The Who, What, Where, When, Why of Weapons!

[chaochou]

If I was going to restrict weapons, I'd try and base it around a given setting - like saying, okay I'll allow weapons commonly used by the Roman Army and it's enemies around 50AD.

Which might be... shortsword, longsword, 1h axe, short spear, club, sling, javelin, short bow

I'd want the weapon restriction to say something about the setting, to give it a certain feel.

 

[Gryph]

Dagger, Sword (1H), Sword (2H), Mace, Staff, Axe (1H), Axe (2H), Spear, Lance

Longow, Xbow, Sling

I could probably get by with just that list.

This works for me with the addition of Shortbow, Javelin and Halberd.

 

[steeldragons]

at the risk of being repetitive...

1. Throwing knife/blade
2. Dagger
   
3. Throwing/hand Axe
4. Battle Axe (2-hd)
   
5. Short sword
6. Broad sword
7. Long Sword
8. Bastard Sword
9. 2-hd Sword
   
10. Sling
11. Bola
    
12. Short bow
13. Longbow
14. Crossbow
    
15. Mace (1-hd)
16. War Hammer (2-hd)
17. 1/4 Staff
    
18. Spear
19. Halberd
    
20. Shield (as a weapon for bashing)

 

[KahnyaGnorc]

Like a peasant militia?

What would the adventures be about? I like the idea but I'm curious to see how you would set this up.

This is just an idea off the top of my head, but here's one way to go about it. The PCs (and their fellow villagers) hear rumors of war and monsters from other parts of the empire; things that were thought to be myth and superstition. These seem to be (partially) confirmed when the fighting men (and women) of the local lord's are called up by the emperor. The lord is stuck with barely enough people to man his keep, let alone protect the village or outlying farms and trade routes. (Thus, requiring the peasant militia to be active) Communications from one cluster of farms has gone silent, and the PCs are sent to make sure everything is okay. Of course, it isn't.

The campaign would start with kobolds/goblins/whatever attacking farms, then slowly expands (or quickly if you play a fast advancement style), eventually the PCs find out that the empire was at such peace due to a magical barrier around its borders, which has weakened and started to fail of late. The province that the PCs are from is a backwater place, so the powerful invaders didn't bother attacking there.

As for the mechanics, I'd use some form of signature weapon rules, making the PCs' rather humble weapons advance as the PCs do, encouraging them to stay with those instead of upgrading to things like swords once they are noticed by the imperial leadership. Either that, or I'd just go with inherent bonuses.

 

[WizarDru]

If I were to choose only twenty, they would be the most common weapons...the kind that most folks would know and could probably even craft, at least somewhat crudely. I'd only need 17, with maybe a slot or two for an exotic, if I wished. To wit:

• Short Sword
• Long Sword
• Two-handed Sword
• Club
• Mace
• Axe
• Great Axe
• Short Bow
• Long Bow
• Crossbow
• Dagger
• Throwing Knife
• Sling and Stones
• Spear
• Quarterstaff
• Polearm
• Shield

Most specialty versions would just be counted as their root weapon. Two-Handed Axe/Great Axe/Double-headed Axe? All the same thing. Throwing Axe? Treated the same as a throwing dagger. And so on.

 

[Kaodi]

Stick.

Stone.

 

[WizarDru]

Stick.

Stone.

So you've decided Words can never hurt anyone?

 

[KahnyaGnorc]

So you've decided Words can never hurt anyone?

Those are spells, not weapons.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Melee by damage die and ranged by damage die and for melee weapons whither they have reach, are two handed or not.
The rest is flavour.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Here's my list:

1. Dagger
2. Hand/throwing axe
3. Spear
4. Short sword
5. long/broad sword
6. Two-handed sword
7. Short bow
8. Long bow
9. Sling
10. Crossbow
11. Pole arms (generic)
12. War hammer/Military pick (pointy or bludgeon otherwise ther are traditionally the same weapon)
13. Club
14. Mace
15. Flail
16. Sickle
17. Battle axe
18. Quarterstaff (but not the buck and a quarter staff)

That's 18, so a minor leaguer and a player to be named later.