient weapons, just the user's skill with them.
Someone with no weapon proficiency should do 1d6 20/x2 with a medium-sized weapon. A sword, an axe, a spear, a club, whatever, it's all descriptive text and makes no mechanical difference.
You can scale them up or down on the size chart very easily- small do 1d4, large do 1d8. Large give 1.5 str bonus to damage, but you can't use a shield. Light add 1/2 str bonus but are finessable.
The 'Ranged' quality gives you a range increment- thrown is 10', a bow is 30'. A thrown weapon (one that can be used in melee and at range) reduces the damage by one die. A light throwable weapon used by someone without weapon proficiency would do 1d3 damage, but gets to add her full strength damage when throwing it. The bow increment is used for weapons that can't be used in melee at all.
Someone with Weapon Proficiency (BAB +1 prereq) does 1d8 20/x3. Scale as normal- a small weapon does 1d6, a large does 2d6. You can change the threat/multiple around (20/x3, 19-20/x2, drop the damage one die for 20/x4). Thrown weapons have range 20', bows have range 60'.
Drop the damage one die to make the weapon finessable, or have 10' reach, or give a +2 to trip (and drop to avoid being tripped), or a +2 to disarming, but you can only add two qualities. You can shuffle around damage and crit modifiers- maybe you want your great halberd to do 2d8 20/x2, or your broadheaded pike (reach, used two-handed) to do 1d6 20/x4.
If you take Improved Weapon Proficiency (BAB +5 prereq), you can add a quality or up the damage dice- 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 20/x3. You can drop them up to three steps to add qualities like finessable, tripping, disarming, reach, or improved threatened area (threaten & attack at 5' and 10'), and can shuffle around damage dice and crit mods. Range increments are 30' and 90'.
An improved weapon might be a hand and a half sword (2d6, 19-20/x2, used one-handed), or a lashing chain (used two handed, improved threatened area, tripping, finessable, 1d6, 20/x3). You can't quite get a stock spiked chain here, because it has four qualities (threatened area, tripping, finessable, and disarming).
Greater Weapon Proficiency (10 levels in fighter) takes you to 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 20/x3, use up to 4 qualities, but from here on out it's only available to fighters, who should be the kings of armed combat. 40' and 120' range increments.
A zweihander (large, 4d6, 19-20/x2) or a punch sword (small, finessable, 2d6 20/x3) would be a weapon used by a fighter of this caliber. Use creative names as appropriate.
Weapon Mastery (Fighter 15) gives you 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 20/x3 and you can swap for up to five qualities. Here is where you create your two-handed great daiklave (4d6 20/x3, improved threatened area)
Anywhere above where it says 2d6, you can use 1d10 if you prefer the flatter probability. Similarly with 3d6 and 2d8.
A finessable weapon should be described as light or flexible (a rapier or a chain).
A tripping weapon should have a part which can hook or wrap around the opponent.
A disarming weapon should be able to wrap around a weapon or have multiple prongs to trap it with.
A weapon with an improved threat area should either be large and give a long reach (like a greatsword or long chain) or have a long shaft and be able to thrust out far and near (like a spear).
The good thing about this is, if a high level warrior is forced to defend himself with a dagger, he's still more dangerous than a low-level fighter would be with a sword. If he picks up a curtain rod, you know he's a threat. The weapon isn't the dangerous part, the warrior is.
Weapon focus, specialization, and improved critical would still apply to a given weapon (probably the signature weapon of the character).
Now instead of worrying about weapon costs, you give characters a weapon or two that they want at character creation, and let the players worry about the details. Let them call it a two-handed grand scythe of slaying, but while they just have the weapon proficiency feat, it's a 2d6 20/x3 weapon (or some variation) like any other. When they pick up improved weapon proficiency, they get to be more dangerous with it.
Here's where I'm going: there are no proficient/ nonproficient weapons, just the user's skill with them.
Someone with no weapon proficiency should do 1d6 20/x2 with a medium-sized weapon. A sword, an axe, a spear, a club, whatever, it's all descriptive text and makes no mechanical difference.
You can scale them up or down on the size chart very easily- small do 1d4, large do 1d8. Large give 1.5 str bonus to damage, but you can't use a shield. Light add 1/2 str bonus but are finessable.
The 'Ranged' quality gives you a range increment- thrown is 10', a bow is 30'. A thrown weapon (one that can be used in melee and at range) reduces the damage by one die. A light throwable weapon used by someone without weapon proficiency would do 1d3 damage, but gets to add her full strength damage when throwing it. The bow increment is used for weapons that can't be used in melee at all.
Someone with Weapon Proficiency (BAB +1 prereq) does 1d8 20/x3. Scale as normal- a small weapon does 1d6, a large does 2d6. You can change the threat/multiple around (20/x3, 19-20/x2, drop the damage one die for 20/x4). Thrown weapons have range 20', bows have range 60'.
Drop the damage one die to make the weapon finessable, or have 10' reach, or give a +2 to trip (and drop to avoid being tripped), or a +2 to disarming, but you can only add two qualities. You can shuffle around damage and crit modifiers- maybe you want your great halberd to do 2d8 20/x2, or your broadheaded pike (reach, used two-handed) to do 1d6 20/x4.
If you take Improved Weapon Proficiency (BAB +5 prereq), you can add a quality or up the damage dice- 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 20/x3. You can drop them up to three steps to add qualities like finessable, tripping, disarming, reach, or improved threatened area (threaten & attack at 5' and 10'), and can shuffle around damage dice and crit mods. Range increments are 30' and 90'.
An improved weapon might be a hand and a half sword (2d6, 19-20/x2, used one-handed), or a lashing chain (used two handed, improved threatened area, tripping, finessable, 1d6, 20/x3). You can't quite get a stock spiked chain here, because it has four qualities (threatened area, tripping, finessable, and disarming).
Greater Weapon Proficiency (10 levels in fighter) takes you to 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 20/x3, use up to 4 qualities, but from here on out it's only available to fighters, who should be the kings of armed combat. 40' and 120' range increments.
A zweihander (large, 4d6, 19-20/x2) or a punch sword (small, finessable, 2d6 20/x3) would be a weapon used by a fighter of this caliber. Use creative names as appropriate.
Weapon Mastery (Fighter 15) gives you 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 20/x3 and you can swap for up to five qualities. Here is where you create your two-handed great daiklave (4d6 20/x3, improved threatened area)
Anywhere above where it says 2d6, you can use 1d10 if you prefer the flatter probability. Similarly with 3d6 and 2d8.
A finessable weapon should be described as light or flexible (a rapier or a chain).
A tripping weapon should have a part which can hook or wrap around the opponent.
A disarming weapon should be able to wrap around a weapon or have multiple prongs to trap it with.
A weapon with an improved threat area should either be large and give a long reach (like a greatsword or long chain) or have a long shaft and be able to thrust out far and near (like a spear).
The good thing about this is, if a high level warrior is forced to defend himself with a dagger, he's still more dangerous than a low-level fighter would be with a sword. If he picks up a curtain rod, you know he's a threat. The weapon isn't the dangerous part, the warrior is.
Weapon focus, specialization, and improved critical would still apply to a given weapon (probably the signature weapon of the character).
Now instead of worrying about weapon costs, you give characters a weapon or two that they want at character creation, and let the players worry about the details. Let them call it a two-handed grand scythe of slaying, but while they just have the weapon proficiency feat, it's a 2d6 20/x3 weapon (or some variation) like any other. When they pick up improved weapon proficiency, they get to be more dangerous with it.
