D&D (2024) With Weapon Mastery likely making it in, do you want optional exotic weapons and exotic weapon masteries?

[ECMO3]

I would be for exotic weapons, but I am against mastery in general (except for Monks).

I think exotic weapons should be siege weapons and any weapon that is not a simple or martial weapon - I am talking about laser guns, Kua-Toa pincers, sahugin spiked nets, Flind flails, catapults, ballistae and in some campaigns firearms (although firearms are martial in other campaigns).

I think exotic weapon proficiency should be given to fighters (and only fighters) at level 6. Any class can wield (or in some cases use) exotic weapons, but only fighters 6th level or higher add their proficiency bonus to attacks when they do.

With the exception of siege weapons, exotic weaponry should not generally be available for purchase at all.

 

[ECMO3]

A system that allows PCs to design their own weapon based on their personal masteries would be awesome Martial Proficiency 1d8 damage, versatile, choose slashing or bashing, add cleave mastery call it a Kopesh - done

I would be for that, but I would be against allowing them to be proficient in it if it does not come off of the tables.

One of the great things about 5E is there are no class restrictions on using specific kinds of weapons but proficinecy bonus should be reserved for weapons on the simple and martial weapons table, with the possible exceptions of tier 2+ fighters.

 

[tetrasodium]

A system that allows PCs to design their own weapon based on their personal masteries would be awesome Martial Proficiency 1d8 damage, versatile, choose slashing or bashing, add cleave mastery call it a Kopesh - done

There are lots of "point buy" systems out there where that kind of thing is possible to some degree. Gurps shadowrun savage worlds and fate are a few examples. D&d is not point buy though. D&d 5e specifically can't even go beyond the kind of renaming @mellored mentioned in post 48 until wotc decides they are willing to expand the design space. D&d being class based instead of point buy is why fighters get it as a class ability at level seven

 

[CreamCloud0]

i know in weapon design the heavy property is usually treated as a 'negative trait', but, for all non-small users of heavy weapons it seems to me like it actually serves instead as a boon for them as it comes with no other restrictions IIRC and enables the use of the Great Weapon Master feat's -5/+10 which is one of the most powerful abilities available for most melee weapon users.

edit: it's for this reason i think heavy should actually be revised as a variable STR requirement, it wouldn't exclude the small species from the better weapons and should even be put on some of the simple weapons(club, greatclub and mace probably)(no heavy weapons are also simple weapons but sharpshooter GWM's ranged equivilant works perfectly fine with simple ranged weapons).
edit edit: i could actually see GWM being relegated to work on the two-handed and versatile properties(GWM requirements needs you to be wielding a weapon two handed say), heavy doesn't work with it but remains changed to a STR requirement.

 

[Horwath]

i know in weapon design the heavy property is usually treated as a 'negative trait', but, for all non-small users of heavy weapons it seems to me like it actually serves instead as a boon for them as it comes with no other restrictions IIRC and enables the use of the Great Weapon Master feat's -5/+10 which is one of the most powerful abilities available for most melee weapon users.

edit: it's for this reason i think heavy should actually be revised as a variable STR requirement, it wouldn't exclude the small species from the better weapons and should even be put on some of the simple weapons(club, greatclub and mace probably)(no heavy weapons are also simple weapons but sharpshooter GWM's ranged equivilant works perfectly fine with simple ranged weapons).
edit edit: i could actually see GWM being relegated to work on the two-handed and versatile properties(GWM requirements needs you to be wielding a weapon two handed say), heavy doesn't work with it but remains changed to a STR requirement.

STR requirements could be a good replacement for proficiency categories.

you have only 8 STR? shortsword is best you can wield in your main hand.

Off hand(without a feat and/or style) could count weapons as 4 STR points "heavier"

Small races can have their effective STR lowered by 2 or 4 for using weapons. They still use full score for attack and damage bonuses.

"martial classes" could have their effective STR be higher for 2 pts for using weapons.

using onehanded weapon in two hands might reduce STR required by 4 pts.

using 2Handed weapon in one hand might increase STR requirement by 6 or 8 pts.

then you can use STR or DEX for all melee and thrown weapon attacks.
You want to use DEX for attacking with greatsword? sure, but you need 18 STR min to use it without penalties.
Same for really "heavy" bows.

 

[Minigiant]

not they are all just longswords, same mastery

You mean like longsword and battleaxes

Battleaxe and Warhammer are Longsword with a different mastery.

Exactly

Add more 1d8 damage weapons.
Make them different with new masteries.

Longsword, Warpick, and Warhammer gets Flex.
Battleaxe gets Topple.
Khopesh and Katana get High Crit/Maim.
Macuahuitl gets Wound.

 

[Horwath]

You mean like longsword and battleaxes

Exactly

Add more 1d8 slashing weapons.
Make them different with new masteries.

Longsword gets Flex
Khopesh get High Crit

or just give everyone who has weapon mastery to pick their mastery for a weapon that is applicable. No need to gate it behind 7 levels of fighter. Then the fighters 13th level ability can be lowered down to 7th.

I.E. you found a magic "light" weapon?
Give it nick mastery if you need it.

 

[mellored]

or just give everyone who has weapon mastery to pick their mastery for a weapon that is applicable. No need to gate it behind 7 levels of fighter. Then the fighters 13th level ability can be lowered down to 7th.

I.E. you found a magic "light" weapon?
Give it nick mastery if you need it.

Or just give everyone spell casting. No need to gate fireball behind a level 5 caster....

Or you know. Let the game have different classes.

 

[tetrasodium]

i know in weapon design the heavy property is usually treated as a 'negative trait', but, for all non-small users of heavy weapons it seems to me like it actually serves instead as a boon for them as it comes with no other restrictions IIRC and enables the use of the Great Weapon Master feat's -5/+10 which is one of the most powerful abilities available for most melee weapon users.

Agreeed, the level of dissonance is strange. It's actually surprising that there hasn't been a full munchkin weapon with "heavy, finesse" in the last decade. Almost Wonder how many efforts at such a thing were killed at the whiteboard session meeting stage by cooler heads who actually play.

 

[Krachek]

Returning weapon are magical. Go see some boomerang throwing on utubes, you will see that throwing a boomerang in a dungeon is pure fantasy and magic.

But I agree to more mastery. Don’t need exotic weapon to add them.