Redesigning Weapons -- Both for Accuracy and Balance!

[Voice of Kerensky]

I'm posting this here as it's more of a "for fun" thing than any intended change, though it's one I'd personally welcome. If I could take the default weapons from NWN and both make them a little more accurate and try to balance them to give them a little more purpose, this is what it'd look like. For now, melee only.

Simple Weapons: These, by and large, are exactly what it says in the name. They are mostly comprised of common peasant tools and objects easily adapted to use as weapons. Chances are, if you can pick one of these up, you can figure out a way to use it effectively rather easily. As all of these weapons are rather purpose-built and... simple, they all have one damage type.

Martial Weapons: These are the proper weapons of warfare and combat, commonly available in Faerun. For the investment, these are typically well-rounded and useful weapons. As combat weapons tend to either need to be highly versatile or highly specialized, most of these have either 2 damage types or a very niche role.

Exotic Weapons: These weapons are either quite foreign and rare to faerun, very specific, or take an immense of amount of training and skill to use as a weapon. However, the reward is usually worth the investment in some way.


Simple Weapons

1-Handed:

Club: The most basic of weapons, basically anything from a stick to a bone that you can pick up and use as a bludgeon. While otherwise unspectacular, it is the only non-exotic bludgeoning weapon that can be used with finesse. 1d6, bludgeoning, 20x2, finesse.

Dagger: A simple two-edged knife that is good for stabbing, commonly used as much as a tool as a weapon. While not as deadly as some other weapons, it is very easy to wield. Due its tiny size, even a halfling can easily wield it in the off-hand. 1d6, piercing, 19-20x2, light, finesse.

Handaxe: A small, simple chopping tool that can be repurposed as a nasty weapon easily enough. Its relative small size and ease of use make it a more brutal weapon for finesse fighters to use. 1d6, slashing, 20x3, light, finesse.

Light Hammer: A tool used for repairing fences, crafting armor, and so on. Like the club, it can be repurposed for hitting things, though a crafted head makes it more readily capable of deadly blows. 1d6, bludgeoning, 20x3.

Mace: While purely a weapon, it is incredibly simple to use, similar to the club. A crafted head of some sort makes it more likely to land deadly blows, but also makes it less easy to wield than a simple club may be. 1d6, bludgeoning, 19-20x2.

Light Flail: A small tool for threshing grain that consists of a threshing shaft attached to a chain. It can also be used for threshing heads. The use of the chain can impart considerable momentum, but makes it harder to control in combat. 1d8, bludgeoning, 20x2.

Sickle: A traditional farming and harvesting tool, the sickle can be easily repurposed to be used as a rather nasty cutting weapon, if not the most efficient at penetrating armor or wielding for precise strikes. 1d8, slashing, 19-20x2.


2-Handed:

Spear: The weapon of ages, a simple group of peasants armed with spears and instilled with a little discipline can make a very quickly summoned fighting force. Not too much complicated here: pointy end goes towards the enemy. 1d8, piercing, 19-20x2.

Scythe: A large farming tool, sweeping motions that can be used to slice through swathes of grain can likewise me used to slice through swathes of people. Crude, but brutal. 2d4, slashing, 20x3.

Heavy Flail: The full-sized flail is every bit as effective as its lighter counterpart, and even moreso, impacting heavier blows with its increased weight and the momentum imparted. It's no less ungainly, however. 1d10, bludgeoning, 20x2.


Double-Sided:

Quarterstaff: While little more than a glorified walking stick, the quarterstaff can easily be turned into a simple weapon that's easy to wield and as deadly on one end as it is on the other. 1d6, bludgeoning, 20x2.


Martial Weapons

1-Handed:

Rapier: A long, thin sword used for thrusting. It can deliver quick, accurate blows. 1d6, piercing, 18-20x2, finesse.

Scimitar: Particularly useful as a cavalry sword, the curved blade of the scimitar allows for very nasty, accurate slices. 1d8, slashing, 18-20x2.

Short Sword: Also known as the long knife, gladius, and many other names. A short, versatile blade. 1d8, slashing and piercing, 19-20x2, light, finesse.

Arming Sword: The traditional full-length 1-handed sword, commonly used as a sidearm or with a shield. 1d10, slashing and piercing, 19-20x2.

Battle Axe: A 1-handed axe built purely for war, much leaner and deadlier than its wood-chopping cousins. 1d10, slashing, 20x3.

Warhammer: Like the hammer tool, but purposed towards punching through armor and concussing foes. 2d4, bludgeoning, 20x3.

Morningstar: Adapts the flail to a purely military purpose, extending the chain to a mace-like head. 1d8, bludgeoning and piercing, 19-20x2.


2-Handed:

Greataxe: Though a fantastic chopper, its long haft and weight can be used to bludgeon as well. 1d12, slashing and bludgeoning, 20x3.

Longsword (Bastard): An extremely versatile and powerful sword, traditional knightly weapon. 2d6, slashing and piercing, 19-20x2.

Halberd: The medieval can-opener, it hooks, stabs, slices, dices, and makes julienne fries. 2d4, slashing and piercing, 20x4


Double-Weapon:

Dire Mace: The dire mace essentially takes the traditional quarterstaff, adds banding and flanged or spiked heads to the end. 1d8, bludgeoning, 19-20x2.


Exotic Weapons

1-Handed:

Whip: A more combat-oriented and lethal version of the traditional whip, often made out of stiff animal hide or chain. Very deadly in the right hands, and quite effective at disarming foes. It can be turned on end and used like a flail as well. 1d6, slashing and bludgeoning, 19-20x2, finesse, disarm.

Kukri: An exotic, nasty knife used in ceremony and execution. It's distinctly curved blade makes it an extremely deadly slicer, possibly making it worth the time to learn for those who enjoy efficiency. 1d6, slashing, 18-20x2, light, finesse.

Kama: Farming tools from far-off lands similar to the sickle in purpose, but given a more martial application as well. Their smaller size makes them a bit more gainly and easier to use one in each hand. 1d8, slashing, 19-20x2, light, finesse.

Dwarven Waraxe: Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu! The axes of the dwarves are every bit as nasty as a 2-handed axe, and while they do not quite have the heft or grip to bludgeon as effectively, they can thrust as well as they can chop, often possessing a spike. 1d12, slashing and piercing, 20x3.


2-Handed:

Greatsword: The king of swords, these large blades can be used just as much as pikes as cutting blades. Likewise, they can be turned around in a half-sword wield and make an effective impromptu mace. Extreme versatility requires extreme skill, however. 3d4, slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing, 19-20x2.

Katana: An exotic Kara-Turan cavalry sword and sidearm that's basically the bigger, nastier cousin of the scimitar. Designed with a two-handed hilt to allow for maximum slicing effectiveness. 1d10, slashing, 18-20x2.

Trident: Once a lowly fisher's tool, the trident, like the pitchfork has been adapted to military use. An ancient design, military versions have evolved to have very close tines, allowing for a sufficiently skilled user to catch and twist the blades of surprised opponents. 1d10, piercing, 19-20x2, disarm.


Double-Weapon:

Double Axe: If the dwarves like axes, than the orcs like two. Preferably, on the same weapon. Because quite frankly, when you're a 7-8 ft. mass of angry muscle, why not have more axe? Having the weight of two axes imparts more force to each swing. 2d6, slashing, 20x3.

Two-Bladed Sword: A more elegant weapon from a more civilized age. That's what the elves would likely say about it, anyhow. An extremely elegant weapon that's every bit as graceful and efficient as the double axe is aggressive and brutal. 1d12, slashing and piercing, 19-20x2.


Well, that was fun.

[valiea987]

I'd be really sad with the Bastard Sword becoming a 2 handed weapon only.

In the interest of this being more of a fun thread: I doubt it is possible in NWN coding, but it would be neat to add weapon versatility from P&P to it. Maybe mix that with your list here. If you have Martial, you can use the weapon as a 2 handed weapon for 2d6. If you have Exotic, you can use it as a one handed (Monkey Grip like), but you can't wield it with as much strength so it is 1d10 instead.

[thorien]

What most of games omit, is the fact that two handed grip on a sword (Of course I'm talking about fencing weapon like bastard or katana, not flamberg or greatsword), gives you much more defensive ability than one hand. Parrying and blocking is much easier using two hands, for obvious reasons.

[onivel]

[thorien]

I was always more like dog person.

[Vincent07]

I'm just gonna +1 Oni's reply here.  While I will be altering some things, not to this extent.

[suddenperihelion]

Just because you might find this mildly interesting Psappho -

www.tsr-nwn.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31

Most of those changes only make sense in the context of the feat overhauls, though.

Only change that's really applicable to C-D is the possibility of making throwing axes use the same focus/specialization/etc. feats as handaxes, and making throwing daggers use the same focus/specialization/etc. feats as daggers. This is less a 'realism' thing than an "it works that way in p&p" thing. And also it makes throwing weapon builds more flexible, which is not a bad thing (I've never seen a single dedicated thrower on this server. Ever.)

But yeah - d&d rules were never designed for realism.  If you wanted a realistic NWN, you'd have to replace the d&d ruleset with a more realism-oriented ruleset, like say Riddle of Steel.

[onivel]

May 30, 2015 23:11:03 GMT -5 suddenperihelion said:

Just because you might find this mildly interesting Psappho -

www.tsr-nwn.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31

Most of those changes only make sense in the context of the feat overhauls, though.

Only change that's really applicable to C-D is the possibility of making throwing axes use the same focus/specialization/etc. feats as handaxes, and making throwing daggers use the same focus/specialization/etc. feats as daggers. This is less a 'realism' thing than an "it works that way in p&p" thing. And also it makes throwing weapon builds more flexible, which is not a bad thing (I've never seen a single dedicated thrower on this server. Ever.)

But yeah - d&d rules were never designed for realism.  If you wanted a realistic NWN, you'd have to replace the d&d ruleset with a more realism-oriented ruleset, like say Riddle of Steel.

You haven't seen Jay of the Dark Hand use throwing daggers then   ; )  Rogue/ InvBlade build with weapon focus daggers (yes the IB abilities work with throwing knives)

[suddenperihelion]

May 31, 2015 9:00:50 GMT -5 onivel said:

You haven't seen Jay of the Dark Hand use throwing daggers then   ; )  Rogue/ InvBlade build with weapon focus daggers (yes the IB abilities work with throwing knives)

Oh, maybe that change is already in and I just didn't see the documentation for it!

Regardless, I think it makes some amount of THEMATIC sense (I'm pointedly using the word thematic in contrast to realism) to have throwing daggers be tied to dagger feats and throwing axes be tied to handaxe feats.

[Voice of Kerensky]

May 30, 2015 22:44:23 GMT -5 Vincent07 said:

I'm just gonna +1 Oni's reply here.  While I will be altering some things, not to this extent.

Oof, I don't think that anyone was expecting that! This is more of the type of thing I would do if I were building NWN from the ground up. Just some off topic bored at work lulziness.

[threeguesses]

May 30, 2015 17:29:22 GMT -5 onivel said:

By this argument, I also want to see the equations for gravity and momentum applied.

[onivel]

May 31, 2015 20:53:13 GMT -5 threeguesses said:

May 30, 2015 17:29:22 GMT -5 onivel said:

By this argument, I also want to see the equations for gravity and momentum applied.

Gravity equations in fantasy result in the death of boob crazed elves and all female PCs whose mammaries defy said gravity. Are you sure you want to open up that path? 

[tarriel]

If katanas are made two handed I may have a -slight- mental breakdown >.>

[TheGuyThatPlaysAsJames]

I'm actually in love with the greatsword thing, though. <_< Call me biased.

HEMA for the win?

[thorien]

May 31, 2015 21:02:36 GMT -5 onivel said:

May 31, 2015 20:53:13 GMT -5 threeguesses said:

By this argument, I also want to see the equations for gravity and momentum applied.

Gravity equations in fantasy result in the death of boob crazed elves and all female PCs whose mammaries defy said gravity. Are you sure you want to open up that path? 

Yes!