Silly Question on Half-Orcs

[Hypersmurf]

I upgun the hell out of Half Orcs in my campaign, and add regular Orcs as a PC race, but one ability I don't give either race is familiarity with the Orc Double Axe. It's a stupid, awful weapon that will not see play at my table.

Yeah! Why would anyone use a double axe when they could use a Gyrspike?

-Hyp.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Yeah! Why would anyone use a double axe when they could use a Gyrspike?

One of these days, I will catch you and make hyper gold out of you.

And I will look back on this post and I will laugh. Oh, will I laugh.

 

[Sejs]

It's a stupid, awful weapon that will not see play at my table.

Going by the art in the PHB, agreed. But there are ways to make the double axe presentable as a weapon.


~Lengthen the pole. The graphic they gave ODA in Neverwinter Nights isn't that bad. Having about 6' of wood between the axe heads would make it much more easy to handle.

~Single bladed heads, facing opposite directions. Use of the weapon would be sort of a twirly, rotary affair.

~Single bladed heads, both facing the same direction. IE a batleth. At which point you get sued by whomever owns the rights to Star Trek.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

~Single bladed heads, both facing the same direction. IE a batleth. At which point you get sued by whomever owns the rights to Star Trek.

I see the batleth as more of a double-sword, which I just barely allow. (The only other double weapon I allow is the quarterstaff.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

(The only other double weapon I allow is the quarterstaff.)

Quarterstaff. Feh.

Have you looked at that picture? How the designers expect us to believe someone could use something so ridiculous without bludgeoning themselves to death in the process, I've yet to figure out.

-Hyp.

 

[Sejs]

Quarterstaff. Feh.

What I don't get is where they got the name quarterstaff from. Why didn't they just call it a Double Club or a Dire Club like all the others?

 

[Darklone]

Actually the Urgrosh is the double weapon which makes most sense. It's essentially a halberd with a good spike at the other end... that wasn't uncommon at all, I think it was a pretty common feature for all polearms.

 

[Fester]

Looking in the MM, orcs aren't proficient with the orcish double axe either. This seems rather strange to me, since the weapon is specifically tagged with their racial name. So why not just call it what it is - a double axe - and be done with it?

I thought this was the type of stuff that WotC were supposed to be clarifying in 3.5.

 

[Darklone]

I don't like racial weapons, familiarities and proficiencies at all. So why bother.

 

[jarlaxlecq]

sounds like a house rule is needed