Weapon Based Base Attack Bonus Progressions

[Creamsteak]

As a house rule I'm considering having some fun with, I was looking into making a system concerning something not too different from weapon speeds.

This system that I have in mind is relatively simple, this only takes 3 things into account: 1) The characters Base Attack Bonus, 2) The Size of the weapon, and 3) If the weapon is finessable.

First off, Base attack bonus would progress normally:

Fighter: Total HD
Cleric: 3/4 HD
Wizard: 1/2 HD

The key difference in my idea is that a weapons 'speed' determines the number of attacks a fighter is going to get with that weapon. This extrapolation is based on a medium sized character, a smaller or larger character would use a different progression.

For the Greatsword (Large Sized, non-finessable [-1 Weapon Speed]), the attack progression would be slower than usual. At +7 BAB the character gains the first secondary attack (+7/+1), at (+13/+7/+1), and at (+19/+13/+7/+1) the third and fourth attacks are gained.

For a Longsword (Medium Sized, non-finessable [+0 Weapon Speed]), the attack progression would be 100% normal. That is, at +6 the character gains an attack at +1, at +11 the character has an attack at +6 and a third attack at +1.

For a Rapier (Medium Sized, finessable [+1 Weapon Speed]), the attack progression remains the same, as the finess only adds 1 to the weapon speed score.

For a Shortsword (Small, finessable [+2 Weapon Speed]), the attack progression is slightly better. The Fighter gains a extra attack at +5 attack bonus (+5/+1), and a Third Attack at +9 (+9/+5/+1), at +13 (+13/+9/+5/+1), and a Fourth Attack at +17 (+17/+13/+9/+5/+1).

For a Dagger (Tiny, finessable [+3 Weapon Speed]), The attack progression is the same as a Monk's unarmed attacks. This makes using a Dagger extremely fast as expected.

Ranged Weapons are non-finessable (except some throwing weapons when used in melee), so there is an advantage if you use a tiny crossbow, but otherwise the weapon speed bonus probably isn't any greater than +1 (which has no effect). So if you could only build that tiny repeating crossbow you always wanted, you could fire off a full clip in one round, otherwise it has no effect.



Anyway, I'm going to try it out, and although it will make a significant impact on combat, I'm thinking of just 'going with it' at least until 3.5e comes out.

 

[Norfleet]

This would make daggers the chosen and preferred weapon of the rogue. Think of all those juicy sneak attacks.

It slices! It dices! AIEEEEEEEEEEE! Dear God, that hurts! My hitpoints!

 

[Creamsteak]

You can never get more than one sneak attack per round. Rogues may use daggers, but it's just going to net them an extra d4 or such.

 

[woodelf]

You can never get more than one sneak attack per round. Rogues may use daggers, but it's just going to net them an extra d4 or such.

Do you know something i don't? I just reread the bits on sneak attack and flat-footed. You're flatfooted *until you act*. The sneak attack description just says that someone has to be denied their dex AC bonus, have no concealment, and aren't immune to crits. Nothing in there about 1/rd. So, if you can get to someone without using your movement for the round, you can take a full attack actions and whomp their ass with as many attacks as you get, all with sneak attack damage.

 

[Nifft]

If I were you, I'd modify the crit ranges of those "faster" Simple weapons so they were a bit worse than "slower" weapons and Martial weapons.

Also, consider not allowing full (or ANY) Str. bonus with a "fast" weapon, and extra Str bonus to a "slow" weapon.

-- Nifft

 

[Creamsteak]

I'm absolutely positive that you can never get more than one sneak attack per round. It's covered in many different WotC features, especially the FAQ, and I think it's even in Erratta.

 

[shilsen]

I'm absolutely positive that you can never get more than one sneak attack per round. It's covered in many different WotC features, especially the FAQ, and I think it's even in Erratta.

You need to check your sources. The sneak attack description in the PHB puts no restriction on sneak attacks in a round, the FAQ mentions on more than one occasion that any attack in a round which qualifies as a sneak attack is one (irrespective of number of attacks), and it is not changed in the errata.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You need to check your sources. The sneak attack description in the PHB puts no restriction on sneak attacks in a round, the FAQ mentions on more than one occasion that any attack in a round which qualifies as a sneak attack is one (irrespective of number of attacks), and it is not changed in the errata.

Yup. The Whirlwinding, Great-Cleaving, Combat-Reflexing, Expert-Tacticianing, Improved-Invisible, Hasted Rogue/Tempest stemming a tide of lemming-goblins who all run through his threatened area in the same round can rack up an insane number of sneak attacks.

All in one round.

Creamsteak might be thinking of the shuriken rule - where multiple damage sources qualify as a single "attack" (3 shuriken, Manyshot, the Orb spells from Tome and Blood), you only gain Sneak Attack damage on the first in each attack.

But if you throw three volleys of three shuriken in one round, you can still get SA damage on the first star of each volley.

-Hyp.