Weapon Damage Types - DDN Blog

I still prefer "takes double damage from bludgeoning" instead of "resists slashing and piercing". Makes you feel super awesome for having a different weapon ready, instead of useless for having the wrong weapon.

Cheers,

This, or at least something based on this sort of positive reinforcement.

And it doesn't necessarily need to just be damage multipliers. Perhaps skeletons hit with bludgeoning weapons are also (or only) slowed, immobilised, staggered, dazed or something like that. Weaknesses can be much more flavourful if they're more than just increasing or reducing damage.
 

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In 3e, the Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning distinction came up too infrequently to be worth tracking. Either they need to make it matter more than it does or (more likely) they should just drop it.

One thing that they could do that would help would be to tie the various magical enhancements to various weapon types. 3e already did a little of this, by only allowing slashing weapons to become keen, but to make it worthwhile they would need to go a lot further. Perhaps only slashing weapons can become flaming or shocking, only bludgeoning weapons can get thundering or improved critical, and only piercing weapons can be made into banes?

But, in all honesty... yeah, I'd just drop it entirely.
 

Anyway, I voted for multiple types. Totally agree with it and always have, even to the point of 2e having adjusted AC ratings (DR, AC...however you want to play it).

Same here; that's how I voted. Multiple weapon damage types (piercing, slashing, bludgeoning)
 

I really don't want to see them back unless they make them interesting. Since this is a unity edition, I don't see many waves to be made. So I'd be okay with a modular approach.

Two Handed Club: 1d8 damage simple 2 handed weapon
Battleaxe: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Longsword: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Warhammer: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Flail: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Heavy Pick: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Rapier: 1d8 damage superior 1 handed light weapon

Add damage type rules

I really don't want to see them back unless they make them interesting. Since this is a unity edition, I don't see many waves to be made. So I'd be okay with a modular approach.

I really don't want to see them back unless they make them interesting. Since this is a unity edition, I don't see many waves to be made. So I'd be okay with a modular approach.

Two Handed Club: 1d8 damage simple 2 handed weapon
Battleaxe: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Longsword: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Warhammer: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Flail: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Heavy Pick: 1d8 damage military 1 handed weapon
Rapier: 1d8 damage superior 1 handed light weapon

Add the damage type and weapon type module
Two Handed Club: 1d8 damage simple 2 handed bludgeoning mace
Battleaxe: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing axe
Longsword: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing heavy blade
Warhammer: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning hammer
Flail: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning flail
Heavy Pick: 1d8 damage military 1 handed piercing axe
Rapier: 1d8 damage superior 1 handed light piercing light blade


Now add the damage type, weapon type, and weapon property mods

Two Handed Club: 1d8 damage simple 2 handed bludgeoning mace, double damage to undead and constructs.
Battleaxe: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing axe, triple damage on crit
Longsword: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing heavy blade, crit on 19 or 20
Warhammer: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning hammer, double damage to undead and constructs.
Flail: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning flail, +2 to Strength checks to disarm or trip
Heavy Pick: 1d8 damage military 1 handed piercing axe, triple damage on crit
Rapier: 1d8 damage superior 1 handed light piercing or slashing light blade
 

Now add the damage type, weapon type, and weapon property mods

Two Handed Club: 1d8 damage simple 2 handed bludgeoning mace, double damage to undead and constructs.
Battleaxe: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing axe, triple damage on crit
Longsword: 1d8 damage military 1 handed slashing heavy blade, crit on 19 or 20
Warhammer: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning hammer, double damage to undead and constructs.
Flail: 1d8 damage military 1 handed bludgeoning flail, +2 to Strength checks to disarm or trip
Heavy Pick: 1d8 damage military 1 handed piercing axe, triple damage on crit
Rapier: 1d8 damage superior 1 handed light piercing or slashing light blade

Except the "double damage to undead and constructs" part should be listed in the MM with the monsters affected. Not all undead and constructs should take double damage from bludgeons.
 

I voted for physical only, but I'd be ok with the piercing/slashing/bludgeoning system IF AND ONLY IF it came up often enough to matter.

Its stupid to have a weapon type subsystem and barely use it. Its a waste of brain space.

I voted the same way for the same reason.

In 3e, the Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning distinction came up too infrequently to be worth tracking. Either they need to make it matter more than it does or (more likely) they should just drop it.

Agreed. 3.0 only used S/P/B resistance for a handful of monsters. Unless you were a low level party fighting nothing but skeletons, it wasn't worth worrying about.
 

I voted the same way for the same reason.

Agreed. 3.0 only used S/P/B resistance for a handful of monsters. Unless you were a low level party fighting nothing but skeletons, it wasn't worth worrying about.

Maybe one of the optional modules/add-ons will be bonuses to attack rolls (or AC) depending on weapon vs. armor type. Chainmail gets a bonus to AC (or penalty to attacker's attack roll) vs. slashing weapons; chainmail gets a penalty to AC (or bonus to attacker's roll) vs. bludgeoning weapons.
 

Except the "double damage to undead and constructs" part should be listed in the MM with the monsters affected. Not all undead and constructs should take double damage from bludgeons.

It was more another the weapon being a mace rather than it dealing bludgeoning damage. But I was just plucking abilities out the air.

I too prefer damage types to be placed on the monster if they do weapon damage types.
 

Maybe one of the optional modules/add-ons will be bonuses to attack rolls (or AC) depending on weapon vs. armor type.

I will be extremely surprised if WotC get around to doing all of the 'big' modules that people might be shouting for. For something so niche to be covered... well, I don't see it happening.

Except the "double damage to undead and constructs" part should be listed in the MM with the monsters affected. Not all undead and constructs should take double damage from bludgeons.

Actually, this highlights one of the weaknesses of a modular game. If the damage types are in modules, then either the Monster Manual needs to contain the data required to use every given module (which is impossible, and even if it were possible it would clutter the stat-blocks with lots of redundant information), or the modifications to monsters caused by the monsters will then be scattered around several different places.

Either solution sucks.

The only way I can see it working is with a configurable online tool (or possibly print-on-demand), allowing the DM to select the modules he wants, and get a custom Monster Manual created just for him. But even then, what happens when he decides he now wants to add another module to the set, rendering his PoD books obselete?
 

I like having B/P/S damage types.

That way you can say stuff like, "You can use a piercing weapon only to stab down the narrow hole" or "you need a slashing weapon to cut through the rope".

By the RAW in 4e, you can "cut" a rope just fine with a hammer.
 

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