Real Weights of weapons?

[Tsyr]

The 30 lbs takes all this into account

BUT IT'S NOT 30 BLOODY POUNDS! YOU COULDN'T USE A SWORD THAT WEIGHED THAT MUCH!

I know that the 30 lbs is SUPPOSED to account for awkwardness, but, IMO, that is a REALLY poor way to go about it.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

I agree, the weapon weights are ridiculous for the most part. However, for the record, several viking longswords weigh 4 lbs, or more.

But 15 lbs for a greatsword is ridiculous, and 30 lbs for a double-bladed sword is preposterous. Furthermore, assuming the 30 lbs was meant to simulate encumbrance, I ask, why? What's the point? What purpose does it serve, for game-balance or otherwise? It's simply stupid, and incredibly so. 30 lbs! WTH?

 

[Zappo]

I agree, the weapon weights are ridiculous for the most part. However, for the record, several viking longswords weigh 4 lbs, or more.

But 15 lbs for a greatsword is ridiculous, and 30 lbs for a double-bladed sword is preposterous. Furthermore, assuming the 30 lbs was meant to simulate encumbrance, I ask, why? What's the point? What purpose does it serve, for game-balance or otherwise? It's simply stupid, and incredibly so. 30 lbs! WTH?

Would ignoring encumbrance have been better?

 

[jester47]

Don't think of them as pounds then think of them as encumberance points. Problem solved.

Aaron.

 

[jasper]

BUT IT'S NOT 30 BLOODY POUNDS! YOU COULDN'T USE A SWORD THAT WEIGHED THAT MUCH!

I know that the 30 lbs is SUPPOSED to account for awkwardness, but, IMO, that is a REALLY poor way to go about it.

Then how would you go about awkawardness. By jacking up the weight on things is great SIMPLE way for encumbrance.
If you don't then you have adventurers with long sword, torch, katana, short sword, 30 daggers which are a foot long, plus a bow and 40 arrows.
Remember it a game system with dragons some things do have to be real to smooth game play.

I could go an rant why every tom, dick, and harry now like spike armour when the number spike armour in real life were so few they were well presevered.

I did experment in the Army I grabbed my staff in my left hand, placed my samurai swords on the left side on my belt. Threw the numbchucks over my right shoulder. Place a stuffed dragon (familiar pet) on my left shoulder. Put a long sword on my right side.
I klack against the doorframe which was 3 ft wide and nearly klacked against the 4 ft divider in the room.

So do you have a better way. Lay down and show us the truth.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

Would ignoring encumbrance have been better?

In a word, yes. I don't see why the rules should penalize an already crappy weapon like the double-sword even worse by making it "weigh" 30 lbs. Which it doesn't; it's only for encumbrance purposes.

I don't think encumbrance is that important to the game. I mean sure, it matters, but I doubt it should matter to the typical ranger who is struggling desparately to fight with a stupid, awkward, unrealistic weapon, that weighs, u got it, 30 FREEKIN' POUNDS!

 

[Tsyr]

Don't think of them as pounds then think of them as encumberance points. Problem solved.

Aaron.

Then STR shouldn't effect encumbrance.

I don't care how strong you are... carrying a chair is equaly awkward, regardless of if it's a lightweight plastic chair or a metal one. STR wouldn't make a plastic chair (signifigantly, at least) any less awkward for a strong person than it was for a weakling.

Weight should be weight. If you absolutely feel you need an "awkwardness" factor, invent something. Don't try to use weight (A useful thing to know for minutia) for awkwardness (something that you should be able to use common sense for).

 

[Tsyr]

So do you have a better way. Lay down and show us the truth.

Sure.

Give every character an encumbrance value, possibly modified by size. Lets say 100 for a human.

Each item has an encumbrance value. Lets say, 10 for a simple breastplate, 15 for one with spikes... 50 for a double-bladed sword, 10 for a longsword (when sheathed), 25 for a longbow, etc. The numbers would have to be played with, of course.

The way it is now, someone with a high STR can walk around loaded down like a fricking Wal-Mart just because their STR says they can. In my game, I'm gonna call you on that and say no way, I don't care what the rules say.

Of course, I don't think it's needed in the first place.

 

[Umbran]

Then STR shouldn't effect encumbrance.

Quibbling minutae, but yes, it should.

Imagine a large box. Large enough that you can barely get your arms around it. Carry it around your home. Do you really want to say that being stronger - and thus more able to exert more force at a distance from your body - won't make this task easier?

When the weight of the object is really negligible, perhaps your argument makes some sense. But not for the general case. Sorry.

 

[Tsyr]

When the weight of the object is really negligible, perhaps your argument makes some sense. But not for the general case. Sorry.

I'm talking in game terms... Really, the weight is negligable for items that the average adventurer can carry around and still reasonably be expected to move... I don't think many adventurers carry around boxes of that size on a day-to-day basis.

As with any system, you can always find flaws of course, but I think it's more logical than a STR 20 half orc being able to carry around the contents of a small hardware store just because his STR says he can.