Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
I putting together an NPC and I need to know how much damage a quarterstaff made of metal would do. Help!
Damage for Metal Quarterstaff?
- Thread starter Angel Tarragon
- Start date
Storyteller01
First Post
The same, I believe. Clubs do the same whether they're made out of wood or steel.
PallidPatience
First Post
Just don't make it out of octiron. O_O
Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
Huh? What is octiron?PallidPatience said:
BASHMAN
Basic Action Games
Actually, I believe there are some rules that weapons made out of different materials do more damage. I think it was in the Magic Items Compendium, but I may be wrong (I am lending it to a friend now and cannot check).
I know that a weapon made of a heavy metal did damage as if it were a size larger, but that the wielder needed to take an Exotic Weapon Feat to use it.
For instance, a gold longsword does 2d6 damage, but requires a Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Heavy Longsword.
I would say the same would apply to your quarterstaff. Of course, the "heavy" metal in question could simply be iron, as compared to wood, iron is very heavy.
So your heavy iron quarterstaff would do 1d8 dmg, and requires the exotic weapon proficiency to wield.
There may have been other material properties besides heavy that had other effects as well, but I don't remember them off the top of my head.
I know that a weapon made of a heavy metal did damage as if it were a size larger, but that the wielder needed to take an Exotic Weapon Feat to use it.
For instance, a gold longsword does 2d6 damage, but requires a Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Heavy Longsword.
I would say the same would apply to your quarterstaff. Of course, the "heavy" metal in question could simply be iron, as compared to wood, iron is very heavy.
So your heavy iron quarterstaff would do 1d8 dmg, and requires the exotic weapon proficiency to wield.
There may have been other material properties besides heavy that had other effects as well, but I don't remember them off the top of my head.
Arkhandus
First Post
What epochrpg mentions is something that originated in Magic of Faerun, though it probably was reprinted in the Magic Item Compendium. Near the end of MoF it has special materials for weapons and armor in Faerun, including adamantine for example, but also alchemically/magically-treated gold and other precious metals.
There's a sidebar on heavy weapons; items made from the aforementioned gold, platinum, and such are considered heavy weapons. You need a specific EWP feat to use such a weapon without penalty, and it can't be used with Weapon Finesse. The damage increases one step, but that's a terrible trade-off for a quarterstaff. Less effective than a two-bladed sword, but probably heavier and still requiring Exotic Weapon Proficiency.
However, MoF has a restriction that only weapons made primarily of metal may be made with materials that would make them heavy weapons.... So a spear or quarterstaff isn't supposed to be made that way.
An exotic quarterstaff made of metal would probably be 1d8/1d8 with 20/x3 crits (effectively similar to twin warhammers, as a two-bladed sword is essentially twin longswords).
A simple quarterstaff made of metal.... Would probably be rather thin so as not to be overly heavy, and still difficult to handle. 1d8/1d8 damage and 20/x2 crits, with a -1 or -2 penalty on attack rolls even if proficient. Don't know if I'd even make a simple version out of metal though.
There's a sidebar on heavy weapons; items made from the aforementioned gold, platinum, and such are considered heavy weapons. You need a specific EWP feat to use such a weapon without penalty, and it can't be used with Weapon Finesse. The damage increases one step, but that's a terrible trade-off for a quarterstaff. Less effective than a two-bladed sword, but probably heavier and still requiring Exotic Weapon Proficiency.
However, MoF has a restriction that only weapons made primarily of metal may be made with materials that would make them heavy weapons.... So a spear or quarterstaff isn't supposed to be made that way.
An exotic quarterstaff made of metal would probably be 1d8/1d8 with 20/x3 crits (effectively similar to twin warhammers, as a two-bladed sword is essentially twin longswords).
A simple quarterstaff made of metal.... Would probably be rather thin so as not to be overly heavy, and still difficult to handle. 1d8/1d8 damage and 20/x2 crits, with a -1 or -2 penalty on attack rolls even if proficient. Don't know if I'd even make a simple version out of metal though.
You could probably make a quarterstaff out of metal and just use a lot less of it; it would probably have a honeycomb shape on the inside. And it would probably stat out just like a regular wooden quarterstaff. (How you would make it is another matter entirely.)
On a mostly unrelated note, years ago in another edition, I had a fighter who specialized in the quarterstaff (for reasons I won't attempt to justify, even if I could remember them), and my GM gave me a +1 to damage for having iron bands bolted to either end. The point I never brought up (because I wasn't about to turn down +1 dmg with my Str 9 quarterstaff specialist) was that if putting iron bands on a quarterstaff was better than not doing it, wouldn't all quarterstaffs have them? I mean, why not?
I'm not sure I have a point here, other than to ask what specific effect are you going for with the metal quarterstaff? Is it a fluff/imagery thing, or is there something the npc needs it to do that a wooden one wouldn't?
On a mostly unrelated note, years ago in another edition, I had a fighter who specialized in the quarterstaff (for reasons I won't attempt to justify, even if I could remember them), and my GM gave me a +1 to damage for having iron bands bolted to either end. The point I never brought up (because I wasn't about to turn down +1 dmg with my Str 9 quarterstaff specialist) was that if putting iron bands on a quarterstaff was better than not doing it, wouldn't all quarterstaffs have them? I mean, why not?
I'm not sure I have a point here, other than to ask what specific effect are you going for with the metal quarterstaff? Is it a fluff/imagery thing, or is there something the npc needs it to do that a wooden one wouldn't?
airwalkrr
Adventurer
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that gold is such a soft metal that it would get destroyed the first time it connected a serious blow. It may be heavy, but it is far too maleable to be of any use as a weapon. Platinum on the other hand would be great, barring the expense.
I do believe there is a case to be made for a quarterstaff made of steel however. The heavier a weapon is, the more inertia you can apply to it so the more damage it should be capable of. A d8 sounds right, but to keep things level, it would need to require EWP. The two-bladed sword is still better because of the crit range. But you could use the stats for a double hammer from Complete Warrior with a similar effect and just call it a steel quarterstaff.
(Note: iron was rarely used in weapons after steel was discovered because iron is too brittle and the weapon shatters too easily.)
I do believe there is a case to be made for a quarterstaff made of steel however. The heavier a weapon is, the more inertia you can apply to it so the more damage it should be capable of. A d8 sounds right, but to keep things level, it would need to require EWP. The two-bladed sword is still better because of the crit range. But you could use the stats for a double hammer from Complete Warrior with a similar effect and just call it a steel quarterstaff.
(Note: iron was rarely used in weapons after steel was discovered because iron is too brittle and the weapon shatters too easily.)
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