D&D 5E Have you ever seen these weapons used regularly by PC's in a D&D 5e game?

[Rabulias]

Yes, and the first sentence of the post you just quoted was that the average damage (of a greataxe) is lower (than that of a greatsword). But I can see how that was unclear from my phrasing. Point is, average damage is only one part of the story. There are reasons one might prefer the flatter distribution of 1d12 over the slightly higher average of 2d6.

Right, you will see more 12s with a d12 than with 2d6. Of course, you will also see (over time) an equal number of 1s, too. :-/

 

[SakanaSensei]

I'm the most experienced at my table and usually DM. I bought the core books for 5E at the Gen Con the year it launched, and they started about a year ago.

Does it count if my PC, when one of these friends wanted to run a game, used darts as a way for me to handicap my ranger/rogue compared to other options so I didn't totally outshine my fellow players? Like, in a more usual situation I would have probably used a bow of some sort, but I wanted the new players to feel like they were the movers and shakers as much as possible, and it was one of a few ways I put the brakes on myself.

 

[iserith]

My character for Tomb of Annihilation used a whip because he was an Indiana Jones ripoff - Iriaebor Ford.

Brickyard Lot, my current eldritch knight, wields a scimitar because it works with the setting.

My longtime beastmaster ranger, Red Creek Rufus, uses a net with Sharpshooter and his boar knocks restrained enemies prone.

Greataxes and glaives I've seen plenty of, but only one of my characters, the barbarian Laktos the Intolerant used a greataxe.

 

[James Gasik]

Yes, and the first sentence of the post you just quoted was that the average damage (of a greataxe) is lower (than that of a greatsword). But I can see how that was unclear from my phrasing. Point is, average damage is only one part of the story. There are reasons one might prefer the flatter distribution of 1d12 over the slightly higher average of 2d6.

Sorry, re-reading your post, it felt like you were saying something else. Personally, d12's hate me, every time I roll one, I tend to get a result of 5 or less. This isn't hyperbole either, you should have seen what happened whenever I tried to use my Yuan Ti's poison spray.

Once, in PF1e, I foolishly played a character using a Lucerne Hammer, which did 1d12 damage. From level 1-8, if I rolled a 7 on a d12, I counted myself lucky.

 

[Charlaquin]

Right, you will see more 12s with a d12 than with 2d6. Of course, you will also see (over time) an equal number of 1s, too. :-/

Yep, which generally makes the 2d6 a bit stronger in the long-run, but not by much, and if you’re for example playing a half-orc, the 1d12 will actually be better.

 

[Charlaquin]

Sorry, re-reading your post, it felt like you were saying something else.

No worries, my use of “its” was ambiguous, and in retrospect it is probably more intuitive to read it as referring to the Greatsword’s damage.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m surprised halberd and glave are so low. I suppose PAM isn’t as ubiquitous as it’s often made out to be.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I guess I should have expected greataxe to be used, even if the greatsword is strictly better.

It's not strictly better. The greataxe works better with the barbarian's brutal critical and the half orc's savage attacks.

 

[Horwath]

I have seen only; or better yet, I need only

Greatsword/maul, because you cannot get a better weapon in damage department(damage is still too low, need 2d8)

Rapier, default 1Handed weapon. And for some reason devs decided that "finesse" is worth the same as "versatile" property(which is essentially useless), so we do not need longsword/battleax/warhammer unless there is some damage resistance in play

any od d10 reach weapons for PAM feat,

shortsword/scimitar for dual wield,

longbow, because longbow,

light crossbow, because you are a peasant and you dont know how to use longbow,

hand crossbow, because CE is still not deleted out of game,

staff; because we have wizards

dagger; becuase you cant have "cloak&dagger" without a dagger

javelin; only useful thrown weapon

lance; for that one in 20 battles you can make mounted on a clear field.

 

[Li Shenron]

I've seen plenty of sling, scimitar and greataxe users, and at least somewhat semi-regular use of glaive and halberd. Not so much the rest to be honest.

I don't actually encounter these that many players which optimize their weapon selection for example based on damage, perhaps because I'm happily invested in playing the game a lot more with casual players and beginners.