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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 433076" data-attributes="member: 3051">I thought about splitting a few of these categories up, like you said.  But, after a certain point you get a diminishing returns effect.  If there's only one weapon in the group at a given size, you don't really gain anything over the old system.  What I really wanted was to split everything into a handful of groups based on how they were used (is it a slashing action or a chopping action?  Do you worry about ballistics or not?)For example, Crossbows and Bows.  They load differently, but they both fire arrow-like projectiles that follow a ballistic trajectory.  So does a Blowgun, so I put them all in the same group.  They could be three separate groups, but then you'd be back where you started.  They may work a bit differently, but the skill required to aim them is similar enough that I grouped them.Likewise, Katanas, Scimitars, Scythes, and Greatswords are in the same basic group, just at two different sizes.  Knowing how to use one is similar enough to the others that you don't need a different proficiency.  A Katana master could pick up a greatsword and still benefit from many of the combat moves he knows.Now, about the Spear/Polearm thing, I was thinking about that.  My concept was that the important part was knowing how to attack something further away than normal.  But, it led to a situation I don't like.  People would simply avoid the group entirely unless they intended to use a polearm (not a common choice.)  So, get rid of the Polearm and Flexible groups.  Spears and lances go to the "Piercing" group, slashing polearms go to the Chopping group.  Picks go to the Chopping group also.  Put the flails/whips/chains with the hammers and morningstars in the Blunt group.I wanted to keep Simple weapons integrated to allow for Weapon Specialization and such.  Weapon Specialization for a quarterstaff shouldn't help your attacks with a Light Crossbow.  Saying "all Light weapons are Simple, and therefore everyone has them" has a few loopholes.  You gain Short Sword, you lose Heavy Crossbow, that sort of thing.  But it's still minor, IMHO.You could just flat-out say "These weapons are Simple: club, dagger, quarterstaff, crossbows..." and give people proficiency that way, but I didn't want to do that.We're left with 8 groups: Slashing (swords), Chopping (Axes, Picks, and polearms), Blunt (Maces, Hammers, and Flails), Piercing (Daggers, Rapiers, Spears), Projectile (Bows and Crossbows), Thrown, Natural, Ray (ray spells and firearms, anything that doesn't really worry about ballistics or armor).  5 melee, 3 ranged, and most have at least a dozen weapons.Everyone gets Natural and Ray, since they're always Light.  That leaves 6 weapon ones to be sorted by class.  Let's say, Fighters start with 3 and get three more at levels 3, 6, and 9.  Paladins start with Slashing and Blunt, and get two more at 5 and 10.  Rangers start with Projectile and any one, and get two more at 4 and 8.  Monks start with Thrown, they don't get any others.You could split the proficiencies by size,  too, making 12 groups to pick from (Medium and Large for each of the 6 categories, since the Small stuff you already get).  I'm still considering that.When taking Weapon Specialization, Improved Critical, etc., you have 20 choices.  Nice, round number that'll never change.</blockquote>

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