Weapon Special Abilties - Too Powerful?

[Azure Trance]

In FORGED IN MAGIC and STONE & STEEL two types of weapon special abilities are discussed. In FIM it's called Scaling, and in S&S it's called Potent. Essentially they increase the weapons size for damage related purposes only - physically it stays the same. Scaling is only a dab, with a +1 for one size upgrade and +2 for two sizes. Potent has a higher entry cost at +2 for one size upgrade, but travels the breadth all the way up to +5 (four increased weapon sizes later). So:

+1 / 1Sz, +2 / 2Sz
+2 / 1Sz, +3 / 2Sz, +4 / 3Sz, +5 / 4Sz

The second one is just in FIM and is called "reaching." Described as an effortless extension, it gives a reach bonus to a melee weapon.

+1 / +5R
+2 / +10R
+3 / +15R

The inevitable question - are they too powerful? Should I feel guilty for using them (predominately on NPCs, to make the PCs wince and shriek)?

 

[Crothian]

That's a bunch of extra damage if I'm reading this right. This really deoends too much on the base damage of the weapon. For instance increasing the damage of a dagger from a d4 to a d6 isn't near as good as increasing the damge of a 2 handed sword from 2d6 to 2d8. I think that's what it would be.

And the reach seems to be too strong as well. I've seen reach devistate a combat. Both seem really good.

 

[Azure Trance]

I've had many thoughts about a monkey gripped great sword with rank IV potent on it. I canna help it.

 

[Ackem]

I would maybe allow the 5 foot reach increase for +2. That's it.

Increased weapon sizing is far too powerful and far too inconsistent to allow anything else. My head hurts with the thought of just adding the 1S increase enchantment, which would vary in increasing damage by an average of 1 for a PC's Scimitar or by 7 for that Giant's Morningstar. It would be either too weak for PC's or pure DM rat-bastardry for monsters depending on how you price it. And increases of greater then 1 size are unspeakable evil that simply should not exist. That +5 Potent enchantment would increase a Medium Bastard Sword's average damage by 21.5, and it's worse when you start with larger then Medium weapons.

I would allow a +2 reaching increase based on the precedent of the comparison between the Spiked Chain and the Falchion. There 5 feet of reach is exchanged for approximately 3 average damage (a feat is worth +2 damage) and still converts one of the worst weapons to one of the best. Since a +1 to a weapon is worth slightly less then 3 damage (based on the Elemental Enchanments), then we can figure that 5 feet of reach is slightly better then just a +1. So I'ld err on the same side as caution and not making it an absolute must-have enchantment and boost it to a +2.

 

[Azure Trance]

I appreciate your anyalsis and commentary, and find it quite useful

 

[Zack2216]

Hmmm. I think that the potent enhancement should be based on what kind of weapon it is. Like this:

+1 for 1 size inc. for a light weapon
+2 for 1 size inc. for a 1-handed weapon
+3 for 1 size inc. for a 2-handed weapon

I don't mind that the enhancement can be taken multiple times. That, and spending 200,000 on a +1 greatsword that deals 6d6 damage.

edit:
Hmmm, now that I think about it, an shortsword +1 that has this enhancement on it 9 times is easily more powerful than said greatsword. Hmm, maybe it should be +3 for all weapons, that way a bigger g. sword always does more damage than a similarly enhanced smaller weapon.

blast, forgot about epic rules...