The Concept Is... he DOESN'T use a sword.

[Enkhidu]

Seems like everybody here thinks a feat for the bastard sword is a waste. Then what should be done to the weapon. Better crit range, non-exotic, or maybe free for fighters?

D&D 3.0/3.5 weapons are very incremental. a d6/18-20/x2 is about the same as d8/19-20/x2 is about the same as d8/20/x3.

If you increase one of them (say the last one from d8 to d10) you've just unbalanced the weapon. To rebalance the weapon, you need to either take away a mechanic (like maybe reducing it the last one to 20/x2), or make the weapon more costly to weild in the form of feats or class skills. Thus a Longsword with a d10 instead of a d8 is renamed the Bastard Sword and becomes exotic.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

I tend towards lightweight characters who can't carry much on them so I tend to use a light crossbow and a rapier. I think it's kind of boring, but looking over other, cooler looking weapons these are better for me at getting the job done.

Heh. Both my current D&D characters have rapiers and crossbows. One them is a spellcaster so she mostly sticks to that.

No swords for me.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Seems like everybody here thinks a feat for the bastard sword is a waste. Then what should be done to the weapon. Better crit range, non-exotic, or maybe free for fighters?

Humans should have Weapon Familiarity with the Bastard Sword the was Dwarves have it with the Dwarven Waraxe.

 

[Aeolius]

My first 3e PC, Nok the half-orc bard, fought with twin meat cleavers; as he was also skilled as a chef and taxidermist

Swords are somewhat limited, in my current campaign - as it is set underwater.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Let me see, my 3e characters:

Elf Ftr/Rog with a greatsword
Triton Paladin with a special Triton weapon (basically an underwater sword)
Human wizard with a bastard sword (he was unusual)
Human sorceror with a spear--later picked up a fighter level and a longsword
Elf Cleric with a longbow (and a longsword if she ever got into melee)
Human Rgr/Clr with a bastard sword (dual wield: bastard sword/shield)
Human Ftr/Wiz used lots of weapons with quickdraw--initially longspear and longsword, then switched to glaive and light flail, then glaive and morning star, now glaive and longsword again (I found a nifty one).
Human Clr with a greatsword
Human Rgr/Rog with two shortswords
Val Bbn/Ftr/Clr with a Tralian hammer (Arcanis)
Val Clr with a Shortspear
Elf Rgr dual wielding throwing axes

So for me the total is:
2 greatswords
1 dual shortsword
1 dual throwing axes
2 bastard swords
1 1/2 shortspears
1 longbow/longsword
1 glaive/longsword
1 Triton weapon
1/2 longsword

All told, there's quite a few swords. 8 out of 11 characters used swords a significant amount of the time. However, only one character used a longsword full-time and two used longswords part-time.

In the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game I played, we had:
Elf Clr: Longbow, longsword (me)
Human Ftr: Spiked chain
Half-dragon barbarian: greataxe
Ranger/Druid: Quarterstaff
Elf Ftr: Longsword and shield
Tiefling Rog/Bbn: Greatsword
Dwarf Clr: Warhammer IIRC
Half-orc Rgr/Ftr: Greatsword and armor spikes

Longswords hardly seemed dominant.

I played a Heart of Nightfang Spire campaign (well, actually it disintegrated shortly after starting). The characters had the following weapons:

Human Clr: Battle axe
Human Wiz/Templar/Sacred Exorcist: Longsword
Human Pal/Ftr: Longsword and shortsword (dual wield)
Elf Rgr/Rog: Longbow
Gnome bard cohort: shortsword (IIRC)

Again, there are longswords present but other weapons are present. (And my Wiz/Templar/Sacred Exorcist should really count longsword as a backup weapon--magic missiles and fireballs with a side dish of disintegrates were his primary weapons).

Among the people I've most commonly played Living Greyhawk with, I know of the following characters:

Human Ftr/Wiz: Glaive and longsword (me)
Human Ftr/Bbn/Rog: Falchion
Human Clr: Morning Star
Elf Rgr: Bow and longsword/shortsword
Elf Ftr/Wiz: Bow and battleaxe
1/2Elf Ftr/Rgr/Wiz: Bow and longsword/Shortsword
Gnome Rog: Daggers
Human Ftr/Wiz: Lance and longsword
Elf Wiz: Longbow
Human Clr: Greatsword (also me)
Human Clr: Bastard Sword
Dwarf Bbn/Ftr/Rgr: Waraxe and Shield (dual wield)
Human Ftr: Longsword
Human Rgr/Rog: twin shortswords
Human Pal: Lance and Morning Star
Human Bbn: Greatsword
Human Rgr: Longsword and spiked shield (dual wield)
Gnome Wiz: Dagger
Human Rog: Rapier
Human Bard: Rapier
1/2 orc Bbn/Clr: Greatsword
Human Ftr/Bbn: Greatsword

There are quite a few longswords on the list but it's Greatswords (if anything) that are over-represented. Also, most of the longswords on the list are part-time weaponry. Only one of the characters above wields a longsword as his primary weapon.

I really don't see much problem with the way D&D players tend to pick weapons. IME, longsword is actually pretty rare as a fighter type's primary weapon. Where it tends to make a strong showing is among the backup weapons for archers, and among elf clerics and wizards who're automatically proficient.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Heh. Both my current D&D characters have rapiers and crossbows. One them is a spellcaster so she mostly sticks to that.

No swords for me.

I don't mean to get technical, but isn't a rapier a kind of sword?

 

[LuYangShih]

The situation seems to be that almost no one uses weapons other than a sword. I think Scimitars, Greatswords, Rapiers and other such weapons all fit into the category of a sword, not just the Longsword and Bastard Sword. This is not that surprising, however, as most heroes from fantasy and fiction use a sword. From the Three Musketeers to Conan to Luke Skywalker, the sword, in one form or another, is the dominant weapon, and since emulation is a great motivator for most character concepts, you see very few warriors who do not wield a sword.

 

[Sixchan]

The situation seems to be that almost no one uses weapons other than a sword. I think Scimitars, Greatswords, Rapiers and other such weapons all fit into the category of a sword, not just the Longsword and Bastard Sword. This is not that surprising, however, as most heroes from fantasy and fiction use a sword. From the Three Musketeers to Conan to Luke Skywalker, the sword, in one form or another, is the dominant weapon, and since emulation is a great motivator for most character concepts, you see very few warriors who do not wield a sword.

When it comes to emulation of cool ideas, a Spear, a +65 Jump Skill, and a nice set of blue armour is the only way to go.

I love dragoons...

 

[Valiantheart]

Humans should have Weapon Familiarity with the Bastard Sword the was Dwarves have it with the Dwarven Waraxe.

I definitely agree with that.

I liked dual wielding also util WOTC decided to add that asinine incrementing DEX requirment to Improved and Greater two weapon fighting. I guess a game that is "All about options" means only Rangers and Rogues are supposed to be able to wield two weapons. Ridiculous requirement.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Hmm...till a short time ago, I also thought that bastard sword was a throw-away, the kind of thing someone would take for flavor, maybe increase survivability at low levels. Then, I compared it to some other feats. Over longswords, it gives +1 average and +2 max damage. Kind of like a poor man's weapon spec I'm thinking now that it's not too bad. If you use 2-medium-weapon-fighting feats in your campaigns, imagine a dual bastard sword wielder. BONG! A human fighter could do it at first level.