ProudGrognard
2012-09-22, 07:09 AM
In the grand scheme of things DnD, the availability of weapons in the Pathfinder/3.5 is not a big issue. There are numerous choices for numerous things. However, there are two issues that have always bugged me.
The first is the absence of Exotic bows. Exotic crossbows are there in plenty, as well as racial weapons. However, it seems that, in all the planes and parallel universes that have spawned weapons like the halfling staff sling and the goblin horse-chopper, no one managed to come up with an improvement for the bow. So, what would an exotic bow look like?
Perhaps it would give a flat +1 to its damage, due to its construction from rare woods treated with alchemical oils? Perhaps it would have a higher crit range or a larger damage? Exapnded range? All of the above? I would probably go for 1d10 for medium creatures, with a slightly enhanced range. Something like this:
Gaverian composite longbow (exotic, ranged): Small 1d8/ Medium 1d10, x3, 120 ft.
I also find the orc racial weapons strange. Everywhere they are depicted as brutal, menacing, unsophisticated killing machines, but their racial weapons are double weapons, which require a certain... finesse to use. I would replace one of them with a large slashing/bludgeoning weapon, ideal for the modern frothing orc barbarian. Something like this:
Orcish falchion (exotic, two-handed): Small:1d8/Medium:1d10, 18–20/×2, S/P, Sunder, Disarm
A fearsome falchion with spikes protruding from the blade, the orcish falchion is unbalanced and unwieldy in the hands of the untrained. When used by someone trained, it can inflict horrible wounds that bleed profusely and it is ideal for catching and breaking other weapons.
Finally, I always thought that the concept of the exotic can and should be applied to armor, in a way similar to what Monte Cook had done in his Arcana Evolved. When taking the Exotic Armor Proficiency, a martial character becomes proficient in an exotic armor from each of the categories he is already proficient at. I propose the following:
Chain and leather (Light, exotic): Made from a chain surcoat reenforced with boiled leather knee guards and epulets, chain and leather allows the trained user to cover his vulnerabilities with small movements, while remaining light and silent. Armor bonus: +4, Max Dex +4, no skill penalty
Studded hide shirt (Light, exotic): Made from the thick hide of animals, this shirt has then been used to create studded leather.
Armor bonus: +5, Max Dex +5, -2 penalty
Breastplate and leather (medium, exotic): A combination of a breastplate with the stout leggings and under armor of the leather armor.
Armor bonus: +7, Max Dex +4, -4 penalty
Studded leather coat (medium, exotic): This armor has been made from different types of thick and soft leather, and reinforced with small studs whenever possible.
Armor bonus: +5, Max Dex +5, -1 penalty
Reinforced plate armor (heavy, exotic): This is full plate armor, whose key areas have been treated with extra steel reinforcements and sliding plates of metal. The shifting nature of the plate means that it needs special training to harness its full benefits.
Armor bonus: +10, Max Dex +2, -6 penalty
Bashing shield (shield, exotic): This shield has been carved from lightweight steel and especially angled to maximize the force of a shield bash. It enables the protection of a heavy steel shield, while counting as light for off hand attacks.
Shield bonus: +2, -2 penalty
Reinforced shield (shield, exotic): Constructed with shifting plates of steel, this shield makes its user very hard to hit accurately.
Shield bonus: +3, -2 penalty
Gauntlet buckler: This marvel of shield design attaches a buckler in a special gauntlet that allows the trained user to move it out of the way when fighting in the melee. The wielder of a gauntlet buckler does not suffer a -1 to penalty to melee.
Covering shield: This variant tower shield has been carefully engineered to provide all the benefits of the tower shield, while weighting less. The trained user can use it as a tower shield, but he suffers only a -1 to attack rolls when it is strapped on. Moreover, the covering shield has a maximum dexterity bonus of +3.
EDIT: It seems that both the bow and the exotic shields already exist in the Races of Stone, in a very similar format. Still, I take that as a sign that the above suggestions are on good track. I also noticed that a buckler is missing. I added one that does away with the -1 to melee. I also added a variant tower shield.
What do you think? Do the above make sense?
The first is the absence of Exotic bows. Exotic crossbows are there in plenty, as well as racial weapons. However, it seems that, in all the planes and parallel universes that have spawned weapons like the halfling staff sling and the goblin horse-chopper, no one managed to come up with an improvement for the bow. So, what would an exotic bow look like?
Perhaps it would give a flat +1 to its damage, due to its construction from rare woods treated with alchemical oils? Perhaps it would have a higher crit range or a larger damage? Exapnded range? All of the above? I would probably go for 1d10 for medium creatures, with a slightly enhanced range. Something like this:
Gaverian composite longbow (exotic, ranged): Small 1d8/ Medium 1d10, x3, 120 ft.
I also find the orc racial weapons strange. Everywhere they are depicted as brutal, menacing, unsophisticated killing machines, but their racial weapons are double weapons, which require a certain... finesse to use. I would replace one of them with a large slashing/bludgeoning weapon, ideal for the modern frothing orc barbarian. Something like this:
Orcish falchion (exotic, two-handed): Small:1d8/Medium:1d10, 18–20/×2, S/P, Sunder, Disarm
A fearsome falchion with spikes protruding from the blade, the orcish falchion is unbalanced and unwieldy in the hands of the untrained. When used by someone trained, it can inflict horrible wounds that bleed profusely and it is ideal for catching and breaking other weapons.
Finally, I always thought that the concept of the exotic can and should be applied to armor, in a way similar to what Monte Cook had done in his Arcana Evolved. When taking the Exotic Armor Proficiency, a martial character becomes proficient in an exotic armor from each of the categories he is already proficient at. I propose the following:
Chain and leather (Light, exotic): Made from a chain surcoat reenforced with boiled leather knee guards and epulets, chain and leather allows the trained user to cover his vulnerabilities with small movements, while remaining light and silent. Armor bonus: +4, Max Dex +4, no skill penalty
Studded hide shirt (Light, exotic): Made from the thick hide of animals, this shirt has then been used to create studded leather.
Armor bonus: +5, Max Dex +5, -2 penalty
Breastplate and leather (medium, exotic): A combination of a breastplate with the stout leggings and under armor of the leather armor.
Armor bonus: +7, Max Dex +4, -4 penalty
Studded leather coat (medium, exotic): This armor has been made from different types of thick and soft leather, and reinforced with small studs whenever possible.
Armor bonus: +5, Max Dex +5, -1 penalty
Reinforced plate armor (heavy, exotic): This is full plate armor, whose key areas have been treated with extra steel reinforcements and sliding plates of metal. The shifting nature of the plate means that it needs special training to harness its full benefits.
Armor bonus: +10, Max Dex +2, -6 penalty
Bashing shield (shield, exotic): This shield has been carved from lightweight steel and especially angled to maximize the force of a shield bash. It enables the protection of a heavy steel shield, while counting as light for off hand attacks.
Shield bonus: +2, -2 penalty
Reinforced shield (shield, exotic): Constructed with shifting plates of steel, this shield makes its user very hard to hit accurately.
Shield bonus: +3, -2 penalty
Gauntlet buckler: This marvel of shield design attaches a buckler in a special gauntlet that allows the trained user to move it out of the way when fighting in the melee. The wielder of a gauntlet buckler does not suffer a -1 to penalty to melee.
Covering shield: This variant tower shield has been carefully engineered to provide all the benefits of the tower shield, while weighting less. The trained user can use it as a tower shield, but he suffers only a -1 to attack rolls when it is strapped on. Moreover, the covering shield has a maximum dexterity bonus of +3.
EDIT: It seems that both the bow and the exotic shields already exist in the Races of Stone, in a very similar format. Still, I take that as a sign that the above suggestions are on good track. I also noticed that a buckler is missing. I added one that does away with the -1 to melee. I also added a variant tower shield.
What do you think? Do the above make sense?