[Dragon] First D&D 3.5 Update

[Bulak]

And that would mean that the dwarven fighters and any combat-oriented characters can use the urgosh automatically. Do we really need to expand an already expansive weapon proficiency list for combat-oriented classes?

As I said, select weapons from the simple and martial groups; give dwarves automatic weapon proficiency in axe and hammer.

That does not solve the problem some people have with the fact that the weapons are called DWARVEN urgrosh. Same for the Orc double axe. The race cannot wield the weapon properly without a feat. Not even the fighters among that race.
I think this solves that problem really well.

One might have a problem with game balance, concidering that dwarven fighters might become overpowered because of it. If so, a different solution would have been stripping the weapon from it's name. Call the dwarven urgrosh simply the urgrosh.
But apparently that's not the solution they have chosen.

 

[I'm A Banana]

How does a d10 weapon overpower 'em?

I mean.....seriously.....whoop-dee-doobie-doo. We'll probably still see more greataxes and greatswords than these...

 

[drdevoid]

racial weapon familiarity

Can anyone think of what the halfling weapon familiarity would be? Just the Halfling Skiprock? And would they give humans any familiarties? Humans were always so perfectly balanced IMO.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

If humans get weapon familiarity, it's probably something like, any 1 or 2 exotic weapons. Quite possibly decided by culture as well.

 

[Ranger REG]

That does not solve the problem some people have with the fact that the weapons are called DWARVEN urgrosh. Same for the Orc double axe. The race cannot wield the weapon properly without a feat. Not even the fighters among that race.
I think this solves that problem really well.

So if there's a halfling rapier, all halfling should get the proficiency for free? Does that also applies to a halfling lajatang or a halfling blowgun?

Oh, wait a minute. Shouldn't elves have proficiency in elven chainmail?



You guys are being way too literal. Just because those unique weapons and armor crafted by their particular culture does not mean that even the most base individual of that species can wield them properly. That's like telling me that ALL American can use a American-made Colt M1911.

Maybe those unique weapons are just reserved for the most worthy individual of their own culture, someone who is willing to get the extra training to use it properly.

 

[Bulak]

You guys are being way too literal. Just because those unique weapons and armor crafted by their particular culture does not mean that even the most base individual of that species can wield them properly. That's like telling me that ALL American can use a American-made Colt M1911.

Maybe those unique weapons are just reserved for the most worthy individual of their own culture, someone who is willing to get the extra training to use it properly.

Which is exactly what the Weapon Familiarity does. It makes these weapons Martial, so FIGHTERS of that specific race can use them without a penalty.
A dwarven fighter could very well be much more suited to wield a dwarven urgrosh than a human fighter. Just because the weapon is designed by and for dwarves.

Using an American-made Colt M1911 as example isn't really working very well, since the differences between a dwarf and a human (or elf, or gnome, etc.) are a lot bigger than the differences between an American and a European citizen.

 

[Ysgarran]

I'm curious as to the process of how they are updating the core books. Is this strictly an internal WotC effort or are there players out there with NDAs who are taking part of revising the rules?

Ysgarran.

 

[Quickbeam]

There's no question that some of these changes are necessary...it's just too bad that a new release and formatting of the core rulebooks is required.

BTW, does anyone know if WotC is going to sell the books at a reduced rate for some period of time before upping the costy as they did with the original core rulebooks?

 

[Volaran]

Which is exactly what the Weapon Familiarity does. It makes these weapons Martial, so FIGHTERS of that specific race can use them without a penalty.
A dwarven fighter could very well be much more suited to wield a dwarven urgrosh than a human fighter. Just because the weapon is designed by and for dwarves.

Using an American-made Colt M1911 as example isn't really working very well, since the differences between a dwarf and a human (or elf, or gnome, etc.) are a lot bigger than the differences between an American and a European citizen.

Exactly. With a racial weapon such as a longsword or rapier for an elf, instruction for all elves growing up is mandatory.

For Weapon Familiarity, an Urgosh would be among the weapons a dwarven Fighter, Ranger, Paladin, Barbarian, Aristocrat or Warrior would be taught the use of. For them it would be just another or the martial weapons they could use. It isn't as though every dwarf sorceror is suddenly going to become a melee machine.

 

[Selganor]

But due to the fact that the "racial" weapons are now martials weapons even a wizard or rogue may learn them at 1st level with a Martial Weapon Proficiency (rather than Exotic WP, for which they would just qualify at 2nd level)