D&D 4E Why do weapons have different damage in 4e?

[Mathew_Freeman]

Lizard - I think it's an interesting idea and I can see the logic of it.

Hopefully it won't be necessary if the details of different weapons having different powers associated with them turn out to be correct. It'll make each weapon significantly different and makes fighters better with them than other characters, without a reworking of the rules.

I want to say your idea would make things "bland", but that's too negative a word.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Well I'm not sure that weapon type being irrelevent is necesarily a good trait. But neither is having only one "good" option. The key is to balance them so that there are times when that d12 weapon with +1 to hit is better and there are times when that d4 weapon with +3 to hit is better. Whether 4e succesfully does that or not remains to be seen.

As for knights and daggers, I seriously doubt that the best option when facing a knight with a sword and shield on the battlefield was to throw away your sword/axe and pull out a dagger. The dagger might be more effective in a graple or if you catch him by surprise but it's hardly the weapon to use in a regular melee.

Right, a sword or mace was the right weapon.

But the two handed and awkward great axe? That was right out

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Lizard - I think it's an interesting idea and I can see the logic of it.

Hopefully it won't be necessary if the details of different weapons having different powers associated with them turn out to be correct. It'll make each weapon significantly different and makes fighters better with them than other characters, without a reworking of the rules.

I want to say your idea would make things "bland", but that's too negative a word.

An good summary of my thoughts on the matter, but I'm slightly more bullish on the idea than Tallarn.

 

[Nytmare]

This was always something that I really liked about the FUDGE system, even though I've never had a chance to play it.

I don't think, however, that it's something D&D could have survived with, had they adopted it. A boat can only be rocked so far before it tips over.

 

[Bluenose]

Right, a sword or mace was the right weapon.

But the two handed and awkward great axe? That was right out

Quoting Froissart:

Oftentimes the adventure of amours and of war are more fortunate and marvellous than any man can think or wish. Truly this battle, the which was near to Poitiers in the fields of Beauvoir and Maupertuis, was right great and perilous, and many deeds of arms there was done the which all came not to knowledge. The fighters on both sides endured much pain: king John with his own hands did that day marvels in arms: he had an axe in his hands wherewith he defended himself and fought in the breaking of the press. Near to the king there was taken the earl of Tancarville, sir Jaques of Bourbon car] of Ponthieu, and the lord John of Artois earl of Eu, and a little above that under the banner of the captal of Buch was taken sir Charles of Artois and divers other knights and squires.

That's the King of France using a greataxe in battle. It doesn't sound as if he did too badly with it, either. It's not a common weapon in anything I've read, but it's still respected. Mace, Warhammer, and some types of flail also are regarded as formidable.

 

[Wormwood]

If hit points are now purely narrative (as both the minion and healing rules indicate), then why cling to the simulationist (and actually not entirely accurate) notion of differential weapon damage? Why not have weapon damage be CLASS based, as a reflection of general combat prowess, i.e,.

Interesting idea, and one I'll definitely consider.

 

[Lizard]

NWoD, yo!

My DA:V character, who chose a claymore because it did something like +8D damage, disagrees.

Damn, I'm sorry that campaign ended so early. Something about rolling 14d10 and saying "Soak this!" was really fun...

 

[TheWyrd]

Dark Ages != New World of Darkness.

 

[Mort_Q]

An interesting take... Thanks.

 

[DSRilk]

I think it has more to do with character concept. As a general rule... players that use giant two handed hammers expect that they will get big, crushing damage (see the 6d6 damage done at first level by the fighter in KotS). The player would rather hit a little less often as long as when they did, they got the image of the NPC thinking he got hit by a truck after one blow. In the same way, people who pick daggers more often conceive of a character thrusting many times rapidly, riddling their opponent with holes. The "assassin" style dagger usage is covered by things like daily powers that do 6W damage but can only be used with a dagger or garrote. Mathematically it might all come out the same, but the feel of it is a bit different.