D&D 5E What if you had to learn to use weapons?

[Tony Vargas]

I actual mean off camera, just like all other class features are learned, not during official downtime.

During Downtime would work, though. Gaining weapon proficiencies, like Tool proficiencies or Languages, could be a downtime activity.

It would allow the DM to introduce 'exotic' weapons that PCs can't use at full effectiveness the moment they pick them up, but which also don't require them to multi-class, gain levels, or burn feats to use them.

 

[Greg K]

Proficiency by itself seems not a big deal at all. Some of the Elf cultures grant longsword and longbow proficiencies, and nobody cares about those ribbons.

Nobody? I have been pulling out racial weapons/weapon bonuses from the racial descriptions since 2e and making them feats since 3e

 

[FieserMoep]

Well if the DM introduces a weapon he wants a PC to have he could just outright say after a set amount of time: You can use it.
For that we do not need to remodel the entire proficiency system.
If it is just about some random magic weapon the wizard wants to use and not some major plot item, let them get the feat for the actual proficiency.

 

[Lanefan]

<...a bunch of ideas that obviously took a lot of time and thought but that probably aren't the best in practice - see below...>

Magic Items, Weapons, and Armor

Magical items can change shape and size to fit any character

This is a bit more generous than I'd use, but OK...

and can
also trade their magical properties with similar items. During a short
rest, you may exchange magical or non-magical properties between two
items by touching one to the other. For example, a +2 sword touched to a
mundane bow would result in a mundane sword and a +2 bow.

But this is a complete non-starter. In effect, what this means is that once a character has one magic weapon it has a bunch of them...just pick the one you need for the situation at hand. Bleah!

Though the opportunities for thievery become brilliant! I'm a thief, I know (or suspect) you've got a +2 sword, and by the time you wake up in the morning I've got a +2 rapier and you've got a hunk of sharp metal. I then sell said +2 rapier and buy a mundane one, pocket the difference, and call it a night's good work. Lather, rinse, repeat until before long I'm stinkin' rich!

That is getting close to equipment based leveling, ie "My level 1 fighter is bad at fighting because he can only use a short sword. My level 10 fighter is ok at fighting because he can now use a longsword. My level 20 fighter is great at fighting because he can use a great sword."

Yeah, that's where this idea falls apart. What would be better is forcing some sort of choice at any level - OK, at 1st level I can use greatsword but gawds help me in tight quarters, or I can use dagger which is great for close-in work but kinda hopeless in the open field, or I can use a mace instead and bludgeon them instead of slicing them, or ...

Then at higher levels you can slowly fill in the gaps so by, say, 10th level you're up to 6 or 8 proficiencies and by 20th level you can pretty much use most normal weapons and maybe even a few exotics.

Lanefan

 

[FieserMoep]

So while you try to make a pseuo-realistic progression system for weapon, the spell caster have their same progression and break reality anyway?
I still wonder: What is the actual goal of this change?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

The only thing this change would achieve is that occasionally a found magic weapon would be thrown on the garbage pile because nobody knows how to use it. I can't see any case where it would actually increase fun in a game, unless the players are the kind of people who get enjoyment from tracking minutiae.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

What if, rather than becoming proficient in a whole list of weapons at level 1, you gained proficiency in one or two weapons at certain levels as you leveled up?

Sure, as long as casters only get one school of magic ever and a max of one spell known per level.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

unless the players are the kind of people who get enjoyment from tracking minutiae.

Oh, 3rd edition and Pathfinder proved that there's a whole herd of gamers who find nothing more enjoyable than micromanaging a spreadsheet of bonuses. There's a race that gives a penalty to living creatures maintaining a grapple check against it when initiated by a natural bite attack. You know, because that's something important to spend our limited time on this world remembering.

 

[Wiseblood]

What if, rather than becoming proficient in a whole list of weapons at level 1, you gained proficiency in one or two weapons at certain levels as you leveled up?

I thought you meant irl. IDK why. I would have said one that kills quickly with as little danger to me as possible.

 

[hejtmane]

What if, rather than becoming proficient in a whole list of weapons at level 1, you gained proficiency in one or two weapons at certain levels as you leveled up?

How it worked in 1e I wished they would have done that in 5e but so be it and I wish the weapon table was bigger