Fighting Style Damage

[Baron Opal]

Just so we're on the same page:

One handed weapon + Shield
Weapon die damage + Str mod / AC bonus

Two handed weapon
Weapon die damage + 1.5 Str mod

Two weapon fighting
Main weapon die + Str mod
Other weapon die + 0.5 Str mod
Requires feat

What are the consequences of adjusting the weapon damage so that THW does 2x Str mod damage and TWF does Str mod damage for each weapon. Basically just raising the half strength modifier to a full mod?

 

[MarkB]

Massive redundancies in the shield production, distribution and retail industries.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

What are the consequences of adjusting the weapon damage so that THW does 2x Str mod damage and TWF does Str mod damage for each weapon. Basically just raising the half strength modifier to a full mod?

The sword-and-board fighting style, already of dubious value, becomes completely senseless at mid to high levels.

 

[Ditch]

I don't think it will have that big of an impact on sword-n-board fighters. At higher levels, losing 7 armor from not using a shield (+5 heavy shield) which could also hold other enhancements (heavy fortification, anyone?) is still a consequence to consider when going for a DPS build.

In response to the OP, it would simply make your fighters lean more heavily toward those two fighting styles and put much more emphasis on the STR stat - which it doesn't really need.

Even a level 1 fighter with a 2-hand weapon would squeeze out another 2 dmg from his 18 STR, seemingly for free... or were you thinking of making this a custom class ability or feat? That's not a bad way of approaching it, now that I think about it.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I don't think it will have that big of an impact on sword-n-board fighters. At higher levels, losing 7 armor from not using a shield (+5 heavy shield) which could also hold other enhancements (heavy fortification, anyone?) is still a consequence to consider when going for a DPS build.

A much weaker argument, since you're getting even more damage in trade. And at mid to higher levels, a fighter will have a much higher strength score to take advantage of. All of which you seem to agree with, since you say this:

In response to the OP, it would simply make your fighters lean more heavily toward those two fighting styles and put much more emphasis on the STR stat - which it doesn't really need.

...in other words: you'll have more THF and TWF fighters, and less sword & boarders.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Yes, this is due to the fact that in the D&D system "damage is king". If you do enough damage in a round to kill a creature before it strikes back, it doesn't matter what abilities it might have or how bad your AC is.

Hitting for 65 damage when the enemy has 66 hit points doesn't prevent any of the damage they'll do back to you next turn though, so you need to get those couple extra points.

It's just the way the system works. If you could hit somene lightly and wound them enough that they had difficulty striking back for some reason, then sword and board would be a good idea. It would stop damage effects on you while allowing you to make the enemy less and less effective each round.