Exotic Weapons don't serve much of a purpose

[pawsplay]

Weapons like the spiked chain, whip, and so forth are obvious exceptions, since they allow some unusual tactics. But things like the bastard sword, two-bladed swords, and the like don't really pull their weight.

See, here's the thing. In previous editions, you were only proficient with so many weapons. In the new edition, most martial characters have proficiency with "all martial weapons." Yet EWP nets you proficiency with one weapon.

First of all, the net gain for a particular weapon is roughly equivalent to one feat. For instance, taking bastard sword is roughly equivalent to taking Weapon Focus in longsword, then power attacking for one point. Taking EWP (two bladed sword) is roughly equivalent to a feat that lets you wield a longsword in your off hand as a light weapon. But the benefits are situational. Bastard swords are less common than longswords. "A one handed weapon and another one handed weapon" is definitely less common than "a two bladed sword." And an elven thinblade is not even as good as a longsword with Improved Critical (longsword).

In short, almost any EWP with merely numeric advantages is a break even deal for people who craft their own magic weapons, and a losing deal for everyone else.

 

[Crothian]

Who cares if they are a little weak mechanically? I can have a character like Darth Maul!! But gnomish with the hooked hammer. Not everything in the game needs to be or should be about the numbers.

 

[Thurbane]

It all depends on how heavily weighed towards flavour or crunch your game is...

 

[Agamon]

First of all, the net gain for a particular weapon is roughly equivalent to one feat. For instance, taking bastard sword is roughly equivalent to taking Weapon Focus in longsword, then power attacking for one point. Taking EWP (two bladed sword) is roughly equivalent to a feat that lets you wield a longsword in your off hand as a light weapon. But the benefits are situational. Bastard swords are less common than longswords. "A one handed weapon and another one handed weapon" is definitely less common than "a two bladed sword." And an elven thinblade is not even as good as a longsword with Improved Critical (longsword).

In short, almost any EWP with merely numeric advantages is a break even deal for people who craft their own magic weapons, and a losing deal for everyone else.

That's assuming the DM uses published adventures and never changes anything in them, which, IMO, is rarer than a +5 flaming throwing defending urgosh of speed (which I can throw into my game if I choose).

 

[Aaron L]

Well, an elven thinblade is much better than a longsword for a Fighter with a higher Dex than Strength. It's a D8 rapier!

A two bladed sword lets you take advantage of Focus and Specialization with one D8 (and Power Attack capable) weapon in each hand with a -2 instead of -4 to hit. It's a longsword in each hand with one weapon! Plus the bonuses to disarm for a two handed weapon. Just about every exotic weapon has some purpose behind it; they aren't perfect for everyone, but for certain characters they're great. Sure, you could take Oversized Two Weapon Fighting and use a longsword in each hand, but then you're still spending a feat anyway.

Plus, as has been said, the primary reason is style. I know that I personally base my characters around a visual I have of them, and build them accordingly.

 

[Shieldhaven]

What I think you're missing about some of these benefits is that fighters have all of the feats in the world. That means that while, yes, EWP: bastard sword is functionally identical to Weapon Focus: longsword and 1 pt of Power Attacking... he's got enough feats to instead buy EWP: bs, WF: bs, and Power Attack for one point... and then still have a shield or an offhand weapon.

Same goes for the elven thinblade. Unless I've missed a bit where its wiffy benefits don't stack with keen or Improved Critical, then the fighter can get more benefits (astonishing, I know) by paying more feats.

I mean, it's only fair. They're basically the only thing his class gives him. Exotic Weapons exist to let people who are dripping in feats exercise that benefit in a tightly focused way.

Haven

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Welcome to A&E's What not to Wield!"

IMHO, exotic weapons are primarily about PC concept & style, style, style...and every once in a while, about crunchy numbers.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

Warmace. Ogre-sized warmace.

Or ogres using Monkey Grip to use even bigger warmaces.

 

[Hussar]

Dwarven Warpike was also a personal fav.

 

[Sejs]

Weapons like the spiked chain, whip, and so forth are obvious exceptions, since they allow some unusual tactics. But things like the bastard sword, two-bladed swords, and the like don't really pull their weight.

As I see it, flavor reasons aside, the mechanical point of an exotic weapon is to be a Martial Weapon Plus.

A bastard sword is a longsword, but it does 1d10 damage instead of 1d8.

An orcish double-axe or a two-bladed sword is a quarterstaff Plus Plus. Quarterstaff being 1d6/1d6 20/x2, increase its functionality by one stage by moving it from simple to martial making it 1d8/1d8 20/x2, then once more to Exotic by tweaking the crit profile.

An elvish thinblade is a rapier that does one step higher base damage.

Kama, nunchaku, etc are simple weapons that monks can flurry with (one Plus), and have one other benefit such as being able to trip or give a disarm bonus (the other Plus).

Granted, not all of them fit the profile, either being a bit too good (spiked chain, the flail would like to have a word with you), or a bit too crappy (siangham, shuriken, I'm looking at you), but the idea's there.

Once the guts are laid bare, it also opens up a lot of options for a DM if he wants to make his own exotic weapons following the same guidelines. Want some sort of exotic warpick for your derro general? Well, a heavy pick's normally a 1d6 20/x4 one handed martial. A two handed martial pick would be 2d4 20/x4 (ie, a scythe's stats). So an exotic two handed pick might be 2d6 20/x4.