D&D 5E All weapons doing d6?

[SavageCole]

Right now, I can’t begin to have a serious conversation about which dice to use with which weapons for damage until we start treating armor as damage soak vs. hit avoidance AC.

 

[Maxperson]

Because having different weapons gives you a mechanically meaningful choice point for character design. If every weapon is an undifferentiated d6, then there's no real point for me in picking a weapon. It basically becomes just part of drawing your character profile, which is not for me a very interesting part of making a character. (Others may disagree.)

This. If all weapons do the same damage, there's no point in choosing a weapon. Just poke it in the eye with a finger for a d6 and be done with it. Maybe slap it and yell, "Hey Moe!"

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I personally like to roll martial characters that have half a dozen different weapons and use the one that suits whatever situation they find themself in on any given turn (within the constraints of the weapon drawing and stowing economy), so flattening that to uniform dice seems to just remove a strategic element.

Admittedly, once magic weapons show up it starts becoming impractical to cycle in various other weapons. But up until then I see no reason for a sensible strength-based warrior to leave the house without a greatweapon, a longsword, javalins, a couple handaxes, something blunt, 3-6 daggers, and if his Dex is halfway decent, a heavy crossbow or longbow and a hand-crossbow. I have a barbarian/fighter who managed to use nearly all of them in the same encounter, though admittedly it was a very long and wide ranging encounter.

 

[Andras]

Here's what I'd been thinking about. Characters do their hit die in damage with normal 1h weapons.
Light weapons do 1 die size smaller
Heavy/2h weapons do 1die size larger, with the option to substitute 2d6 for 1d12.

 

[CubicsRube]

I've thought about this for a change. I once wanted a rogue with double handaxes, but as written it wouldn't work. And the amount of rogues with rapiers is too damn high! It certainly changes the approach for weapons from mechanics to fluff, and that may worm for some, and not for others.

I've run some dungeon world and one thing I particularly like about the system is a damage die per class. I like the idsa that a barbarian can be deadly with a dagger, and a wizard might wield a greatsword, but be unable to dish the pain.

You can also then add modifiers as you like - or not - for 2 handed weapons, improvised weapons and the like.

Back to the main topic, try it if you like, just discuss it with your players first. If they're om boardit might be interesting to see what combinations they come up with.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Here's what I'd been thinking about. Characters do their hit die in damage with normal 1h weapons.
Light weapons do 1 die size smaller
Heavy/2h weapons do 1die size larger, with the option to substitute 2d6 for 1d12.

This only breaks down with 2h barbarians, who would do d12 with 1h weapons, so you need to figure out what to do above that (d14? 2d8?)

 

[Flamestrike]

Giving heavy weapons exploding d6's for damage would be cool. Maybe a little strong, but cool. I love exploding die pools.

I considered making all dice explode. If it affects HP, it explodes.

It's an option I really like for falling damage.

 

[Fenris-77]

I considered making all dice explode. If it affects HP, it explodes.

It's an option I really like for falling damage.

That's a great option for falling damage. Me, I like the uncertainty of exploding pools and the rush the players get when they roll well. I think it's more satisfying than crit rolls on damage, which are always a let down when you roll like garbage on the damage dice. Now that I think of it, I may try scaling weapons to multiple smaller dice and having them all explode. That sounds fun, and deadly when it happens to the players. Maybe crits just add dice. Yup, I need to try that out.

 

[Flamestrike]

That's a great option for falling damage. Me, I like the uncertainty of exploding pools and the rush the players get when they roll well. I think it's more satisfying than crit rolls on damage, which are always a let down when you roll like garbage on the damage dice. Now that I think of it, I may try scaling weapons to multiple smaller dice and having them all explode. That sounds fun, and deadly when it happens to the players. Maybe crits just add dice. Yup, I need to try that out.

It adds a perception of unpredictability to damage. Those big effects with lots of small dice (magic missiles, fireballs, falling, acid arrow etc) feel much stronger, as do high level rogues and sneak attack.

Like I said, I like it for falling. I'm personally in the camp of [Hit points] = [Plot armour] so I narrate high level PCs surviving lethal falls as being saved by luck (HP after all represent luck in the RAW to some extent) by some lucky contrivance (a previously unseen rocky ledge, or snagging on a tree, or a cart full of hay or deep snow drift that was missed before etc). When you have PCs intentionally jumping off great heights (and metagaming falling damage) is when it starts to irk me.