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Message: <blockquote data-quote="graydoom" data-source="post: 9789" data-attributes="member: 164">Actually, smaller weapons only do an average of 1 less. Compare the shortword (1d6 damage) to the longsword (1d8 damage).The average damage per successful shortsword hit is 3.5 ((min + max)/2); the average damage per successful longsword hit is 4.5.Actually, it costs you more than that. Because strength also affects the to hit roll, and a -1 reduction decreases your chance to hit by 5%, the strength penalty costs 5% of your damage for the reduced chance to hit, and then costs 1 damage for the penalty to damage.For example, a character with 10 strength and a +0 AB who was wielding a longsword against an AC 11 creature would deal on average (.5 * 4.5) == 2.25 damage per attack (on average). A character with 8 strength and thus a -1 AB (and otherwise the same as before) would deal on average (.45 * (4.5-1)) == 1.575 damage per attack (on average). Now making this character small (it does give back the +1 AB, at least) and thus having him wield a shortsword, we deal (.5 * (3.5-1)) == 1.25 damage per attack (on average).Of course, as you said, this stuff does tend to get balanced out at higher levels. Still, it is a much smarter thing to do for small characters to focus on something other than just brute damage... even something like damage through sneak attacks is better.Anyone feel free to correct my math if I made a mistake somewhere.</blockquote>