Mistwell said:
It says throwing stones. The "halfing stones" were not detailed until S&F, the first splat book, but I believe the intent was to provide detail on the "halfling stones". If it isn't the skiprocks, then the halflings should be proficient with throwing stones of some kind, no matter their class. And thrown stones DO some damage. If they should not have this proficiency, tell me why they shouldn't?
It says
a thrown weapon. They go on to explain that throwing stones is a universal sport among halflings, and that they develop especially good aim.
Because they throw stones around all day they're really good in throwing things around. Not just stones, but everything that is thrown. They aren't proficient with any thrown weapon per se, but they are good at throwing things generally. Therefore no proficiency but an attack bonus.
Unique or special was what I was talking about. For elves, it is special. And it's a huge advantage for the non-combat classes to have that proficiency. Far more of an advantage, I think, that allowing the couple of special race-specific items we are talking about.
The Problem is that we're talking about exotic weapons. Weapons that are so powerful that no class has built-in proficiency in them. Like a medium-size weapon with 1d10 damage, or a double weapon with 1d8/1d8 damage.
The elves get proficiencies in some martial weapons. If they've got a class that doesn't grant proficiency in those weapons, they probably won't use that weapon overmuch, since they're not good at weapons in general: an elven wizard may have a longsword, but he will use it only occasionally since he's so much better with a fireball. The elven rogue might use a composite longbow instead of a comp. shortbow, but that +1 average damage won't do anything when you land a sneak attack with several d6, and a longsword won't be to useful to a rogue (and the rapier belongs to the rogues proficiencies anyway). If a elven character uses those weapon a lot, he'll be fighter or so anyway and they are proficient with all martial weapons.
But if you give the dwarves the dwarven war axe every dwarven fighter will not even consider taking the battleaxe, since he can use the dwarven war axe with more damage without having to spend a feat. The human axe-wielding fighter, on the other hand, must choose to have 1d8 damage or spend a feat and have 1d10 damage. The elven fighter uses the longsword without thinking, as does the human fighter, since both are proficient with the longsword without having to spend a feat
The orc-blood and elf-blood entries say "special orc weapons" and "elven weapons" (respectively). They ALSO say "magic items with racially specific orc powers" and "magic items with racially specific elven powers" (respectively). That means there are mundane, non-magical special orc weapons and elven weapons that half-orcs and half-elves can use, even if they did not grow up in an orc or elf community. Why would that be? How about because it is in their blood, as the orc-blood and elf-blood entries imply. Can you give me a better reason why the "blood" entry would specify use of special orc/elf weapons for these halfbreeds?
A "special orc weapon" would be something like a sword who has +1 in anyone's hand but becomes +3 in the hand of an orc.
A "magic item with specific orc powers" is something like a circlet of intimidate that only works for orcs.
Both of the above-mentioned could be used by orcs and half-orcs as well.
Because, as someone already said, they are virtually useless weapons without the ambidexterity and two-weapon fighting feats.
The orc double axe is a powerful double weapon, having d8/d8 damage. An (half-)orc fighter would only need to spend two feats (ambidex and twf) to fight properly with it, if you gave them that proficiency). The human fighter would need to spend three feats with it.
The dwarven war axe is a medium size weapon that deals 1d10 damage. No ambidexterity, no two weapon fighting needed. I don't call that useless.
Halfling Skip Rocks are thrown weapon which hit two enemies at once (quite deadly in the hands of a strong dwarven fighter). Not exactly useless.
My point is, that those proficiencies can ONLY be aquired via a feat. So, even the fighting classes need to spend one to be proficient with such a weapon. The elven weapons are part of many a class proficiency list, and those that don't have it will have not that much use for them (I don't say it's useless, but I deresay that an exotic medium-sized weapon with 1d10 damage is far more useful to a fighter than a martial medium-sized weapon with 1d8 damage is to a wizard). Considering that those races are already balanced against elves, they will be more powerful than elves if you allow it (unless you give elves an additional +1 on all attack rolls with those weapons, that should put it in line).
