WOIN Polearms

Flips · Jul 31, 2018

I was just wondering if there was a general typo with all Polearms? Even the description suggests that they should hit harder than a 1 handed weapon "These weapons provide greater reach to the footman,greater angular momentum than shorter weapons", however they do less damage than almost all 1H weapons which are not Small (and many that are Medium). I know Reach is a consideration, but without an opportunity type attack (Reactions actions seem nebulously defined) they offer less advantage. Also, they do less than a long spear (which also has reach), and are harder to find classes which allow you to take the skill.

Hopefully I am missing some balance issue, but I am just looking for reasons beyond just RP for someone to pick to use one. RP is an important reason, but for a game that is built around a certain amount of optimization it is a hard sell.

Thanks in advance!

Morrus · Jul 31, 2018

Reach, plus some have additional traits. When it comes down to it, they are the weapons of town guards and militia, rather than adventuring heroes.

That said, I have planned for some time to write an EONS article of polearms exploits.

Flips · Jul 31, 2018

Historically though, the polearm has been the main weapon of the foot soldier or for a knight or samurai when fighting on foot, especially by the late medieval period. Swords and the like were sidearms mostly. Its not crucial to my game, but it was something that I had notice. That militia are ineffective at dealing damage with a polearm is more a reflection on their lower skill than on the weapon.

I know that I have seemed to be overly critical lately, its not that I don't like the system. Quite the contrary, I love so much of it. I just see areas like this where you have something really good (like a great selection of polearms) but no incentive for a lot of people to even consider using them (since the long spear is arguably better in most cases). I want people to have to make harder choices about what weapon they will use because they all have good pros and cons.

Hopefully some polearm exploits will help with rounding that out.

Thank you for your continued patience.

easl · Aug 1, 2018

Flips said:
I just see areas like this where you have something really good (like a great selection of polearms) but no incentive for a lot of people to even consider using them (since the long spear is arguably better in most cases). I want people to have to make harder choices about what weapon they will use because they all have good pros and cons.

The bane of rpgs: try to give weapons realistic attributes, and all players will gravitate towards giving their characters the mechanically optimal. Make them equal enough that you have a whole variety of styles amongst characters, and guaranteed someone will complain about non-realism.

I haven't looked at the weapon attributes lately, but IIRC, in the OLD system it's really hard to compete with the longsword for mechanical benefit.

Hopefully some polearm exploits will help with rounding that out.

I think a unique general exploit per weapon type that differentiates them would be an excellent addition to the system. For illustrative example; sword exploit gives you an extra free action or is otherwise fast; axes ignore some armor; bludgeoning weapons help knockdown; spears help with initiative; polearms help with mounted or something else, etc...

WOIN Polearms

Flips

Explorer

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Flips

Explorer

easl

Explorer

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