Longswords for Halflings in SRD?

[pawsplay]

Storyteller, I've read the whole thread.

A penalty that offsets the benefit of a +2 magical weapon isn't really significant, despite the item's cost.

Significant penalties would be ones like non-proficiency penalties (-4) or offhand fighting penalties without the right feats & weapons (-6/-10).

I've also read the read the thread the whole way through, and I agree with Danny. I've wielded boffer, fencing, and rattan weapons designed for someone with a larger or smaller grip. That was uncomfortable enough. I would not want to have to fight for my life using a weapon designed for a halfling or an ogre.

 

[billd91]

The kicker for me is that sure, we've seen small children using adult-sized weapons in various circumstances... but being the real world we're dealing with here, we can't exactly quantify how penalized they are for it or why. Who's to say they aren't taking that -2 to hit for inappropriately-sized weapons?

I'm reasonably content with the sizing rules, although I agree it's a bit of a muddle with respect to reach weapons and people using two-handed weapons with one hand. More clarity in the rules would certainly have ironed those issues out.

 

[Ranger REG]

The kicker for me is that sure, we've seen small children using adult-sized weapons in various circumstances... but being the real world we're dealing with here, we can't exactly quantify how penalized they are for it or why. Who's to say they aren't taking that -2 to hit for inappropriately-sized weapons?

I'm reasonably content with the sizing rules, although I agree it's a bit of a muddle with respect to reach weapons and people using two-handed weapons with one hand. More clarity in the rules would certainly have ironed those issues out.

You want small folk weilding a Small lance to not have a reach of 10 feet?

You want small folk wielding a Small longsword (in a two-handed style) not to apply 1-1/2 Str bonus to damage because it resembles a human-crafted shortsword and everyone knows that shortsword is a light weapon so cannot possibly benefit from 1-1/2 Str bonus?

 

[billd91]

You want small folk weilding a Small lance to not have a reach of 10 feet?

You want small folk wielding a Small longsword (in a two-handed style) not to apply 1-1/2 Str bonus to damage because it resembles a human-crafted shortsword and everyone knows that shortsword is a light weapon so cannot possibly benefit from 1-1/2 Str bonus?

No.

I want the rules to be more explicit about these issues when size of a weapon is different.

I want the rules to spell out whether or not a two-handed weapon does 1-1/2x strength bonus damage because it's on the two-handed table or because it is wielded in two hands (since there are ways to wield a two-handed weapon with one hand).

Then we wouldn't have so many rule debates.

 

[taliesin15]

If a halfling can make a weapon whose game-rules stats are those of a longsword rather than a shortsword, but which is scaled down to his size, why should he not wield that weapon instead of a medium-size creature's short sword?

here's one problem: the party find in the treasure cache a longsword +4--IMC it would be what I consider a real one, i.e. sized for medium creatures. It wouldn't be scaled down for the halfling. And vice versa if it was. In the older rules, Sting would be considered either a dagger or a short sword say by a character resembling Boromir--a light or small offhand weapon.

 

[taliesin15]

a 1d6 19-20x2 human short sword is a 1d6 19-20x2 halfing long sword.

exactly. Perfect. Ergo, the +5 Short Sword found in the dragon's stash can either be wielded by the Ranger in the off hand, or as a medium sized melee weapon by the Halfling. Its far simpler and more logical this way.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I want the rules to spell out whether or not a two-handed weapon does 1-1/2x strength bonus damage because it's on the two-handed table or because it is wielded in two hands (since there are ways to wield a two-handed weapon with one hand).

A two-handed weapon deals 1.5x Str bonus to damage.

A weapon (apart from a light weapon) wielded in two hands deals 1.5x Str bonus to damage.

A natural weapon which is a creature's sole natural weapon deals 1.5x Str bonus to damage.

What's unclear about it?

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

here's one problem: the party find in the treasure cache a longsword +4--IMC it would be what I consider a real one, i.e. sized for medium creatures. It wouldn't be scaled down for the halfling.

Out of curiosity - let's say the party finds chainmail +3, or a greatsword +4. Can the halfling use it? If not, is this a problem with the system?

-Hyp.

 

[taliesin15]

No, I'm looking for a response to the halfling/giant question as a stepping stone.

one practical matter here, since 1979 I've yet to encounter a sword-wielding hill giant--correct me if I'm wrong, hill giants are basically overgrown neanderthal cavemen who throw boulders and wield clubs

but, if one did encounter such a thing, let's say some smarter giant (like a fire or frost giant) built him such a weapon, I think that it might indeed be possible to adapt such a weapon. Of course, the chance that such a weapon is enchanted is *not bloody likely*...which kind of makes it a moot point...

 

[taliesin15]

Out of curiosity - let's say the party finds chainmail +3, or a greatsword +4. Can the halfling use it? If not, is this a problem with the system?
-Hyp.

chainmail I think is easier to adapt without entirely reforging it, but I think in both cases, it points out something else that's a problem with the system in that there are no easy answers--clearly a huge chunk number of people (judging from this thread) think the 3.5 weapon sizing system is broken, and even more clearly, there's nothing anywhere about re-sizing weapons or armor

I go back to my original point--the notion that the Halfling as a monster would be typically wielding a longsword (the text says nothing about a longsword sized to a halfling, btw) just seems peculiar and, well, wrong. Unless one is playing or running a milieu that resembles Bob Aspirin's excellent series Another Fine Myth.

And, btw, I wasn't even aware of this -2 penalty business--I mean, if that there doesn't raise some eyebrows...