Favorite Odd Weapons

[Ace]

Which is imo silly. War scythes were still just farming tools converted to weapons and should not be better at anything than a real polearm (Glaive, etc).

Rule of cool in play here, its a big creepy "reap reap reap" scythe not a war scythe which is just a cheap glaive in D&D terms.

For odd weapons, way before Xena I liked chakram. I've seen videos of them used by martial artists using IIRC traditional Sikh arts and they were silent and effective in formation or individually.

I also like the fanciful kligat type throwing irons (or the thing from Beast Master)

My hand weapon tastes are more prosaic though I do enjoy slashing daggers (lo,g knives) which weren't all that common in games

 

[Derren]

Rule of cool in play here, its a big creepy "reap reap reap" scythe not a war scythe which is just a cheap glaive in D&D terms.

Which should be even less effective and hardly qualifies as a weapon at all.

 

[Ace]

Which should be even less effective and hardly qualifies as a weapon at all.

You missed the entire point I made.

D&D isn't much about realism its about fun with a vague sprinkling of verisimilitude

For a whole lot of D&D players lugging around a big grim reaper scythe is cool and fun even though in reality its a naff weapon thus on fun/cool grounds it belongs in the game. You know like the double sword does, another stupid weapon that is cool

Also 3x is balanced on a specific formula of damage crit chance and crit modifier, the scythe as printed in the game is fully balanced vs other marital weapons like say the greatsword (greatsword 2d6 19-20 chance, 2x crits-- scythe drop damage to d10, drop chance to 20 add both to modifier so x4) balance is not an issue either. Its just an aesthetic one for you.

Still if your and your players tastes run to more historical reality, no reason not to drop the scythe on those grounds if you like.

 

[Ryujin]

One of my favourite old characters used dual hand axes and had a quiver full of darts, back in the 1e days. With high strength and dexterity, he tended to make a real mess of opponents. I had an OE Sohei character that favoured the kau sin ke. I like choosing weapons that make sense, rather than for reasons of max damage, and get annoyed when the game system tends to foil my desires.

For example a character who spends a lot of time crawling around in dungeons is unlikely to use a longbow, and would tend toward the use of a light crossbow or short composite bow (my personal favourite). Short stabbing weapons, like a Gladius or daggers, would be preferred over larger hacking weapons like longswords, or two handed swords, though spears would also be useful on occasion. Mechanical systemic advantage be damned.

And of course anyone can have a quarterstaff. Many of my characters, in different game systems, would come from impoverished backgrounds and be looking to improve their lot in life. A cheap dagger, as a multipurpose tool/eating utensil, and a quarterstaff would frequently be all they had to start.

 

[Grogg of the North]

For example a character who spends a lot of time crawling around in dungeons is unlikely to use a longbow, and would tend toward the use of a light crossbow or short composite bow (my personal favourite). Short stabbing weapons, like a Gladius or daggers, would be preferred over larger hacking weapons like longswords, or two handed swords, though spears would also be useful on occasion. Mechanical systemic advantage be damned.

I wonder how many adventures have been derailed by a DM asking "How are you getting that longspear around the corner?"

 

[Ryujin]

I wonder how many adventures have been derailed by a DM asking "How are you getting that longspear around the corner?"

My gut instinct is not very many, and probably virtually none in 4e. Probably about as many as plans have been derailed by DMs asking how in blazes someone would use a longbow on horseback, while at a full gallop.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Also, paladins obviously use tridents as their main weapon, with spare tridents for ranged attacks.

Um, what? "Obviously"?

The Falchion is a tremendously efficient weapon, with it's high critical and adding 1.5 times your STR modifier to damage.

I like to have my BBEG's "thug" lieutenant use a falchion. Give him a ton of hit points and he should survive a few rounds vs the PC's--long enough to make someone comment on the potential danger of a critical hit. It amps up the tension of a typical battle somewhat.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Falchion!"

There's a brand new blade
But I don't know it's name
That people from strange lands
Use again and again
It's big and it's bad
Bringing tension and fear
They use it over there
but we don't use it here

[CHORUS]
Falchion! Strike to the left
Falchion! Strike to the right
Ohhhhh, Falchion!
We are the goon squad
And we're coming to town
Bleed-bleed
Bleed-bleed

Listen to me - don't listen to me
Talk to me - don't talk to me
Fight with me - don't fight with me, no
Bleed-bleed
Bleed-bleed

There's a brand new sound,
But it's not very clear
That people from good homes
Are hearing this year
It's loud and tasteless
And I've heard it before
You hear it while you're killing
On the front lines of war
Ohhhhh chop, Falchion

[CHORUS]

Listen to me - don't listen to me
Talk to me - don't talk to me
Fight with me - don't fight with me, no
Bleed-bleed
Bleed-bleed

Ohhhhh, block,
chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop
Fa-fa-fa-fa-Falchion
Ohhhhh, block,
chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop
Fa-fa-fa-fa-Falchion
La-la la la la la la-la