Do we need Superior Weapons? What about a Superior Expertise to replace it.

[Garthanos]

Are we loosing flavor?
The idea is to encourage more versatility by providing benefits like a superior weapons (normal benefits seem just +1 to hit) by way of a single feat.

Would it be a feat tax are superior weapons already feat taxes?

 

[D'karr]

Are we loosing flavor?
The idea is to encourage more versatility by providing benefits like a superior weapons (normal benefits seem just +1 to hit) by way of a single feat.

Would it be a feat tax are superior weapons already feat taxes?

Personally I've gone in a different direction. I want the character to be special, not their equipment. Feats that add a +1 here and there are a pain in the tuckus to track and sift through, and really don't add much flavor but quite a bit of cruft, IMO. If we were to examine all feats and remove anything that added a +x to hit you might find that we could reduce the number of feats significantly and probably lose very little in terms of flavor.

 

[darkbard]

Sure, one wouldn't lose much in flavor by removing feat "taxes" and the like. But one of the trenchant observations of the character optimization community early on was that without fixing the inherent math problems of the game (hence, the "taxes" and the movement away from MM1 design to that of later books like the Monster Vault, etc.) and adding on to character combat efficacy by (a) hitting more often and (b) inflicting more damage with each hit, combat, one of the main features of 4E, moved from being a feature to a bug, via combat slog (combats lasting many more rounds than the 4 or so intended by the design team, lots of swings and misses on both sides, so none of those neat effects powers and feats and items carry go off, etc.).

Personally, I find it much more fun when combats are more "swingy," as enacted by this design philosophy in the later stages of the game, they are more exciting and the characters feel more heroic.

If the blandness of such feats is bothersome, simply give your characters two bonus feats (an Expertise Feat, early in the game, and Improved Defenses, later in Heroic or at the onset of Paragon tier) to fix the math and let them choose other, more flavorful feats.

If, [MENTION=82504]Garthanos[/MENTION], spending a feat on Superior Weapon training bothers you, allow a character to use a Background to grab a superior weapon, as well as military, etc., with Gritty Sergeant or Noble Bred for War. I don't think that would out of line with the benefit of Auspicious Birth.

 

[Garthanos]

If, @Garthanos, spending a feat on Superior Weapon training bothers you, allow a character to use a Background to grab a superior weapon, as well as military, etc., with Gritty Sergeant or Noble Bred for War. I don't think that would out of line with the benefit of Auspicious Birth.

Technically I have an ulterior motive in this, as I have invented something I call Martial Techniques kind of a variant of Grandmaster Training's but which cover weapons and shields and armor (which are effectively items) created/taught with the Sensei Martial Practice). I am thinking of having Superior Artistry as a way of avoiding coming up with arbitrarily vaguely different named techniques and in the process realized this was in place in the superior weapons....wtf is a fullblade.

 

[D'karr]

...wtf is a fullblade.

2 handed superior melee weapon High Crit - Heavy Blade category IIRC

 

[Garthanos]

2 handed superior melee weapon High Crit - Heavy Blade category IIRC

Don't make me post a Bleach picture ....

 

[Garthanos]

Because

 

[Garthanos]

To a degree the question was to point out arbitrarily vaguely different named weapons.

 

[Garthanos]

Superior Proficiency while wielding any 1 handed/2 handed weapon that is not a superior weapon you may increase the proficiency bonus by 1, the weapon/technique now counts as superior.

Superior Defense while wielding any offhand weapon/martial technique (that is not a superior weapon increase your effective armor class by 1, the weapon/technique now counts as superior.

Deadly Superiority while wielding any 1 handed/2 handed weapon that is not a superior weapon and not high crit it gains the property of high crit, the weapon/technique now counts as superior.

Brutal Superiority while wielding any 1 handed/2 handed weapon that is not a superior weapon you may increase or set brutality to 2 or increase property by+ 1, the weapon/technique now counts as superior.


Or something like that you may switch out superiority effects as a minor action.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Are we loosing flavor?
The idea is to encourage more versatility by providing benefits like a superior weapons (normal benefits seem just +1 to hit) by way of a single feat.

Would it be a feat tax are superior weapons already feat taxes?

Yes, and yes. I never thought superior weapons added anything good to the game myself. They just became the standard weapons but with weird names and a feat tax.