Preferred weapon -- are feats specific enough?

[Driddle]

As you're developing a PC you've envisioned to be a weapon specialist -- gaining bonuses when fighting with a staff, or rapier, or daggers, or bow, for example -- do you feel that the available feats are focused enough to satisfy that concept? Or do you find yourself with nearly the same bonuses if you wield some other weapon instead?

Let's say my ranged combat sniper, for example, is built on the idea that he's a wiz with shortbow. And yet for some reason he finds his hands wrapped around a crossbow or (heaven forbid!) a sling. Thhhwip - bad guy goes down just the same. Where your weapon feats specific enough to make you happy?

Because let's face it, after Weapon Specialization and Weapon Focus, there's just not a lot of feat definition.

 

[Jdvn1]

With Exotic Weapons, the Exotic Weapon Master is a nice specialist. The Weapon Style and Tactitical feats are nice too. Outside of those, it's kind of generalized.

 

[MoonZar]

As you're developing a PC you've envisioned to be a weapon specialist -- gaining bonuses when fighting with a staff, or rapier, or daggers, or bow, for example -- do you feel that the available feats are focused enough to satisfy that concept? Or do you find yourself with nearly the same bonuses if you wield some other weapon instead?

Let's say my ranged combat sniper, for example, is built on the idea that he's a wiz with shortbow. And yet for some reason he finds his hands wrapped around a crossbow or (heaven forbid!) a sling. Thhhwip - bad guy goes down just the same. Where your weapon feats specific enough to make you happy?

Because let's face it, after Weapon Specialization and Weapon Focus, there's just not a lot of feat definition.

In unearthed arcana you have optional rules about combat style, maybe you could build some style specific to what you want to accomplish with your sword.

 

[Crothian]

is there enough? no.

do I want a book a book aof a thousand feats that gives feats for specific weapons? not really.

Master of Arms does this with prestige classes and manuvuers and it does a good job, but it is rare to have a character so focused on one weapon. Plus, a book would have a lot of wasted feats as in covering 30 weapons, people usually only specialiuze in one at a time.

EN Publishing has done a good job with their EN Arsneal line. Each is devoted to a single weapon and they've done a good job on them. AS they are PDFs it is easy to just pick up onbe as you need it.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The essence of a level-based systems kinda discourages that. It's hard to think of a high-level fighter as being a powerful force if you can just take his favorite pointy-thing away and reduce him to tears. D&D is more in keeping with the Odysseus philosophy -- shoot em with a bow, smash them with a rock, skewer a dozen on a spear -- basically, be a badass with whatever you can grab.

Easy enough to re-create, though. Just do away with weapon proficiencies as they stand. With any weapon, you're at -4, spend a feat to learn longsword and move to +0, +1 with weapon focus. Maybe allow groups proficiency:1handed swords at -2 as an interim.

I've often toyed with the concept of 'favored weapon' from a different standpoint, as well. The constant trade-ups and golf-bag mentality that can creep into D&D bugs me (more in principle than actual play). I'd like to see a bonus accrue for using the same individual weapon for an extended period -- eg the sword that you know like the back of your hand, where long familiarity makes it seem like an extension of your arm. A non-magical +1 for every 3 levels you've used that item as your primary weapon, for example, up to +5 total (and only stacking with a magical bonus up to +5 total).

 

[fafhrd]

I suppose you could bring back the weapon finesse: specific weapon and add a specific weapon requirement on things such as improved sunder:longsword or precise shot:shortbow. I'd expect complaints but that's nothing new.

 

[Driddle]

The essence of a level-based systems kinda discourages that. It's hard to think of a high-level fighter as being a powerful force if you can just take his favorite pointy-thing away and reduce him to tears. D&D is more in keeping with the Odysseus philosophy -- shoot em with a bow, smash them with a rock, skewer a dozen on a spear -- basically, be a badass with whatever you can grab.

Never thought of it that way. Thanks.

And, yes, I also tire of (am frustrated by?) the golf club bag mentality. Venturing out to parts unknown with a dozen different weapons -- "just in case" -- seems a little silly.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Never thought of it that way. Thanks.

And, yes, I also tire of (am frustrated by?) the golf club bag mentality. Venturing out to parts unknown with a dozen different weapons -- "just in case" -- seems a little silly.

I guess it's just the groups I play with, but I've never seen the "golf bag of weapons" in actual play. Most fighters I see have their primary weapon, a backup weapon, and a ranged weapon. I've sometimes seen a fighter with four or five weapons, but he doesn't carry them all at once. Or I've seen someone with a huge number of small, hidden weapons, but that's always done because the character is sneaky.

The notion of carrying a whole stack of weapons "for emergencies" has just never come up.

 

[Crothian]

The notion of carrying a whole stack of weapons "for emergencies" has just never come up.

I agree. My dwarven fighter beleives that if his axe is not effective, he isn't swinging hard enough

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Yeah, I'll throw in my support on the "not a problem side." In fact, the power gamer types of my group almost always focus in on a single weapon if they are fighters. Crank their bonuses to hit and damage on a single weapon as much as possible (feats, PrC abilities, enhancements, begging for spellcaster support, etc.). I guess I wouldn't add in additional bonuses because not specializing in a weapon isn't a problem in my group. If I gave them more ways to stack bonuses on to their favored weapons, their attack/damage bonuses would get (more) insane . I.e., they're doing fine on their own

But, if you have players or a group that tend to go outward rather than upward, I can see how it would be a nusiance. The Black Company Campaign setting has longer feat chains for weapon specialization. That might give you what you're looking for.

NCSUCodeMonkey