[3.5] Mundane Weapon Modifiers (PEACH)

[Drakevarg]

Something I whipped up in a fit of insomnia. Sure plenty of people have done this before, but what the hey.

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{table=head]Weapon Description|
Modifier|Cost|

Masterwork|
+1 Atk/+1 Dmg|
x2|

Fine|
+1 Dmg|
x1.5|

Balanced|
+1 Atk|
x1.5|

Normal|
--|
--|

Imbalanced|
-1 Atk|
/1.5|

Poor|
-1 Dmg|
/1.5|

Crude|
-1 Atk/-1 Dmg|
/2|[/table]

{table=head]Armor Description|Modifier|Additional|Cost|

Masterwork|
+1 AC/-1 AP|
Hardness x2|
x2|

Reinforced|
+1 AC|
Hardness x2|
x1.5|

Fitted|
-1 AP|
--|
x1.5|

Normal|
--|
--|
--|

Poor Fitting|
+1 AP|
--|
/1.5|

Weakened|
-1 AC|
Hardness /2|
/1.5|

Crude|
-1 AC/+1 AP|
Hardness /2|
/2|[/table]

{table=head]
Item Name|
Use|
Cost|

Whetstone|
Slashing/Piercing Weapon gains +1 Dmg. No effect on Fine or Masterwork items. Requires DC 15 Craft (Blacksmithing) Check to use. Effect is lost after first critical.|
2 cp|

Weight|
Bludgeoning Weapon gains +1 Dmg. No effect on Fine or Masterwork items. Requires DC 15 Craft (Blacksmithing) Check to use. Effect is lost after first critical.|
2 cp|

Counterweight|
Weapon gains +1 Atk. Balanced or Masterwork items gain -1 Atk. Requires DC 15 Craft (Blacksmithing) Check to use. Must be balanced to the weapon in question.|
/4 Weapon Cost|[/table]

[Spiryt]

Quite nice, but I think that last 3 items need clarification - is this really effect costing 2 cp and rather simple check? Doing the same thing as modifier for much greater cost? :smallconfused:

[Drakevarg]

Quite nice, but I think that last 3 items need clarification - is this really effect costing 2 cp and rather simple check? Doing the same thing as modifier for much greater cost? :smallconfused:

I considered the idea of more expensive items, but really, a whetstone is basically a block of iron, and that's how much they cost in the SRD anyway.

Then I considered the idea of making the item-based bonuses have a time span, but couldn't think of a logical reason for them to wear off.

(Bumped the mousepad and it glitched the post... :smallannoyed:)

Anywho, the only other idea I could think of was to make the normal upgrades simply cost a lot less, but then again, does a masterwork item sound like something that costs an additional 10 gp?

As for the low DCs, those are the SRD DCs for crafting a weapon, which I do agree are ludicrously low.

[Edit]: Adjusted the prices. A 6000gp suit of nonmagical armor seemed almost criminal.

[Spiryt]

I considered the idea of more expensive items, but really, a whetstone is basically a block of iron, and that's how much they cost in the SRD anyway.

Then I considered the idea of making the item-based bonuses have a time span, but couldn't think of a logical reason for them to wear off.



Logic doesn't really need to follow, it's D&D.

Logically, treating the sword with whetstone won't make it close to being "fine" - and whatever "weight" and "counterweight" mean, the same thing apply.

I never personally cared about official rules, if player won't to make "fine" axe, for example, why not, say 60 % of cost, 15 DC check, and needed time?

[Drakevarg]

Logic doesn't really need to follow, it's D&D.

Logically, treating the sword with whetstone won't make it close to being "fine" - and whatever "weight" and "counterweight" mean, the same thing apply.

I never personally cared about official rules, if player won't to make "fine" axe, for example, why not, say 60 % of cost, 15 DC check, and needed time?

Saying "logic need not apply" is lazy. At least in my mind, immersion is the number one priority in a roleplaying game, and personally I'd balk at a twenty dollar whetstone in real life.

And counterweights are just weights put on the opposite-from-business-end of the weapon, with sufficient weight to put the center of balance right at the hilt. The only difference between that and a straight-from-the-forge Balanced weapon would be that the latter has the counterweight built in. I think for those at least I can justify it requiring a specific weight, which costs a quarter as much as the weapon in question.

[Spiryt]

Saying "logic need not apply" is lazy. At least in my mind, immersion is the number one priority in a roleplaying game, and personally I'd balk at a twenty dollar whetstone in real life.

And counterweights are just weights put on the opposite-from-business-end of the weapon, with sufficient weight to put the center of balance right at the hilt. The only difference between that and a straight-from-the-forge Balanced weapon would be that the latter has the counterweight built in. I think for those at least I can justify it requiring a specific weight, which costs a quarter as much as the weapon in question.

Well, then "logically" I haven't seen any ancient or replica weapon, with the CoB right at the hilt, that's pretty pointless. :smallwink:

Similarly, I haven't really seen weapon with some weights fixed to it with "Do it yourself" level of technology.

Weapon were being balanced properly by it's whole shape and dimensions, not weights placed randomly.

In swords case, pommel was only one part of balancing, and definitely not in all swords it had major balancing function anyway.

[J.Gellert]

You could play with the critical modifiers as well.

For example, I am using this:
Whetstone: The weapon's critical threat range is doubled for the first attack you make with it.

Not my idea, but I can't remember where I picked it from right now.

So, other stuff could be:
Double threat range.
+1 critical multiplier
+# on attack rolls to confirm a threat

[Eldan]

How does your version of masterwork interact with +1 magical weapons? Do they now provide no benefits other than, well, being magical against ghosts and creatures with damage reduction?

[Drakevarg]

How does your version of masterwork interact with +1 magical weapons? Do they now provide no benefits other than, well, being magical against ghosts and creatures with damage reduction?

Probably I'd rule that the magical bonus stacks with the mundane bonus to the weapon. So a +1 weapon would technically be a +2 weapon, but only half of the bonus is actually magical.


Similarly, I haven't really seen weapon with some weights fixed to it with "Do it yourself" level of technology.

I own weapons with "do it yourself" counterbalancing. It works fine.


Weapon were being balanced properly by it's whole shape and dimensions, not weights placed randomly.

The weight isn't placed randomly.


In swords case, pommel was only one part of balancing, and definitely not in all swords it had major balancing function anyway.

*shrug* The aforementioned "do it yourself" counterbalanced weapon has an iron weight on the pummel. Does the job pretty well.



Whetstone: The weapon's critical threat range is doubled for the first attack you make with it.

Not gonna mess with crit ranges just yet, but that's inspired a limitations on the "do it yourself" weapon buffs; the strain on the weapon from making a crit removes the bonus.

[Fizban]

I like the "until crit" duration. It makes enough sense, and it doesn't feel like a random penalty the way ending it on a natural 1 would. I like the image of finesse fighters constantly honing their blades, while an axeman or dude with a pick just keeps swinging.

I assume these multipliers are applied to the base weapon? Sadly, this means that anyone optimizing their gear after 2nd level will just buy full masterwork for everything but the heaviest armors. The penalty modifiers will never come up unless you force them on the players either, at which point you're basically just stealing their loot.

The main thing I like here is using the skills for a minor bonus. It's easy enough to whip up some mundane awesomeness rules and balance the prices against magic items, but a combat use for craft skills besides making the weapon itself is new.

[Drakevarg]

The penalty modifiers will never come up unless you force them on the players either, at which point you're basically just stealing their loot.

I dunno about that. For me, the time I had to scale a cliff face is far, far more memorable than the time I killed another room fulla dudes. So if those check penalties comes up, it means I'm about to do something awesome, so the more the better I say.

[Glimbur]

This makes masterwork weapons cheaper and better (barring strange cases like the Repeating Heavy crossbow, which is more expensive and better) than the core rules. +1 damage isn't much, but everyone who is anyone will have it which slightly tilts the game. Did you have a mechanical reason for doing this?

Medium and heavy armor worth wearing become more expensive with these changes than by the book, but for +1 AC this is very cheap. Again, did you have any particular reason to change up the mechanics of the game?

Here's an alternate rule for whetstones: they are assumed to be used as part of normal maintenance. No special effect. Weights, likewise, the weapon is assumed to already be properly weighted.

[Drakevarg]

This makes masterwork weapons cheaper and better (barring strange cases like the Repeating Heavy crossbow, which is more expensive and better) than the core rules. +1 damage isn't much, but everyone who is anyone will have it which slightly tilts the game. Did you have a mechanical reason for doing this?

No. Just wanted to have different levels of weapon quality.


Medium and heavy armor worth wearing become more expensive with these changes than by the book, but for +1 AC this is very cheap. Again, did you have any particular reason to change up the mechanics of the game?

Again, no. Just felt odd that all the armor in the world is built to a gold standard.


Here's an alternate rule for whetstones: they are assumed to be used as part of normal maintenance. No special effect. Weights, likewise, the weapon is assumed to already be properly weighted.

Which of course only completely misses the point entirely. That's how it already works by RAW, so basically what your 'suggestion' is "Don't do this, period."