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Weirdbob95
2014-07-23, 09:18 PM
Hello!

I was tired of browsing through splatbooks to find a weapon that did what I wanted, so I homebrewed a system to let me create my own.

Important!
This system would probably be broken if you used the normal D&D damage values for each size, so I made my own.
My version is a much smoother progression of damage, and also scales slower into big sizes.

Damage size categories:
1 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 2d6 2d8 2d10 4d6 ...
Average damage:
1 1.5 2 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 7 9 11 14 ...





To make a weapon, simply choose a base to start with, and apply as many qualities as you wish. Some qualities are incompatible with each other, and may not be applied to the same weapon. Qualities can never be applied multiple times.
All weapons start off as One-Handed Martial weapons that deal 1d8 damage. If you want to make a weapon a Two-Handed Exotic weapon, for example, you should apply the Two-Handed and Exotic qualities to change it.

Base options
All bases are One-Handed Martial weapons. All bases deal 1d8 damage. All bases cost 10 gp and weigh 4 pounds.

Piercing
This weapon deals piercing damage. The critical threat range of this weapon is 20, and its critical multiplier is x3.

Slashing
This weapon deals slashing damage. The critical threat range of this weapon is 19-20, and its critical multiplier is x2.

Bludgeoning
This weapon deals bludgeoning damage. The critical threat range of this weapon is 20, and its critical multiplier is x3.


Qualities

Simple
Reduce the damage by one size. The weapon is now a simple weapon. Simple is incompatible with Exotic.

Exotic
Increase the damage by one size. The weapon is now an exotic weapon. Exotic is incompatible with Simple.

Light
Reduce the damage by one size. The weapon is now a light weapon. Light is incompatible with Two-Handed, Double, Anti-Charge, Charging, and Finesse.

Two-Handed
Increase the damage by one size. The weapon is now a two-handed weapon. Two-Handed is incompatible with Light and Double.

Double
Reduce the damage by one size. The weapon is now a two-handed double weapon. Double is incompatible with Light and Two-Handed.

Anti-Charge
This weapon deals double damage when readied against a charge, similarly to a spear or a trident. Anti-Charge can only be applied to piercing weapons. Anti-Charge is incompatible with Light.

Cavalry
Reduce the damage by one size. This weapon deals double damage when used while charging on a mount, similarly to a lance. Charging can only be applied to piercing weapons. Charging is incompatible with Light.

Finesse
The weapon is now a finesse weapon. Finesse weapons can be used with the feat Weapon Finesse, but cannot be held in 2 hands for 1 ½ Str to damage. Finesse is incompatible with Light.

Nonlethal
This weapon deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage.

Powerful Criticals
Reduce the damage by one size. If the weapon is a slashing weapon, the critical threat range improves to 18-20. If the weapon is a piercing or bludgeoning weapon, the critical multiplier improves to x4. Powerful Criticals is incompatible with Weak Criticals.

Reach (close, far)
The weapon is now a reach weapon. If the weapon can be used against adjacent enemies, reduce the damage by two sizes.

Throwing (melee, ranged)
The weapon can now be thrown, with a range increment of 30 feet (20 feet if it’s a light weapon). If the weapon can still be used in melee without being considered an improvised weapon, reduce the damage by one size and reduce the range increment by 10 feet.

Tripping
Reduce the damage by one size. The weapon can now be used to make trip attempts and gains a +2 bonus on disarm attempts, similarly to a spiked chain or a guisarme.

Weak Criticals
Increase the damage by one size. If the weapon is a slashing weapon, the critical threat range decreases to 20. If the weapon is a piercing or a bludgeoning weapon, the critical multiplier decreases to x2. Weak Criticals is incompatible with Powerful Criticals.





To test the balance of this system, I made a few example weapons, similar to the ones in the PHB:

Dart
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Light, Throwing (ranged)
Changes: x3 instead of x2 crit multiplier

Greatsword
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Two-Handed, Weak Criticals
Changes: 20 instead of 19-20 critical threat range

Guisarme
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Two-Handed, Reach (far), Tripping
Changes: piercing instead of slashing, 1d8 instead of 2d4 damage

Halberd
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Two-Handed, Tripping, Anti-Charge
Changes: 1d8 instead of 1d10 damage, piercing damage only

Javelin
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Throwing (ranged)
Changes: x3 instead of x2 crit multiplier

Katana
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Exotic
Changes: None (from bastard sword)

Kusari-Gama
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Exotic, Light, Reach (close), Tripping, Weak Criticals
Changes: 1d4 instead of 1d6 damage

Lance
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Two-Handed, Cavalry, Reach (far)
Changes: cannot be used in one hand while mounted

Longspear
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Two-Handed, Reach (far), Anti-Charge
Changes: None

Punching Dagger
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Light
Changes: None

Quarterstaff
Base: Bludgeoning
Qualities: Simple, Double, Weak Criticals
Changes: None

Rapier
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Finesse, Powerful Criticals
Changes: slashing instead of piercing

Scythe
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Two-Handed, Powerful Criticals
Changes: piercing damage only, 1d8 instead of 2d4 damage, cannot trip

Shortspear
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Throwing (melee), Weak Criticals
Changes: None

Spear
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Simple, Two-Handed, Throwing (melee), Anti-Charge, Weak Criticals
Changes: x2 instead of x3 crit multiplier

Spiked Chain
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Exotic, Two-Handed, Tripping, Reach (close), Finesse, Weak Criticals
Changes: 1d8 instead of 2d4 damage

Sugliin
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Exotic, Two-Handed, Weak Criticals
Changes: no longer has reach, doesn’t require a full-round action

(Throwing) Dagger
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Simple, Light, Throwing (ranged)
Changes: slashing damage only,-4 when used in melee

Trident
Base: Piercing
Qualities: Throwing (melee), Weak Criticals, Anti-Charge
Changes: 20 feet instead of 10 feet range increment

Two-Bladed Sword
Base: Slashing
Qualities: Exotic, Double
Changes: None



Thanks for reading this far! Please tell me what you think of this system, and what you believe I should change about it.

Ilinoris
2014-07-24, 08:35 AM
I like the concept alot!
Seems like an easy use, but I think you are missing Martial Weapons..? No?
Also, Powerful Criticals seems dangerously good to me. If you also take feats to increase your threat range then well... :smalleek:

Weirdbob95
2014-07-24, 10:36 AM
I like the concept alot!
Seems like an easy use, but I think you are missing Martial Weapons..? No?
Also, Powerful Criticals seems dangerously good to me. If you also take feats to increase your threat range then well... :smalleek:

Thanks!
Sorry if it wasn't clear, weapons are by default One-Handed Martial Weapons until you change them to something else. I'll edit the OP to try to make it more clear.
Powerful Criticals lets you increase the threat range from 19-20 to 18-20. It lets you create weapons similar to the kukri, rapier, and falchion in the SRD here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm
Taking feats and other abilities to increase your threat range is still a powerful strategy, but I don't think it's any stronger than normal D&D.

jqavins
2014-07-24, 11:56 AM
Powerful Criticals lets you increase the threat range from 19-20 to 18-20. It lets you create weapons similar to the kukri, rapier, and falchion in the SRD here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm
Taking feats and other abilities to increase your threat range is still a powerful strategy, but I don't think it's any stronger than normal D&D.
Indeed. A character with Improved Weapon Focus, Improved Weapon Specialization, and Improved Critical all in Rapier is a fearsome thing despite the low (1d6) base weapon damage.

What about weight and price? You give them for the base, but one needs to know how they change with the various qualities.

And how about adding a quality Heavy that just increases the damage category. It would be incompatible with Light but that's probably about all. Otherwise, how is one ever going to get into the big damage categories?

Weirdbob95
2014-07-24, 12:46 PM
What about weight and price? You give them for the base, but one needs to know how they change with the various qualities.

And how about adding a quality Heavy that just increases the damage category. It would be incompatible with Light but that's probably about all. Otherwise, how is one ever going to get into the big damage categories?

Weight and price aren't there because the SRD weapons don't seem to follow a pattern at all. A quick draft would be simple weapons cost half, exotic cost double, light weapons weigh half, and two-handed weapons weigh and cost double. Do you have ideas on how I could make this more interesting?

I don't like the idea of a quality that doesn't come with any significant downsides. Everyone making a weapon would take it without any thought. I used to have a quality "Well-Crafted", which increased the cost and damage, but it was a no-brainer to just stick it on every weapon you create.
Also, I don't see the need for a quality that increases damage more. For example, greatswords have the highest damage of all the weapons in the SRD, at 2d6. A weapon with the Two-Handed and Weak Criticals qualities also has 2d6 damage.

jqavins
2014-07-24, 03:51 PM
Weight and price aren't there because the SRD weapons don't seem to follow a pattern at all. A quick draft would be simple weapons cost half, exotic cost double, light weapons weigh half, and two-handed weapons weigh and cost double. Do you have ideas on how I could make this more interesting?
Not really.

I don't like the idea of a quality that doesn't come with any significant downsides. Everyone making a weapon would take it without any thought. I used to have a quality "Well-Crafted", which increased the cost and damage, but it was a no-brainer to just stick it on every weapon you create.
Also, I don't see the need for a quality that increases damage more. For example, greatswords have the highest damage of all the weapons in the SRD, at 2d6. A weapon with the Two-Handed and Weak Criticals qualities also has 2d6 damage.
I figured it would increase both weight and cost. Really, I asked because you included higher damage in your little chart at the top of the post but no way to get it.