Expanding the Weapon List

[77IM]

Guys... I could not help myself...

Special Weapons
Weapons with special rules are described here.

Boomerang. If you are proficient with the boomerang and make a ranged attack with it and miss your target, the boomerang immediately returns to your hand. If you don't have a hand free, it falls to the ground in your space.

Rope Dart. This weapon adds 10 feet to your reach when you attack with it, instead of the usual 5 feet for a reach weapon.

War Fan. This weapon is difficult to distinguish from a regular fan. An observer who hasn't seen you attack with it can use an action to examine the fan. If they succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they realize that the fan is a weapon.​

 

[Dylan Wight]

If I recall correctly, the gladius went through some evolution (much like the falchion-style blades). They were originally a diamond form which indeed made them excellent for thrusts, but later developed into a teardrop form which made them more suited for slashing. It's a similar story with falchions. The true falchion developed from early scimitars into an uniquely Mediterranean style single-edged sword. This in turn led to the saber (which later led to the shorter, wider cutlass) and the eventual machete. Now, a cutlass is no longer than 90cm and is basically a Western style scimitar. However, the saber was significantly longer than 90cm, which is why the cutlass was developed in the first place as a matter of practicality. So a sabre could be a type of longsword, but it was designed for one handed use. Very popular among cavalry for that exact reason. A machete is a _very_ short blade of no more than 60cm, which is far smaller than any self-respecting true falchion. It's part of the falchion family by virtue of its heritage, but the light weight and easy balance lends it well to being a non-thrown finesse weapon.

Of course, this is all academical and I'd allow my players to use Dr Watson's cane-sword if they wanted (1d6 Bludgeon[not Finesse]/Pierce[Finesse], Light)