Weapon Size Catagory Names - Please Help

[Tatsukun]

Right, so it seems to me that the 3.0 weapon size rules were ok, but they were made odd by the names of the catagories (small, medium, large...) because they were the same as creature catagory names, but only loosely related.

They were so confusing thet they changed the system, and gave us confusing catagory names YET AGAIN! (light, one handed, two handed...).

So, I've given up on those catagory names and have started calling them Class A, B, and C. Class A are fragile (formerly called 'light' or 'small') weapons. Class B are larger (formerly 'one handed' or 'Medium') weapons. Class C weapons are big (formerly 'Two handed' or 'large') weapons.

After the name change, the rules are the same.
A Class A weapon can't be used with power attack, etc.
A Class B weapon can be used in either one or two hands, etc.
A Class C weapon must be used in two hands, etc.

That frees up "Small/Medium/Large" to mean a weapon for a small/medium/large creature, and "X handed" to mean how it's being used at the moment.

So, for example, a 'Medium Longsword' is a longsword made for a medium creature, and is a Class B weapon. A Two Handed Attack with a Medium Longsword does 1D8+(1.5*Str) and would gain two points of damage per point of Bab with Power Attack. Whereas a One Handed Attack with a Medium Longsword would do only 1D8+Str and get a one to one ratio in PA.

So far, it's worked well. But, Class A / B /C are not exactly descriptive. So, can anyone help me name these catagories?


-Tatsu

 

[FireLance]

I've heard someone use light/standard/heavy to distinguish the types. Not sure where, though.

 

[Crothian]

What's wrong wit hlight, one handed, two handed?

 

[FireLance]

What's wrong wit hlight, one handed, two handed?

Because a one-handed weapon can be used in one hand or two hands. Some may find this confusing.

It will also help clarify whether some effects, e.g. 1.5 Strength bonus to damage and 2-for-1 Power Attack depends on whether the weapon is heavy (say), or whether it is wielded in two hands.

 

[woodelf]

Well, two possibilities come immediately to mind. Light/Standard/Heavy seems to do what you want. But i think Small/Medium/Large actually work really well. With the addition of Tiny, Huge, and whatever else you need. You see, those category names actually relate very closely to the creature category names: if the weapon is your size, you can use it in one hand, or two for extra power. If it's the size bigger than you are, it takes two hands. If it's the size smaller than you are, it's light. And if it's more than a size difference, you can't use it. (Well, that would actually be a rules change, since the rules let you use weapons up to two sizes smaller, but if you want to simplify for parallelism...)

What is great about that is that it simply extrapolates for other sizes of critters. If you're Huge, a Large weapon is light, a Huge weapon is one-handed, and a Gargantuan weapon requires two hands. If you're Small, a Tiny weapon is light, a Small weapon is one-handed, and a Medium weapon is two-handed. And so on--just step up and down the size scale.

 

[Tatsukun]

Well, two possibilities come immediately to mind. Light/Standard/Heavy seems to do what you want. But i think Small/Medium/Large actually work really well. With the addition of Tiny, Huge, and whatever else you need. You see, those category names actually relate very closely to the creature category names: if the weapon is your size, you can use it in one hand, or two for extra power. If it's the size bigger than you are, it takes two hands. If it's the size smaller than you are, it's light. And if it's more than a size difference, you can't use it. (Well, that would actually be a rules change, since the rules let you use weapons up to two sizes smaller, but if you want to simplify for parallelism...)

What is great about that is that it simply extrapolates for other sizes of critters. If you're Huge, a Large weapon is light, a Huge weapon is one-handed, and a Gargantuan weapon requires two hands. If you're Small, a Tiny weapon is light, a Small weapon is one-handed, and a Medium weapon is two-handed. And so on--just step up and down the size scale.

That was 3.0 (essentially). I didn't mind it much, but it was a pain when you had to remember that a small weapon was only small if you were medium, otherside it was medium (unless of course, you were large).

I like Light / Standard / Heavy.

I have also been toying with the idea of locking "standard" (formerly 'medium' or 'one-handed') weapons to being used with one hand. For example, one couldn't use a long sword in two hands. Or, maybe just limiting 'light' weapons to be used in one hand. The only exceptions would be the Bastard Sword and the Dwarven War Axe (and maybe a few other new ones, who knows).

What do people think ? Would this have a huge effect on the world that I don't see ?

-Tatsu

 

[Zander]

What about using the weight categories from boxing: Fly or Welter / Bantam / Heavy?

Or giving them elemental names: Air / Water / Earth?

Or traits: Nimble / Standard / Hulk?

 

[woodelf]

That was 3.0 (essentially). I didn't mind it much, but it was a pain when you had to remember that a small weapon was only small if you were medium, otherside it was medium (unless of course, you were large).

Huh? I'm talking about absolute sizes, and i thought that's what D&D3E used, too. That is, a weapon is always "medium", regardless of the character's size. You don't refer to it as a size, in use, you refer to whether it is light, one-handed, or heavy/two-handed. I thought that, too, was D&D3E standard usage. But maybe that was just the group i was in.

I have also been toying with the idea of locking "standard" (formerly 'medium' or 'one-handed') weapons to being used with one hand. For example, one couldn't use a long sword in two hands. Or, maybe just limiting 'light' weapons to be used in one hand. The only exceptions would be the Bastard Sword and the Dwarven War Axe (and maybe a few other new ones, who knows).

Again, isn't that already the rule? That is, that you can only use two hands (or, at least, only get the extra strength bonus) for a weapon your size or larger.

Here's what we're using:

• A weapon one or two sizes smaller than you are is "light", and is always used one-handed.
• A weapon the same size as you is "one-handed" (should really change that to "standard", or something of the sort, as suggested in this thread), and can be used one- or two-handed.
• A weapon one size larger than you are is "heavy", and must be used two-handed.
• When using a weapon one-handed, attack rolls are modified by Dex, and apply normal Str mod to damage (or half for off hand).
• When using a weapon two-handed, attack rolls are modified by Str, and apply 1.5x Str mod to damage.
• Weapon Finesse lets you overcome weakness with agility, thus applying Dex to weapons even when used two-handed.
• Weapon Power lets you overcome clumsiness with force, thus applying Str to weapons even when used one-handed.

Hasn't caused any troubles yet. (Of course, we've made rather more significant changes to weapon usage than just this, but that part should work on its own just fine.)

 

[Zander]

I have also been toying with the idea of locking "standard" (formerly 'medium' or 'one-handed') weapons to being used with one hand. For example, one couldn't use a long sword in two hands.

Mixing real-world experience into a fantasy game is always going to be tricky, but I wouldn't rule that medium weapons can only be used one handed. I've held genuine 15th and 16th century European swords. Of the ones that I've handled that would be considered long swords in D&D, all could be used (more) effectively with two hands.

 

[Gez]

Light weapon, weapon, heavy weapon.

No descriptor for the "average" category. Use descriptors only when needed.