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D&D 5E What I'd Like To See Added to 5E - Weapon Comparison
- Thread starter Water Bob
- Start date
This.
The best option should be the only option.
One handed non-light weapon d8 damage.
Light one handed weapon d6 damage.
Light thrown weapon d4 damage.
Two handed weapon d12. (I dislike 2d6 being used for weapon damage)
Two handed with reach d10 damage.
Break ranged weapons and a few rare outliers down, but make sure nothing is better than those.
Be done with it, I don't care what real world differences 50 different types of polearms or swords may have with each other, they are all just swords or polearms.
SilverfireSage
Explorer
It's definitely not going to happen, at least, not in the core rules. 5E is all about making things more streamlined for players to facilitate roleplaying rather than specific combat strategy. I like the idea in theory (although darts should never be able to do as much as a longsword in any situation), but in play it's just cumbersome. You have to look up multiple charts for each weapon type vs each armor type, you have to remember the speed for each weapon, then if your class gives you abilities for each one you have to remember those and apply them. The complexity starts to add up, and I can easily see that alienating a lot of people that would like to play.
1st ed: "Ok, I'm using my short sword, what do I need to roll to hit?" "Well let's look, he's wearing this type of armor, crossed with this type of weapon, now we have to look up the chart for his AC by class, do some mental footwork because AC is backwards, ok you need a 12 to hit."
5th ed: "Ok, I'm using my short sword, what do I need to roll to hit?" "What's your attack bonus?" "+3" "You need a 12."
It's a bit hyperbole, yes, but one gets you to the same result much more quickly, and the story and play can move forward immediately.
1st ed: "Ok, I'm using my short sword, what do I need to roll to hit?" "Well let's look, he's wearing this type of armor, crossed with this type of weapon, now we have to look up the chart for his AC by class, do some mental footwork because AC is backwards, ok you need a 12 to hit."
5th ed: "Ok, I'm using my short sword, what do I need to roll to hit?" "What's your attack bonus?" "+3" "You need a 12."
It's a bit hyperbole, yes, but one gets you to the same result much more quickly, and the story and play can move forward immediately.
Just to say...I wasn't suggesting a core rule change. I was suggesting an optional rule in a supplemental book.
And...there's more than one way to skin a cat. I'm sure an easy-to-use rule could be implemented that wasn't too fiddly or required bookkeeping.
Heck, you could do something with the attack roll...this weapon does THIS (whatever that is) when the attack is 10 points over the target.
Or, you could do something like is done in Conan: When the attack roll exactly equals the Parry AC, two things happen. First, the attacker gets a free Sunder attempt on the defender's shield (if he has one) or weapon. And, given that the weapon was Sundered but not broken, the two combatants are locked with their blades together. Opposed Grapple checks are made (Opposed STR checks), and the loser is shoved back 5 feet. If the winner's opposed check is 10 or more points higher than the loser, the loser is knocked back 5' and knocked prone.
That's shows a pretty neat rule on a simple trigger--when attack exactly equals AC.
I don't know the 5E rules good enough to suggest something, but I do know some simple rule could be implemented, even if it's something like: Plate vs. Slash gives the defender DR 3. Plate vs. Blunt gives the attacker +2 dmg (or +2 attack). Something like that.
And...there's more than one way to skin a cat. I'm sure an easy-to-use rule could be implemented that wasn't too fiddly or required bookkeeping.
Heck, you could do something with the attack roll...this weapon does THIS (whatever that is) when the attack is 10 points over the target.
Or, you could do something like is done in Conan: When the attack roll exactly equals the Parry AC, two things happen. First, the attacker gets a free Sunder attempt on the defender's shield (if he has one) or weapon. And, given that the weapon was Sundered but not broken, the two combatants are locked with their blades together. Opposed Grapple checks are made (Opposed STR checks), and the loser is shoved back 5 feet. If the winner's opposed check is 10 or more points higher than the loser, the loser is knocked back 5' and knocked prone.
That's shows a pretty neat rule on a simple trigger--when attack exactly equals AC.
I don't know the 5E rules good enough to suggest something, but I do know some simple rule could be implemented, even if it's something like: Plate vs. Slash gives the defender DR 3. Plate vs. Blunt gives the attacker +2 dmg (or +2 attack). Something like that.
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Mercule
Adventurer
Eh. I can see the draw to both the 1E system and the categories system. For the most part, I think 5E is in a nice middle ground. I don't really want a lot of fiddly details, but I want the appearance of choice.
The Grassy Gnoll
Explorer
Apply 5e's core built-in Mr Fixit, Advantage?
Need to be simple, by category of damage, but how about something like...
Plate mail - gives Disadvantage v your Slashing damage roll, Advantage to Bludgeoning damage rolls, no modifier to Piercing.
Chain mail - gives Advantage to Piercing damage rolls, no modifier v others
Studded leather - gives Disadvantage to Slashing damage rolls, no mod v others
Any metal armour - gives Advantage to electricity based damage rolls
And so on (the actual whys and wherefores for each armour type I'd leave to others more knowledgable than I).
Need to be simple, by category of damage, but how about something like...
Plate mail - gives Disadvantage v your Slashing damage roll, Advantage to Bludgeoning damage rolls, no modifier to Piercing.
Chain mail - gives Advantage to Piercing damage rolls, no modifier v others
Studded leather - gives Disadvantage to Slashing damage rolls, no mod v others
Any metal armour - gives Advantage to electricity based damage rolls
And so on (the actual whys and wherefores for each armour type I'd leave to others more knowledgable than I).
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If you want to differentiate the weapons, you should make a house-rule. The base game is designed to fit the largest possible group, which means that if you want something specific (especially something that most people wouldn't like), you have to do it yourself.
The simplest method would be to redo the armors. Design a couple of different light armors, medium armors, and heavy armors. All have a base AC, with a couple of modifiers to damage types. A simple method would be to only modify Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing, with everything else staying at the base AC. The complicate method would be to have each Armor be potentially modified by all the various damage types (poison and psionic should be irrelevant to AC, but fire, cold, and lightning probably will be). In either case, you have to modify every monster in the exact same fashion (which would be a TON of work in the complicated system, but hey it's your time).
The simplest method would be to redo the armors. Design a couple of different light armors, medium armors, and heavy armors. All have a base AC, with a couple of modifiers to damage types. A simple method would be to only modify Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing, with everything else staying at the base AC. The complicate method would be to have each Armor be potentially modified by all the various damage types (poison and psionic should be irrelevant to AC, but fire, cold, and lightning probably will be). In either case, you have to modify every monster in the exact same fashion (which would be a TON of work in the complicated system, but hey it's your time).
The Grassy Gnoll
Explorer
Interesting. Similar to Dragon Warriors - each weapon is listed as, for example, "Sword: d8, 5", or " Dagger, d4, 2".
You roll to hit and if successful, the weapon die is rolled to score higher than the opponents AC. If successful, damage is fixed - eg sword does 5 damage, dagger 2 (STR mod applies), as a sword is a sword. Same kind of (general, simplified) idea, applied differently. NB in DW Shields if used interpose themselves before damage is taken: if hit, and armour is bypassed, roll d6, if a 6, shield blocks blow.
I too Wilkie the d12 over the 2d6 but I also have an anti-d4 bias so I would do this.
Thrown - d6 T,L,F
1-H Melee - d8 F
Versatile - d8/d10
2-H - d12
2-H Reach - d10
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