D&D 4E Weapon Sizes must die in 4E

[Ranger REG]

Yes.

According to RAW, but I hope that change.

 

[Campbell]

Unfortunately, SECR don't have a wizard class with a profiency with a knife or dagger. They also don't have a Storm Giant that may want to choose a wizard class but can't use a human-sized knife or dagger that he is proficient with.

The only gripe about the 3.5e weapon size rule is the weapon size penalty application. I think weapon size penalty should only apply if it is too big for you to handle, unless it can be wielded with two hands. A human trying to use an Ogre's longsword one-handed should be penalize, but using an Ogre's longsword two-handed should not.

If the weapon is smaller than the hand of the user, then it can't be used at all.

Star Wars Saga also uses Weapon Groups with weapons in each category usually ranging from Tiny to Large. It's relatively easy to extend this to include weapons for larger creatures.

 

[variant]

According to RAW, but I hope that change.

I think weapon sizes make perfect sense. A longsword and a short sword are built completely different.

 

[Alt Boy!]

Weapon sizes in 3.5 are not too complex, and I think are a good way to handle it, if you want that level of realism...

HOWEVER... I don't know how anyone can justify that level of realism when magical plate mail perfectly resizes to fit an elf, a dwarf, and a human.

 

[MarkB]

According to RAW, but I hope that change.

Nope, the question was whether Frodo should be taking a penalty for wielding a weapon sized for an elf, and I agree that the answer is "yes".

Weapon sizes in 3.5 are not too complex, and I think are a good way to handle it, if you want that level of realism...

HOWEVER... I don't know how anyone can justify that level of realism when magical plate mail perfectly resizes to fit an elf, a dwarf, and a human.

But not to fit a wearer of different size, i.e. human-to-halfling or gnome-to-elf.

 

[Marshall]

Nope, the question was whether Frodo should be taking a penalty for wielding a weapon sized for an elf, and I agree that the answer is "yes".

Why? If he is proficient with a 12" sword, he is proficient with a 12" sword.

But not to fit a wearer of different size, i.e. human-to-halfling or gnome-to-elf.

You really think that Humans, Elves and Dwarves are the same size? See the Pixie and Halfling argument above.

Heck, even Normal plate mail is considered to be one-size-fits-all within the category. Why toss out realism in one area and create artificial, and badly designed, realism in another?

 

[MarkB]

Why? If he is proficient with a 12" sword, he is proficient with a 12" sword.

But not necessarily with a sword whose grip is nearly twice as broad as he can comfortably hold, and which is balanced to be wielded by a creature with twice his height and reach.

You really think that Humans, Elves and Dwarves are the same size? See the Pixie and Halfling argument above.

Heck, even Normal plate mail is considered to be one-size-fits-all within the category.

No, it isn't. Full plate is custom-built to fit an individual wearer, and costs 2d4X100 gold pieces to re-work for another creature of the same size. Personally, I'd say all non-magical armour should have similar restrictions.

 

[Khairn]

The only change in 3.5 I didn't like was the whacky stuff they did to weapon sizes. Small longswords and Medium longswords. Small greatswords and Medium greatswords.

Needless overcomplication that only served to muddy up the weapon charts and confuse my players. I've never met another player that actually even used these rules. They all ignored them. (or didn't understand them)

Anyone else feel the same way? I sure hope that the strange size variations in weapons goes *poof* in 4E.

I used the size rules from 3.5 and AE, and none of my players ever had a problem either understanding them or including them in play. It made sense to us, especially when the size of a race (small, Med, Large) had such an important impact in certain situations.

I can't see why some players have problems understanding the rules, but that's why every table has its own house rules.

 

[Marshall]

But not necessarily with a sword whose grip is nearly twice as broad as he can comfortably hold, and which is balanced to be wielded by a creature with twice his height and reach.

So the -2 is based on how the grip is wrapped? I dont think so.
A 12" Blade is a 12" blade whether its called a Med Short Sword or a Small Long Sword.
The 'Balance" of the blade is more dependant on the style of the weapon, which neither 3e or 3.5 give a rats fig about.

Grip is a style matter also, again, an under-the-radar assumption. You also get into the strength of material issue. Is a Small Spear half the diameter of a Med Spear? No. It would snap the first time its used. There is only so far you can go before these things become unuseable.

 

[MarkB]

So the -2 is based on how the grip is wrapped? I dont think so.
A 12" Blade is a 12" blade whether its called a Med Short Sword or a Small Long Sword.
The 'Balance" of the blade is more dependant on the style of the weapon, which neither 3e or 3.5 give a rats fig about.

Grip is a style matter also, again, an under-the-radar assumption. You also get into the strength of material issue. Is a Small Spear half the diameter of a Med Spear? No. It would snap the first time its used. There is only so far you can go before these things become unuseable.

Sure, individual weapon styles are abstracted, but you can abstract something while still accounting for it to some degree within the rules. 3.5e's -2 penalty for a mis-sized weapon does this, and rightly so in my opinion. A weapon designed to be wielded by a person over five feet tall is, generally speaking, going to be awkward in the hands of a person half that size, whose limbs and appendages are also proportionally much smaller - and vice versa.

Honestly, if you were handed a longsword that was almost two metres long, whose hilt was twice as long as it needed to be for a dual-handed grip and so broad you couldn't even close your hands around it, would you really be able to wield it as adeptly as you could a normal-sized greatsword? That's a halfling wielding a Medium longsword.