D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Weapon Help

[Melkor]

I'm looking at converting some weapons from 3.0 to 3.5 and wanted to get the ENWORLD concensus:

Here's what the 3.5 SRD, and the 3.5 PHB have to say about weapon sizes:
A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.

In looking at weapons in the Oriental Adventures book (on Page 72), it shows the Katana, Kau Sin ke, and Kawanaga as Medium sized weapons, so according to the above, they would all be considered two-handed weapons in 3.5.

What about the weapons listed as Large sized on the same page in the OA book ? (Chain, Chijiriki, Kusari-gama, Lajatang, Sang Kauw, Sasumata, Shikomi-zue, Sodegarami, Three-section staff)....Are they just folded into the two-handed category as well ?

I'm assuming that 'tiny' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'light' weapons for 3.5 medium sized characters.

'Small' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be a 'one-handed' weapon for medium sized characters in 3.5.

'Medium' sized weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

'Large' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.0 would also be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

Am on on the right track here, or is there something I am missing something ?

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[Mal-2]

Hi Melkor,

You've got it backwards. Use the 3.0 size to determine handedness in 3.5:
tiny and small -> light,
medium -> one-handed,
large -> two-handed.
Then you can calculate its size as an object size from there with the 3.5 rules you quoted.

In looking at weapons in the Oriental Adventures book (on Page 72), it shows the Katana, Kau Sin ke, and Kawanaga as Medium sized weapons, so according to the above, they would all be considered two-handed weapons in 3.5.

The Katana should be a one-handed weapon, with the same special rules about requiring an exotic weapon proficiency to use one handed, just like the bastard sword in the 3.5 PHB. Its size as an object is small, because it's a one-handed weapon for a medium creature.

Mal-2

 

[Melkor]

Thanks for the help.

My brain is on overload after running my first game in a year last night. What you said just isn't 'clicking' at the moment.

Would you mind explaining it in a 'for dummies' format ???

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'm assuming that 'tiny' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'light' weapons for 3.5 medium sized characters.

'Small' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be a 'one-handed' weapon for medium sized characters in 3.5.

'Medium' sized weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

'Large' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.0 would also be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

Am on on the right track here, or is there something I am missing something ?

Large weapons would be two-handed.

Medium-size weapons would be one-handed -- not two-handed as you posted.

Small weapons would be light -- not one-handed as you posted.

Tiny weapons would be light.

Katana, Kau Sin ke, and Kawanaga: One-handed weapons
Chain, Chijiriki, Kusari-gama, Lajatang, Sang Kauw, Sasumata, Shikomi-zue, Sodegarami, Three-section staff: Two-handed weapons

 

[Melkor]

According to what I'm reading in the books:

If you take a medium sized weapon from 3.0 (using the Katana as an example), according to this 3.5 rule:

"In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder."

It would be a two-handed weapon for a 3.5 medium sized character.

From what you guys have said, it just doesn't work that way, and you have to look at 'what required one or two hands to use' in 3.0, and convert it that way....Is that on the right track ?

Thanks again folks!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Okay. In 3E, a Medium weapon was not a Medium-sized object. A Large weapon was not a Large-sized object.

Take a human - about 6 feet tall. Medium creature.
Take a greatsword. 6 feet long. Large weapon.

What that means is that the greatsword is too large for a human to wield in one hand... not that it's approximately the same size as an ogre. If you needed to know its size as an object - say, to decide if it's grappled by Evard's Black Tentacles, or to shoot it with a bow, or whatever - you'd need to compare its size to the standard size categories, and greatsword comes out as a Medium object.

"Large weapon" in 3E was a measure of its wieldiness, not its physical size.

In 3.5, the measure of wieldiness is "light", "one-handed", or "two-handed". But a Medium dagger - a light weapon - still isn't a Medium object, which would suggest it's about as tall as a dwarf or human. Instead, we say a light Medium weapon is two sizes smaller than Medium as an object - Tiny.

A Medium longsword - one-handed weapon - is a Small object.

A Medium greatsword - two-handed weapon - is a Medium object (just like we calculated above based on its length in 3E).

-Hyp.

 

[The Souljourner]

Object size is how it compares in size to people... so a medium sized object (weapon, person, or other objcet) is roughly the same size as a full grown human - generally can fit within a 5'-ish cube.

However, a medium sized person cannot wield a medium sized object in one hand... picture twirling Aunt Bertha around your head in just one hand... it's just not practical. Obviously Aunt Bertha would require two hands to wield properly.

However, your 3 year old nephew Hubert could easily be wielded in one hand, since he's a small sized object. And if you wanted to dual wield without big penalties, you'd need a house cat in your off hand, to count as a light weapon.

I hope this helps,

-The Souljourner

 

[Hypersmurf]

And if you wanted to dual wield without big penalties, you'd need a house cat in your off hand, to count as a light weapon.

The housecat hits! The housecat misses. The housecat bites!

You die...

-- MORE --

-Hyp.

 

[Pax]

In looking at weapons in the Oriental Adventures book (on Page 72), it shows the Katana, Kau Sin ke, and Kawanaga as Medium sized weapons, so according to the above, they would all be considered two-handed weapons in 3.5.

In 3.5, they are One-Handed weapons, and the stats as given woudl be for the Medium-sized versions thereof.

Uner 3.0 rules, you could wield a weapon the same size as yourself in one hand. a 3.0 Lognsword was a MEDIUM weapon -- and humans (medium creatures) could wield them in one hand.

What about the weapons listed as Large sized on the same page in the OA book ? (Chain, Chijiriki, Kusari-gama, Lajatang, Sang Kauw, Sasumata, Shikomi-zue, Sodegarami, Three-section staff)....Are they just folded into the two-handed category as well ?

They are the two-handed category.

I'm assuming that 'tiny' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'light' weapons for 3.5 medium sized characters.

'Small' weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be a 'one-handed' weapon for medium sized characters in 3.5.

Actually, 3.0 small weapons (and smaller) are 3.5 Light weapons.

'Medium' sized weapons in 3.0 for medium sized characters would be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

I have no idea where you got that. Medium weapons in 3.0 become One-Handed weapons in 3.5 ...

'Large' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.0 would also be 'two-handed' weapons for medium sized characters in 3.5.

Yes to two-handed, no to "also".

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: Re: [3.5] Weapon Help

I have no idea where you got that.

Oh, I can see where he got it.

It's because a Medium weapon in 3E (or a Medium one-handed weapon in 3.5) are not Medium objects.

That's where the confusion is coming from.

A Medium one-handed weapon in 3.5 is a Small object, so he's assuming that a Small weapon from 3E is a Medium one-handed weapon in 3.5.

But a Small weapon in 3E was probably a Tiny object, which is the link in the chain he's missed.

-Hyp.