D&D 5E Mike Mearls Happy Fun Hour, Nov 27 2018

[doctorbadwolf]

Fine, but boring. Seems like it would be more entertaining to do 2d4 piercing, versatile (2d6) to make it unique.

Versatile 2d6 is way too high, but a melee, thrown, one handed, 2d4, weapon would be cool. Thrown weapons are terrible in 5e. Why not have a fairly good martial one?

I tend to make thrown weapons not suck, by making thrown magic weapons return automatically, and letting sharpshooter. That, combined with two weapon fighting, tends to make them viable, if not actually good.

 

[epithet]

Versatile 2d6 is way too high, but a melee, thrown, one handed, 2d4, weapon would be cool. Thrown weapons are terrible in 5e. Why not have a fairly good martial one?

I tend to make thrown weapons not suck, by making thrown magic weapons return automatically, and letting sharpshooter. That, combined with two weapon fighting, tends to make them viable, if not actually good.

I don't really see a problem with 2d6, but I suppose it actually would make even more sense to call it 3d4.

 

[Satyrn]

I don't really see a problem with 2d6, but I suppose it actually would make even more sense to call it 3d4.

It's better than every other versatile weapon (since the best currently does 1d10).
It's also better than a greatsword, since it does the same damage plus it can be thrown. Even if the thrown damage is 2d4, that's still something extra that the greatsword doesn't get.

2d6 would make the trident the best weapon. And that's just terrible becuase it would make Neptyne so cocky.

 

[epithet]

It's better than every other versatile weapon (since the best currently does 1d10).
It's also better than a greatsword, since it does the same damage plus it can be thrown. Even if the thrown damage is 2d4, that's still something extra that the greatsword doesn't get.

2d6 would make the trident the best weapon.

The lance does a d12, plus it has reach. I have no problem saying that you can match the damage of a lance if you're using the trident with two hands. If you're talking about magic returning thrown weapons, then all bets are off--you can build a battleaxe that is thrown and returning and does an extra die of fire damage, so that's not a valid standard of comparison.

The trident has a poor base range as a thrown weapon, and you're not going to get your versatile damage when you throw it. Plus, unless you build a returning magic trident for your campaign, the character now has no trident to play with unless he runs over and picks it up. I don't think a trident will be thrown very often, and I think the reach you get with a lance is a more useful property. I'm comfortable with making it versatile (3d4) because it has three pointy things at the end of it.

 

[Satyrn]

Danggit. You didn't see my stealth edit, the primary thrust of my post . . . that I forgot to include originally.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The lance does a d12, plus it has reach. I have no problem saying that you can match the damage of a lance if you're using the trident with two hands. If you're talking about magic returning thrown weapons, then all bets are off--you can build a battleaxe that is thrown and returning and does an extra die of fire damage, so that's not a valid standard of comparison.

The trident has a poor base range as a thrown weapon, and you're not going to get your versatile damage when you throw it. Plus, unless you build a returning magic trident for your campaign, the character now has no trident to play with unless he runs over and picks it up. I don't think a trident will be thrown very often, and I think the reach you get with a lance is a more useful property. I'm comfortable with making it versatile (3d4) because it has three pointy things at the end of it.

A single point does more damage than 3 points.

 

[gyor]

The lance does a d12, plus it has reach. I have no problem saying that you can match the damage of a lance if you're using the trident with two hands. If you're talking about magic returning thrown weapons, then all bets are off--you can build a battleaxe that is thrown and returning and does an extra die of fire damage, so that's not a valid standard of comparison.

The trident has a poor base range as a thrown weapon, and you're not going to get your versatile damage when you throw it. Plus, unless you build a returning magic trident for your campaign, the character now has no trident to play with unless he runs over and picks it up. I don't think a trident will be thrown very often, and I think the reach you get with a lance is a more useful property. I'm comfortable with making it versatile (3d4) because it has three pointy things at the end of it.

I'd make it 3D3 for balance sake.

 

[Baumi]

Just make the Trident a simple weapon and its balanced again.

 

[epithet]

I'd make it 3D3 for balance sake.

Just make the Trident a simple weapon and its balanced again.

I really don't care much about balance in this instance. We're talking about plus-or-minus 1 or 2 points of average damage per hit, which isn't completely trivial at 1st level, but becomes altogether meh by the time you hit level 5.

 

[Garthanos]

I must be to old then. I can't think of anything less than 20 years old as truly retro. Also, whether something is classic or not is not simple based on age. Clearly illustrated by the term "instant classic" There needs to something iconic about it to be "classic" and I just don't think a dwarf w/ a bear fits that mold. Of course, I have never played WoW, so maybe it is just me. I have played a ranger, but never one with an animal pet. To me Aragorn is the "classic" ranger.

Doesn't really matter, I just thought the statement was funny.

Or is Aragorn a Warlord on holiday leave