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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 3441015" data-attributes="member: 3051">I'm not saying that our concepts were all new; the whole magic/cosmology system is element-based, so it has bits in common with Elements of Magic, even though we made our system before ever seeing theirs.  A lot of the bits ended up looking a lot like other systems, and some of that was just coincidence.  The Action Points are almost definitely going to be reintroduced; they're just too "fun" to ignore, but we're still not sure exactly how we want to implement them.The weapon proficiencies aren't QUITE like AD&D, in that they're a bit more general.  Basically, we hated how weapon-based classes would lock themselves into a single weapon type through Weapon Focus/Specialization, Improved Critical, etc., and even the AD&D versions were a bit too restrictive in that way.There are 8 Martial weapon Categories: Bladed (swords), Hafted (axes and polearms), Blunt (maces, hammers, staves), Piercing (daggers, spears), Projectile (bows, crossbows, slings), Thrown, Ray (including firearms), and Natural (unarmed attacks, claws, gauntlets, touch spells).An MWP feat adds one category.  Most weapon-based classes, and Humans, start off with "Novice Weapon Proficiency", which gives you one category IF you didn't already have NWP from another class (so you can't multiclass to get extras), and all classes add more as you level up.  There's the usual -4 penalty if you use a weapon you're not proficient in (which includes throwing a dagger if you have Piercing but not Thrown).  A few double weapons have multiple categories, when their two ends don't match (Gnome Hooked Hammer).Within each Category, each weapon is divided into three Groups based on its size relative to the wielder: Light weapons are those up to one size smaller than the wielder, Medium is the same size, Heavy is one or more sizes larger (the "or more" is rarely used, obviously).All "Light" weapons are treated as Simple, i.e. you're proficient with them even without having the entire category; since all Natural weapons are light, you get that one automatically.  (This mostly works the same as 3E, but it does change a few things; handaxes and short swords are now Simple, while heavy crossbows and heavy maces aren't.)When you take Weapon Focus, Specialization, etc., you choose a single Group (like "Medium Bladed").  All bonuses apply to all weapons within that group.  For instance, Weapon Focus: Medium Bladed gives you bonuses with the Longsword and Scimitar, of course, but it also gives the Two-Bladed Sword, Gythka, Wakizashi, Mercurial Longsword, Bladed Staff, and Double Scimitar, all of which are exotic.Additionally, there are a handful of Exotic categories.  An exotic weapon is simply one that has at least one exotic category in addition to its martial ones.  (A quarterstaff is a Blunt Martial weapon that also has the Double Weapon exotic category).  One EWP feat unlocks one exotic category.  You can still use the weapon without the EWP, but there's a penalty.  Only rarely is it the usual -4 to hit; in most cases it's something simple like "you can't use the weapon as a double weapon".</blockquote>

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