D&D 5E Changes with Equipment, Weapons, Armor.

[Kobold Stew]

That is not the case in Next.

 

[cmbarona]

(Also -- consider the whip! Sneak attack with reach!)

Thanks for the advice, but with all due respect, the metagameyness of using a whip just to get sneak attack damage with reach makes me throw up in my mouth a little. I loved Halfling Weapon Training, and I'm loathe to let go of the sling/ dagger/ short sword combination, even when mechanical benefits are against me. I've even taken to using darts as my own homage to Halflings being good at thrown weapons in 3e. It just sucks knowing I'm taking mechanically inferior options to fit my character concept sometimes, especially when I feel it's a concept that the system should support.

 

[RangerWickett]

What, you think a rogue can't wrap a whip around someone's throat sneakily?

 

[cmbarona]

What, you think a rogue can't wrap a whip around someone's throat sneakily?

I think the crack of a whip would make one hell of a sneak attack (SURPRISE!), but that's not the point. I don't want to use a whip unless it fits my character concept, which it does not. If I want to attack something 10 feet away with 1d4 damage, I'll just use a throwing knife (dart) or a sling, thank you very much.

 

[Cyberen]

Tools proficiencies should go in the same document/chapter than Fields of lore.
Quarterstaff is a joke, and swords don't feel right.
Everybody getting the exact same AC (by different means) defeats the purpose of AC.
Damage/properties of weapons (and armors) should be handled mostly by classes/subclasses or feats. Being shoehorned in the almost inevitable optimal gear as imagined by the development team is going to get old pretty soon.

 

[the Jester]

I'd wish they'd just take the time to list in the weapon the impact of critical hit and jump the general rule. Most people will only use 1 or 2 weapons and will learn their critical effects easily, then you can do.

Greatsword
Hit: 2d6
Critical: +1d10, or knockback your target STR (-size difference) squares. If they hit a solid object (wall) they take d4 damage for every square travelled. (Basic rules do only damage on a crit)

Adding flavor to the weapons would be a lot more fun...

The problem with this is that you then need to add critical hit stats for every attack for every monster that doesn't wield weapons.

While this might be fine for a wolf, which only has one attack, consider a creature who can attack with claws, a bite, a tail slap or a wing buffet.

I think a general rule, with a few exceptions, is much better for ease of play and good use of space in the books.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Thanks for the advice, but with all due respect, the metagameyness of using a whip just to get sneak attack damage with reach makes me throw up in my mouth a little. I loved Halfling Weapon Training, and I'm loathe to let go of the sling/ dagger/ short sword combination, even when mechanical benefits are against me. I've even taken to using darts as my own homage to Halflings being good at thrown weapons in 3e. It just sucks knowing I'm taking mechanically inferior options to fit my character concept sometimes, especially when I feel it's a concept that the system should support.

Take a breath, grab an antacid, and consider whether it is really all that bad or if perhaps you might have miscommunicated your initial concern.

In this post you say you want to use sling/dagger/short sword. But your original complaint, phrased explicitly in metagamey terms, you said you were feeling pushed to use a rapier/handcrossbow or TWF:

I'm playing a Rogue for the playtest,... it seems like I'm being pushed into using Rapier/Hand Crossbow, or pushed into using Two-Weapon Fighting, and I don't like that.

It sounds like you have somehow managed to get over the hurdle of TWF -- you are not being forced to use a short sword and dagger; that's a choice you are making freely.

So why are you feeling "forced" to use different weapons?
The advantage of a rapier over a short sword averages 1 point of damage.
The advantage of a hand crossbow over a sling is 2 points, but the crossbow has the loading property (which admittedly does not affect rogues the way it does most other classes)

Since you will be working to use sneak attack as often as possible (presumably), I suggest the marginal shift in damage isn't forcing you to do anything at all. Decide to play your concept or not.

I don't want to use a whip unless it fits my character concept, which it does not. If I want to attack something 10 feet away with 1d4 damage, I'll just use a throwing knife (dart) or a sling,

It goes without saying that using a sling or throwing a dagger both have much greater range and versatility than a whip. Though it gives you a trick, the whip is the least metagamey choice within the terms that you present the case, as it does less damage than the others because you don't add the DEX bonus. And it happens not to coincide with your "concept" of a halfling slinger with a shortsword, and maybe a dagger. Fine.

If you are concerned that without the halfling weapon dice from an earlier testpack you are going to do a point or two less damage per round, then your own metagmeyness is getting in the way of your character concept.

Play what you want.

thank you very much.

You are welcome.

 

[Salamandyr]

Longsword ate the bastard sword, which I'm happy with. That leaves room between the short sword and longsword for something like an "arming sword", a 1d8 weapon with the "light" property.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I'm just as happy keeping all light weapons at d6 or less; otherwise it becomes the only default choice and the short sword disappears from use.

 

[Salamandyr]

I'd move the short sword over to the "simple" weapons category (and/or give it a thrown range).

It's just things like the spatha, the viking sword, and the Frankish sword, and things like the English cut&thrust sit in that space between the longsword and the short sword, and making them light (which they are) lets people who want them to be able to dual wield grown up swords that aren't scimitars.

Alternatively, kick the short sword damage up to 1d8 and let it cover things like the arming sword and the English "short sword" which was called that because it was shorter than a rapier, not because it was actually short.