Weapon Focus [all]

[Wormwood]

The Weapon Group variant in Unearthed Arcana got me thinking:

How game breaking would it be to remove the specificity of feats such as Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Improved Critical, etc.

Weapon Focus would thus grant you +1 on all attack rolls (regardless of weapon used). Specialization would be a +2 on all damage rolls, etc.

OR: Instead of Weapon Groups (from UA), using weapon categories for feats. Wepon Focus [Simple], Weapon Focus [Martial], Weapon Focus [Exotic]?

OR: Two categories: [Melee] and [Ranged]?

 

[Scion]

I doubt it would make all that large of an impact.. the main abuse I can see is two weapon fighting, but then it needs a bit of a boost anyway.

remember though, there are other feats that need to be changed as well. Things like dodge (needs to be, at least, +1 vs all opponents) and other such things.

It definately helps streamline things a bit I suppose, but since most people only use one weapon anyway I really doubt it'll cause much of a problem.

 

[Nifft]

... or into six feats: WF(Simple Melee), WF(Simple Ranged), WF(Martial Melee), WF(Martial Ranged), WF(Exotic Melee), and WF(Exotic Ranged). That way you do reward martial classes a bit (since generally Martial weapons are better than Simple ones).

-- N

 

[Nifft]

... or look at Point-Blank Shot for a guide, and craft some situational modifiers similar to what PBS grants:

- Powerful Charge: +1 to attack and damage when charging
- Flanker: +1 to attack and damage when flanking
- Strong Opportunist: +1 to attack and damage when making AoOs
- Bully: +1 to attack and damage vs. smaller opponents

You get the idea.

-- N

 

[Greylock]

Weapon Focus would thus grant you +1 on all attack rolls (regardless of weapon used). Specialization would be a +2 on all damage rolls, etc.

Sure, it would be neat. Anything to enhance a char within reason. But this doesn't really make practical sense to me. In college I was a fencer of minor talent. I can tell you that the weapon groups require specific skill and training. I was very good at saber, decent with an epee and down-right lousy with the foil. Three weapons, all swords, very different styles and skills.

Weapon Focus suggests specialised training in a particular school. Basic class abilities take care of the rest. My Weapon Focused, soon to be Specialised bastard sword wielder can handle a longsword with minor skill, and doesn't mind whipping out a bow, but he spent years learning how to get that extra oomph out of a bastard sword. May as well ask why Clerics have domains.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

- Powerful Charge: +1 to attack and damage when charging
- Flanker: +1 to attack and damage when flanking
- Strong Opportunist: +1 to attack and damage when making AoOs
- Bully: +1 to attack and damage vs. smaller opponents

I love feats like this; those that grant mechanical bonuses as well as encourage a specific sort of behavior. How about 'Underdog: +1 to attack and damage vs. larger opponents'?

The imbalance caused by consolidating weapon focus into 2-6 feats is miniscule at best. If you want to do it, do it. Won't hurt your game any that I can see.

 

[aurance]

Sure, it would be neat. Anything to enhance a char within reason. But this doesn't really make practical sense to me. In college I was a fencer of minor talent. I can tell you that the weapon groups require specific skill and training. I was very good at saber, decent with an epee and down-right lousy with the foil. Three weapons, all swords, very different styles and skills.

Weapon Focus suggests specialised training in a particular school. Basic class abilities take care of the rest. My Weapon Focused, soon to be Specialised bastard sword wielder can handle a longsword with minor skill, and doesn't mind whipping out a bow, but he spent years learning how to get that extra oomph out of a bastard sword. May as well ask why Clerics have domains.

Well, but I bet you're much better than the average non-fencer with *all three of those weapons,* and that's the point. D&D measures are all much less specific than any real world knowledge, because it is necessary for playability. The question is how abstract/narrow/broad do you want to get? The categories suggested so far are not entirely unreasonable in a game where "Wisdom" and "Charisma" are so broad that they continuously come up for debate.

 

[Staffan]

Well, but I bet you're much better than the average non-fencer with *all three of those weapons,* and that's the point.

IMO, that would be where proficiency comes in. I'm all for having broad categories for determining Martial weapon proficiency, but the narrower feats (Focus, Specialization, Improved Crit, etc.) should remain narrow IMO.

Also, I like that Focus etc. is weapon-specific. It means that the fighter who does not take Focus/Specialization but instead learns various tricks (e.g. Combat Expertise, Dodge, Power Attack and their assorted dependent feats) and makes sure to have a weapon available for each situation is a reasonable character. If Focus/Spec applied to all weapons, or even large groups, it would be much more of a must-have, and I don't much like it when feats are must-haves.

 

[Nifft]

I love feats like this; those that grant mechanical bonuses as well as encourage a specific sort of behavior. How about 'Underdog: +1 to attack and damage vs. larger opponents'?

IMHO, that one's a little stronger, because at high levels there are LOTS of difficult big monsters... however, they're all roughly balanced against a stronger standard than normal Feats, so your proposal isn't unbalanced compared to what I set out.

Others in the same vein:
- Dwarf Dodge: +2 dodge bonus to AC vs. Giants (non-Dwarf only)
- Dwarf Attack: +1 to attack and damage vs. Orcs and Goblinoids
- Gnome Attack: +1 to attack and damage vs. Kobolds and Goblinoids
- Elf Training: +1 to attack and damage rolls when using Longswords, Rapiers or Bows

I think that these are all stronger than normal Feats.

-- N

 

[Nifft]

... er, I should revise: I know some of them are stronger, and I suspect all of them are stronger.

-- N