D&D 5E Longswords

[Corwin]

. . . I shouldn't admit this, but it took me several seconds to realize the first one didn't say shortsword

A halfling smallsword is called a tinysword. And a pixie smallsword is called an ittybittysword.

 

[Tony Vargas]

A halfling smallsword is called a tinysword. And a pixie smallsword is called an ittybittysword.

I thought they were the Sword Mini and the Sword Nano?

You're missing the point I'm afraid. The point is that a subsystem should not rely on an unrelated subsystem for balance.

Thing is, in 5e, many sub-systems are explicitly optional, some even opt-in optional, and all are subject to being changed by the DM.

You can't count on sub-systems, related or not, 'balancing eachother' in that scenario. You can't count on balance, really, you have to impose it if you want it. 'Balance' in 5e is just another dimension of the campaign that the DM is free to calibrate as he likes.

For instance, if you want heavy armor to have been largely abandoned in your world, choosing modules and changing rules to make DEX a clearly superior choice to STR would help encourage the players to follow that trend. Conversely, you could evoke a knights-in-shining armor medieval world by making heavy armor, thus STR over DEX, the superior choice.

 

[Staccat0]

Hand out some magic longswords and I'm sure they'll rise in popularity.

that's what I do.

 

[CapnZapp]

Thing is, in 5e, many sub-systems are explicitly optional, some even opt-in optional, and all are subject to being changed by the DM.

You can't count on sub-systems, related or not, 'balancing eachother' in that scenario. You can't count on balance, really, you have to impose it if you want it. 'Balance' in 5e is just another dimension of the campaign that the DM is free to calibrate as he likes.

For instance, if you want heavy armor to have been largely abandoned in your world, choosing modules and changing rules to make DEX a clearly superior choice to STR would help encourage the players to follow that trend. Conversely, you could evoke a knights-in-shining armor medieval world by making heavy armor, thus STR over DEX, the superior choice.

It looks like you're talking to me, but I'm going to go ahead and take a guess you're talking to the same people I'm talking to.

Rather than me, I mean.

Because I just said that dex balance isn't and mustn't depend on something else, like encumbrance.

Cheers

 

[Yunru]

It looks like you're talking to me, but I'm going to go ahead and take a guess you're talking to the same people I'm talking to.

Rather than me, I mean.

Because I just said that dex balance isn't and mustn't depend on something else, like encumbrance.

Cheers

You're entirely correct, except encumberance isn't "something else". It's a non-optional part of Strength in much the same vein as Initiative is a non-optional part of Dexterity.

If you're going to compare Strength and Dexterity, you have to actually compare Strength and Dexterity, not Dexterity and part of Strength.


Edit: Huh, it is a variant. Well that's dumb. My point still stands though re: including all options.

 

[CapnZapp]

Edit: Huh, it is a variant. Well that's dumb.

I believe we have pursued this particular theory to the end.

Good luck with your game, Yunru.

 

[Ancalagon]

Strangely enough, in my campaign that started a month ago, *none* of my characters are dex monkeys. One is a heavily armored paladin, one is a cleric that used dex as a dump stat (she *is* a slugperson after all), one is a "naked barbarian" with equal dex and strenght (and plans on putting all ASI into con) and one is a warlock.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Ancalagon]

So many questions!

Do they have issues in town?

Is this a positive or negative modifier for social interaction rolls?

What is the reaction when they say, "Say hello to my little friend."

LOL

I meant an un-armored barbarian, using CON+DEX to generate AC. He's an interesting character, an abandoned elf raised as a street urchin. He used the blanket he was left in to make himself a loincloth. He wears that, straps to carry his gear and not much else.

And yes, there are some social penalties for interacting with others, especially in a city as "refined" as the Yellow City in Yoon-Suin.

 

[GreenTengu]

I thought they were the Sword Mini and the Sword Nano?

Thing is, in 5e, many sub-systems are explicitly optional, some even opt-in optional, and all are subject to being changed by the DM.

You can't count on sub-systems, related or not, 'balancing eachother' in that scenario. You can't count on balance, really, you have to impose it if you want it. 'Balance' in 5e is just another dimension of the campaign that the DM is free to calibrate as he likes.

For instance, if you want heavy armor to have been largely abandoned in your world, choosing modules and changing rules to make DEX a clearly superior choice to STR would help encourage the players to follow that trend. Conversely, you could evoke a knights-in-shining armor medieval world by making heavy armor, thus STR over DEX, the superior choice.

You are WAY off here. WAY off.

In order to make Dexterity the superior choice and make anyone who focuses on Strength a damn laughing stock, you need not change a single rule at all. You just keep things exactly as they are.

In order to make Strength an even viably competitive build, you would first need to slash the cost of all armors by to about 1/5th their current PHB cost.

In order to encourage people playing kngihts-in-shining armor in a medival world, you would have to make drastic alterations to the current system.

Seriously-- claiming one would have to alter the rules to make Dex the superior choice? You are really, REALLY out of it man. You've clearly never done a side-by-side comparison. Make Dexterity any stronger and you may as well not have any classes in the game that aren't Dexterity-centric, they would just be a waste of space. Even as it stands, it is difficult to even justify the existence of most of the classes given just how little any of them offers and how much of a liability they are to even have around compared to a Dex class.

You're entirely correct, except encumberance isn't "something else". It's a non-optional part of Strength in much the same vein as Initiative is a non-optional part of Dexterity.

If you're going to compare Strength and Dexterity, you have to actually compare Strength and Dexterity, not Dexterity and part of Strength.


Edit: Huh, it is a variant. Well that's dumb. My point still stands though re: including all options.

However you might like it in your ideal world, I have played through dozens of D&D games. Never once have I ever came across a DM who ever counted up the encumbrance on a PC's sheet or even bothered invoking the rule even when it should have been quite obvious that the amount of treasure and items a PC was carrying really should have added up to a considerable load. The closest I have ever seen is the DM nixing a PC's idea of carrying a singular item because its weight was too great.

Similarly, I have never once seen any DM play a game of D&D where a combat didn't start with "roll your initiative" which has always been that number on the character sheet dictated pretty much entirely by the Dexterity score.


Sorry to burst the bubble of your idealized world-- but in the real world in which people actually play the game, encumbrance is virtually never a thing (it gets invoked about has often as people remember to mark off rations or track their water) while Initiative is an absolute constant of the game.