Let's Look At Pathfinder 2's Weapons!

Paizo has a new Pathfinder 2nd Edition blog up, and this time we're taking a look at weapons! We find out about the Simple/Martial/Exotic scale, weapon traits, critical specialization, weapon groups, and weapon quality.

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You can read the full article here, but here are the highlights:

• Simple weapons have smaller damage dice, while exotic weapons have additional abilities.
• The simple/martial/exotic scale deals with power and flexibility rather than being a regional descriptor.
• Weapon traits --
  • Greatswords can switch between piercing and slashing damage; d12 damage
  • Bo staff is d8, has reach, parry, and trip, plus the "monk" trait
  • Glaive is d8, has reach, "deadly d8" (extra d8s on a critical), forceful (builds up momentum doing extra damage on iterative attacks)
  • Twin weapons like saw-toothed safer do more damage if you have two
  • Backswing weapons like great club gain accuracy after a miss
  • Backstabber weapons like the dog slicer to more damage to flat footed targets
  • Agile weapons like the short sword decrease penalties for multiple attacks
  • Finesse weapons like the rapier use your Dex mod for attacks
  • Two-handed weapons like the bastard sword do more damage with two hands
• Critical specialisation is an unlockable weapon ability which has a special effect.
  • Swords make the target flat-footed
  • Spears weaken the target's attacks
  • Axes damage adjacent targets
  • Daggers cause persistent bleed damage
  • Clubs knock the target 10 feet
• Weapon quality goes from poor, standard, expert, master, legendary and grants -1 to +3 bonus/penalty to hit.

 

[Shasarak]

No, you're looking at this the 80s simulationism way.

What I'm saying is, maybe Gilgamesh shouldn't need to stab his foes twice as much with a knife than with a greataxe, since, well, he's frikkin Gilgamesh.

And because it's FUN if you get to choose your weapons without knowing that some of them are TWICE as good as others (more if you can take a greatweapon feat but no smallweapon feat).

If one weapon makes your level 15 hero feel more like a level 8 hero, maybe that weapon choice is no choice at all.

What I'm saying isn't "make knives do d12 damage in the hands of peasants"

What I'm saying is: make the game enable all kinds of weaponry for heroes.

If that means Gilgamesh dealing d12 knife stabs... Or if it means he gets to stab twice as fast with knives than greataxes... Or whatever, I don't care, as long as we finally rid ourselves from the tyranny of 80s simulationism non-choice!

Have you tried to just reflavour Gilgamesh's Greataxe as a Knife? Sounds like it would be a pretty easy fix at the table.