D&D 4E Weapon Sizes must die in 4E

[Traycor]

The only change in 3.5 I didn't like was the whacky stuff they did to weapon sizes. Small longswords and Medium longswords. Small greatswords and Medium greatswords.

Needless overcomplication that only served to muddy up the weapon charts and confuse my players. I've never met another player that actually even used these rules. They all ignored them. (or didn't understand them)

Anyone else feel the same way? I sure hope that the strange size variations in weapons goes *poof* in 4E.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, there is another thread on this (here), but I'll repost my thoughts:

The 3.5 system of weapon sizes is superior to the 3.0 system in any game in which you expect to have PCs and enemies of multiple sizes routinely interacting.

In a game system where the vast majority of things are the same size (like Star Wars), the 3.0 system works fine.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Those rules made sense to me. An ogre's longsword is a different weapon than a halfling's longsword.

What's so hard about that?

-z

 

[F4NBOY]

I like the rules. I think they make sense.
I just don't use them because in the end, they are just extra rules with no reward.
I like the kind of realism they add, but all the complication only for the sakes of realism is not enough for me.
If they die I won't even notice it.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Count me in as another vote for the 3.5 system (or something similar). I don't think it's all that difficult, and it makes a lot more intuitive sense. A human short sword shouldn't count as a halfling longsword. There are just too many differences in form and construction.

 

[The Lost Muse]

It'd be nice if instead of a generic size category (and I'm going to Eberronize things because that's the setting I run) and generic weapon name, you had a list of weapons like this:

Taslantia Long Blade (1d4) (Small Shortsword)
Karrnathi War Sword (1d10) (Medium Bastard Sword)
Cyrian Rapier (1d6) (Medium Rapier)
Recovered Xen'drik Blade (4d6) (Huge Greatsword)
(House Cannith) Gladius (1d6) (Medium Shortsword)
Zilargo Stiletto (1d3+10) (Small Keen, Vicious, Wounding, Shocking Burst, Brilliant Energy, Vorpal Dagger +10)

Edit: Although, I think that the 3.5 rules slow things down slightly, I almost never randomly generate treasures, rather I put in macguffins or create weapons suited to who will eventually bear them.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Those rules made sense to me. An ogre's longsword is a different weapon than a halfling's longsword.

What's so hard about that?

-z

Ditto post.

Never could understand the hate for it.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

A human short sword shouldn't count as a halfling longsword. There are just too many differences in form and construction.

So Frodo should have a penalty wielding Sting?

 

[an_idol_mind]

So Frodo should have a penalty wielding Sting?

Weapon equivalency rules in the DM's Guide. Sting=a human short sword but a halfling longsword, so no penalty.

 

[Nifft]

I want a system that allows me to put stuff in the hands of the NPCs (be they ogres or kobolds) which the PCs will find useful when they kill the NPCs and take it.

So I'd like it if an Ogre's +1 longsword were usable as a Human's +1 greatsword, or if a Kobold's +2 poison longbow were usable as a Human's +2 poison shortbow.

I mean, there's nothing mechanically with saying that the Ogre's longsword shatters when you kill him, and over in his cave is a box with a Human-sized weapon in it, but it just doesn't have the same appeal.

Cheers, -- N