Cap'n Kobold
Hero
Hmmm. I've not seen a character use a morningstar yet: They're basically just a larger mace. I've seen the others used, generally because they fit concepts rather than mechanical optimisation.Yeah, but only a few weapons are desirable. Rapier, Greatsword, Greataxe. Halberd if you have polearm mastery. Longsword if you go sword and shield. Battleaxe or Warhammer if you are dwarven cleric. I wanted to make it so that a greater variety of weapons were effective - especially ones like mace, flail, moringinstar, and war pick.
If making them appealing to optimisers is the goal, why not just change their stats to bring them up to the level you believe the other weapons are at?
Requiring a feat before you can get full use out of a less-optimal weapon is not going to make them more appealing to optimisers, except when that feat allows a specific combination that is much better than the existing level of balance.