Weapon Knacks

[FireLance]

I'm planning a campaign in a low-tech world, so the PCs will only have access to primitive weapons such as spears, clubs, daggers, etc.

The problem is, these are mostly simple weapons, and I don't want to short-change characters that would normally have proficiency in martial weapons. Thus, I came up with the idea of weapon knacks. A character who is proficient in all martial weapons can select one weapon knack for each simple weapon. The (very basic) weapon knacks I have been able to come up with (based on various weapon special abilities in the core rules) are:

1. Improved damage dice: The weapon's damage dice improves by one step. This cannot exceed 1d6 for a light weapon, 1d8 for a one-handed weapon, or 1d12 for a two-handed weapon.

2. Improved threat range: The weapon's base threat range increases by 1, to a maximum of 18-20. The critical multiplier for this increased threat range is x2; a weapon that has a critical multiplier of x3 or more only deals this higher damage on its original threat range.

3. Improved critical multiplier: The weapon's critical multiplier increases by 1, to a maximum of x4. If the weapon's threat range is more than 20, it only deals this higher damage on an attack roll of 20 (or 19-20 with Improved Critical or a keen weapon).

4. Finesse knack: The wielder can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier to attack rolls with this weapon.

5. Trip knack: The wielder can make trip attacks with this weapon. If tripped during his own trip attempt, he can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.

6. Disarm knack: The wielder gains a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails.

7. Additional damage type: The wielder may deal an additional type of damage (bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing) with this weapon.​

What other fun and balanced weapon knacks can you think of?

 

[airwalkrr]

I can see this becoming an interesting option for all games much like skill tricks. I don't have any ideas at the moment, but I think the notion itself is very innovative. Good work!

 

[GreatLemur]

This is a cool idea. It reminds me a lot of the "weapons as special effects" subsystem proposed by DanMcS.

The one hassle I see coming up with your proposed rule is the necessity to define which knack each martial-proficient character uses for each simple weapon. Maybe it would make more sense to let them pick one knack from the list (or maybe more), and let them apply whichever one of their chosen knacks they want (probably a swift action to switch, etc.), as long as the weapon could reasonably support it (that is, no tripping daggers or finesseable heavy maces).

I kind of like the idea of tying the mechanic in to skill tricks like airwalkrr implied--using skill points to buy knacks, and letting weapon proficiency feats determine how many knacks can be used at once--but that'd give skill monkey character more weapon options than the combat-primary characters, so I guess you're better off sticking to the structure you've already proposed.

Oh, hey, a note on balance: Am I alone in thinking that a step up in damage dice is worth a hell of a lot more than an increase crit range or modifier? The weapons as special effects thread certainly seems to support the idea of the two being equal, but I tried running the numbers on it, and--assuming I've got my spreadsheet set up right, which I seriously might not--the difference in average damage looks pretty huge. I don't think even Improved Critical would balance it.

 

[Land Outcast]

I kind of like the idea of tying the mechanic in to skill tricks like airwalkrr implied--using skill points to buy knacks, and letting weapon proficiency feats determine how many knacks can be used at once--but that'd give skill monkey character more weapon options than the combat-primary characters, so I guess you're better off sticking to the structure you've already proposed.

Make WK a skill:
Class skills for Full Bab characters, and they add their Bab to determine the number they know
Class skills for 3/4 Bab characters
Cross-class skills for 1/2 Bab characters

Every 4 points in Weapon Knacks: learn a Weapon Knack

How's that?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Bump for more comments.. this looks interesting but my brain is fried right now

 

[Aage]

You could do an opposite of finesse knack, namely the power knack: Making power attack available for light weapons (unless it already is, and I'm just ... wrong)


Edit: Also, perhaps, a throw knack... giving a weapon a 10-foot increment, or extending an already existant range increment by 10 feet

 

[Vrecknidj]

Hmm...

There's an option in there that I like, but I think maybe it violates the "Keep it Simple" rule.

It would be kinda cool for there to be weapons that had different crit multiples based on the natural d20 roll.

Let's make up a weapon. I'll call it, the thwacker.

Thwacker 1d6 (if used by a Medium creature), one-handed weapon that isn't light
Critical Hit Information
Threat range 18-20: on a 20, critical multiplier is x3 if crit is confirmed, otherwise x2.

Should this be a property of the weapon, or a property of the wielder?

Dave

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Keeping in mind that the OP was focused on a world of simple weapons and not wanting to shortchange Martial weapon weilders...

I do like the concept that the characters skill matters more than the weapon choice, but don't want to go down the road of 'weapons as effects' where the weapons choice is simply flavor-text on mechanics. I think a balance between the two could be gained by having Knacks, possibly gained due to skill points being spent on weapons. But then we start getting into mechanic complications.

Another option is to say that every X full BAB you gain a knack... that might work. Stick it at every 4... ?
Perhaps limit it to only weapons with which you have weapon focus, or is that too much?

Vrecknidj, Isn't that #3 in the OP?


Overall I think Knacks should either allow the use of a mechanic that is already tied to some weapons, such as #5 above, or provide a +2 to a specific manuever, such as #6. In the case of manuevers like Disarm the bonus should apply to only one roll for the character, either better at disarming or better at not being disarmed.

 

[Darklone]

Nice stuff, Firelance.

I'd concur to make this a skill (class skill for fighter types) and let the PCs "buy" these knacks for 1-3 skillpoints (depending on the knack).

 

[DarkKestral]

I'm personally way in favor of a weapon-as-effects system like this knacks system. That way, paying for a weapon access feat is not always a bad idea, like it normally is in 3rd ed. Plus, it makes weapon choice something that is definitely character-specific, and less an artifact of mechanics (like it still is in 3rd ed. to some degree) so I'm not too annoyed by the downsides. It may be mechanically more complex in some regards, but since most of the choices can be done so that they're always one-time choices, the actual playtime needed to make those choices is probably pretty small over the course of a campaign, so the fun added by choice is probably a bit bigger than the fun lost by complexity, while also helping to promote balance without really harming flavor.