Real Weights of weapons?

[Fenes 2]

If I had a packrat in my game I'd ask how and where thePC carries his or her gear. No need to use overweight weapons to simulate awkward gear that way. If you cannot show or at least describe how you would carry a weapon while marching your pc don't carry it.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

We're REALLY getting into nuts and bolts here. How worth it is it really to break this down? I mean, if you really wanted a detailed encumbrance system, you'd have to factor things like height/weight ratio in as well. This would get ugly really fast, and seems to be of dubious merit. Is someone's DM telling them that they're not strong enough to swing a 15 lb Greatsword or something? How is the actual weight becoming an issue?

 

[Cedric]

I prefer to "common sense" encumberance. Yes, you can carry all of that...or No, you can't carry all of that. Always worked fine for me.

As for weapon weights in D&D...they are hideously wrong. Even the largest of two handed swords usually only weigh in around 7 and a 1/2 pounds, 8 at the most.

Early two handed Scottish Claymores are only in the 5-6 pound range for the most part.

Cedric

 

[Aaron L]

Having the proper harness to carry something drastically reduces its awkwardness. Carrying a sword the wrong way is more awkward than carrying it on your hip or back in a scabbard, and so it goes with everything. But by combining weight and awkwardness, they have eliminated the possibility that you carry it correctly. You could carry all kinds of things comfortably with the proper harness that distributes weight correctly.

Additionaly, they have made these weights the "real" weights for all other purposes, which is totally out of whack. I've always hated the overblown and horribly wrong weights for weapons that are always in games.

 

[Umbran]

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.

No? How about a 20 to 40 pound backpack? If it's not unreasonable for a hiker or the US Army, it's not unreasonable for an adventurer. Ever wear one? It sure does encumber you. You sure can more more easily wearing one if you're strong...

 

[Hejdun]

A couple notes:

-They reduced the weight of a 2 bladed sword to 15 pounds in the eratta.

-The weights in the PHB also include whatever harness (baldric, scabbard, etc.) that you use to sheathe the weapon with.

 

[Ace]

Would ignoring encumbrance have been better?

Actually there is a good system out there for Encumberence. It is in the Riddle of Steel RPG. Basically it is a series of drawing of a generic guy with stuff. Look at how much stuff you have compare drawings and viola thats your encumberence level.

Oh and from the same game the proper weights of some common weapons

Note that the author of TROS Jake Norwood is a historian and a WMA (Western Martial Arts) guy so these should be about right

longsword 2.5 to 3 lbs
shortsword 2 lbs
dagger 1 lb
greatsword 8 lbs
scimitar 3 lbs
Rapier 2 lbs
club 1-3 lbs (In D&D I would suggest a 1lb club should do a d4 but thats me)
Flail 4 lbs
pick 2 lbs
handaxe 2 lbs
mace 3lbs
maul 8 lbs
warhammer (with spikey parts) 2 lbs and it should do at least at 1d6 if not 1d8
poleaxe (aka Great Axe) 5 lbs
warflail (big 2 hander) 8 lbs

What surprised me is how light most weapons are. Though when I thought about the issue it made sense. No one can weild a 30 lb weapon and even an 8 lb weapon is dicey.

If you think you can go get a nice sledgehammer and swing it at top speed for a while. You will tire fast!

If you think you can fight with a 30lb doubles sword I suggest that you weight lifter types get a 4 one Gallon Jugs,4 liters for you metric types fil them 3/4 with water and attach them to a steel pipe. Try and swing it I dare you.

IRL if there was a doublesword it would weigh about 5 lbs or so and be a bloody nuicence to carry and a hazzard to the user.

They are however very cool weapons and of course I allow them IMC

 

[Psionicist]

If you think you can fight with a 30lb doubles sword I suggest that you weight lifter types get a 4 one Gallon Jugs,4 liters for you metric types fil them 3/4 with water and attach them to a steel pipe. Try and swing it I dare you.

Ehh, hehe. Why can't these weight lifter type guys try to fight with a 30lb barbell? I would prefer that over your water idea