[Conan] weapon damage increases?

[Plane Sailing]

I understand that in Conan the amount of damage done by most weapons has increased. What is the range of melee weapon damage now (lowest to highest) and are there any obvious "top dog" melee weapons?

I presume that this was done partly to balance the armour as DR rules in Conan and, as a side effect, make weapons more lethal to unarmoured foes/characters - am I right?

Cheers

 

[VorpalBunny]

I don't have my book handy, but IIRC, the "top dog" weapon is the greatsword - 2d10/19-20/AP 4 (I think).

The range would be 1d4/19-20/AP 1 (dagger) to 2d10/19-20/AP 4 (greatsword).

I think the damage was upped not to balance armor DR (that's why each weapon has a AP value) but to make combat deadlier in general - for armored and unarmored opponents alike.

 

[Yokiboy]

I don't have my book handy, but IIRC, the "top dog" weapon is the greatsword - 2d10/19-20/AP 4 (I think).

The range would be 1d4/19-20/AP 1 (dagger) to 2d10/19-20/AP 4 (greatsword).

I think the damage was upped not to balance armor DR (that's why each weapon has a AP value) but to make combat deadlier in general - for armored and unarmored opponents alike.

Yeah I think VorpalBunny (that avatar's not a bunny though is it? ) right on, they just want combat to be deadlier period. My favorite is the low Massive Damage threshold of 20, which forces you to make a Fort save versus DC10 + 1/2 the damage received. I.e. a minimum Fort save of 20!

TTFN,

Yokiboy

 

[Plane Sailing]

How do they handle polearms, poleaxes and the like?

Also what about picks - do they still have the large crit multiplier or do they do something with its AP value?

Regards,

 

[VorpalBunny]

Yeah I think VorpalBunny (that avatar's not a bunny though is it? ) right on, they just want combat to be deadlier period. My favorite is the low Massive Damage threshold of 20, which forces you to make a Fort save versus DC10 + 1/2 the damage received. I.e. a minimum Fort save of 20!

TTFN,

Yokiboy

Hey! Don't mess with the VorpalAvatar™!!

The cool think about massive damage in the Conan RPG is that it's mitigated by damage reduction. So an attack has to have at least 20 points of damage get through any armor DR to necessitate a massive damage save.

Kinda underscores the need for armor.

 

[VorpalBunny]

How do they handle polearms, poleaxes and the like?

Also what about picks - do they still have the large crit multiplier or do they do something with its AP value?

Regards,

There are no picks in the Conan equipment tables. Mongoose (wisely) decided to feature only weapons that were featured in Howard's stories. So there are no "picks" but you will find a Zhaibar knife and a Bossonian longbow.

As for polearms, they're handled similiarly to other d20 games. Some are reach weapons, others are not. All do either a x2 or x3 crit.

 

[S'mon]

I think the best weapon for most purposes is the Bardiche - only 8sp, 2d10 dmg/x3 crit, and unlike the Greatsword it's a Martial weapon. Greatsword is Exotic to non-Hyboreans, and very expensive.

Also bardiche has AP5 to Greatsword's AP4. The greatsword is the best weapon for rich, high-level characters, since most of a Bardiche crit's x3 damage will usually be wasted on extreme overkill, but at low level bardiches rule.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Nice to see regionalisation of weapons. It would make a nice change from the homogenous approach of D&D to such issues.

Thanks for the input.