D&D General Do people like re-skinning?

[Maxperson]

Unless wielded by a rogue of course, in which case they frequently do more damage, so YMMV on the whole verisimilitude thing.

The dagger isn't doing that damage, though, the rogue's sneak attack ability is doing it by hitting vital points. There's a difference.

 

[FrozenNorth]

The dagger isn't doing that damage, though, the rogue's sneak attack ability is doing it by hitting vital points. There's a difference.

So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?

Asking for a friend, and totally not because I intend to do that at my next session.

 

[Umbran]

So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?

And, if, after killing "rogue"... the party picked up that dagger?

There is a difference between, "reskin a greatsword as a dagger," and, "have an NPC/monster that does greatsword damage with a dagger." The image of a roguish character that can completely and viciously gut you with a small weapon and doing large amounts of damage is fine - but that's not a change in the small weapon.

 

[Maxperson]

So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?

lol no. See Umbran's response for just one of the reasons why that wouldn't work for me.

Asking for a friend, and totally not because I intend to do that at my next session.

Hey, if you can do it and it's fun for your group...

I think I'm actually going to do the reskinned dragon as a giant spider in my game now. I think it would be a cool encounter for my players.

 

[FrozenNorth]

And, if, after killing "rogue"... the party picked up that dagger?

There is a difference between, "reskin a greatsword as a dagger," and, "have an NPC/monster that does greatsword damage with a dagger." The image of a roguish character that can completely and viciously gut you with a small weapon and doing large amounts of damage is fine - but that's not a change in the small weapon.

My understanding was that the initial example was a PC who was reskinning their greatsword damage to dagger damage, with my tweak on the initial example being that the build was refluffed to justify hitting vital points.

Otherwise, if we are talking an NPC/Monster... well it still depends: a Gargantuan monster wielding a Gargantuan dagger probably could do greatsword damage with a dagger. Or the dagger could be magical.... Or one of several other possibilities.

 

[Maxperson]

My understanding was that the initial example was a PC who was reskinning their greatsword damage to dagger damage, with my tweak on the initial example being that the build was refluffed to justify hitting vital points.

The issue was that the "dagger" is doing greatsword damage. Then you said that a dagger wielded by a rogue does more damage than a greatsword. I pointed out that the damage was being done by the rogue hitting vital points, not the dagger. You responded to that with, "So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?"

The problem with your last example is that it places the damage back onto the "dagger." If anyone else picks up that "dagger," even a child of 6, it does greatsword damage. That's a problem.

Otherwise, if we are talking an NPC/Monster... well it still depends: a Gargantuan monster wielding a Gargantuan dagger probably could do greatsword damage with a dagger. Or the dagger could be magical.... Or one of several other possibilities.

A gargantuan dagger will be the size of a greatsword, so nothing is really being reskinned.

 

[nomotog]

I don't know MGibster's original intent here, but I think this was mostly just an example. I thought it went without saying, that if obvious tweaks were needed in the reskin, then they are done. It was a for instance, not meant to be scrutinized on such a granular level. Maybe I am wrong there, and he did want automatons just the same as goblins.

But holy crow, I figured this would be a lighthearted romp into what other DMs did for reskins, not turn into yet another my fun is better than your fun.

Good gravy.

I wasn't sure how much an example it was. It seemed like they were arguing both that they would make tweaks, but that they would also be justified with not making tweaks.

I think there is disagreement in both what a reskin means, but also there seems to be a disagreement on if the fluff and the mechanics need to match each other, so there is stuff to debate here.

 

[nomotog]

The issue was that the "dagger" is doing greatsword damage. Then you said that a dagger wielded by a rogue does more damage than a greatsword. I pointed out that the damage was being done by the rogue hitting vital points, not the dagger. You responded to that with, "So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?"

The problem with your last example is that it places the damage back onto the "dagger." If anyone else picks up that "dagger," even a child of 6, it does greatsword damage. That's a problem.


A gargantuan dagger will be the size of a greatsword, so nothing is really being reskinned.

I think something most people would agree on is that reskinning something the players have is riskier then reskinning something the DM has. Simply because there are so many more chances for it to get weird.

 

[TwoSix]

The issue was that the "dagger" is doing greatsword damage. Then you said that a dagger wielded by a rogue does more damage than a greatsword. I pointed out that the damage was being done by the rogue hitting vital points, not the dagger. You responded to that with, "So you’d be OK with reskinning a greatsword as a dagger as long as I reskinned the wielder in being some sort of rogue targetting vital points?"

The problem with your last example is that it places the damage back onto the "dagger." If anyone else picks up that "dagger," even a child of 6, it does greatsword damage. That's a problem.

While I'm a large proponent of reskinning, I think it's far easier (and opens up less corner cases) to reskin at the character level than it is at the equipment level. I don't care if your character skins his greatsword as a dagger, as long the increased damage is a function of the character using a dagger, not a property of the dagger itself.

 

[Maxperson]

While I'm a large proponent of reskinning, I think it's far easier (and opens up less corner cases) to reskin at the character level than it is at the equipment level. I don't care if your character skins his greatsword as a dagger, as long the increased damage is a function of the character using a dagger, not a property of the dagger itself.

The bolded are mutually exclusive. If you skin a greatsword as a dagger, then it's the dagger and not the character doing the increased damage. If Tom, Dick or Harry pick it up, they have something looking like a dagger doing greatsword damage. Making the increased damage a function of character is what Rogues do with sneak attack.