Which weapon for a caster?

[heavyfuel]

If you're a caster that can't absolutely dominate the game (say, Beguiler, Warmage, Healer), what weapon would you choose? One simple, one martial and one exotic, but no special materials and no magical weapons. It can also be either melee or ranged.

I'd probably go with the Spinning Sword for easy concealment and reach + adjacent. If I didn't feel like spending a feat, the DC's Duom or if restricted to simple weapons the Long Spear

[heavyfuel]

Nothing?

Bump

[Uncle Pine]

Scythe, because you never know when you have to coup-de-grace someone and you automatically confirm a crit on coups-de-grace (even without proficiency).

[With a box]

Scythe, because you never know when you have to coup-de-grace someone and you automatically confirm a crit on coups-de-grace (even without proficiency).

Wait, isn't coups-de-grace a autokill?
Who care about crit if it can oneshot them without it?

[aleucard]

Wait, isn't coups-de-grace a autokill?
Who care about crit if it can oneshot them without it?

The save against auto-kill is determined by how much damage the crit does, if memory serves. And if they make it, they take normal crit damage. Might as well make sure it's as high as possible. There any enchantments or weapon modifications that increast the crit modifier, or boost the damage in a way that counts for crits?

[Dalebert]

You're going to carry around a 10 lb scythe all the time? Is half-weight darkwood available in 3.5 or something similar? Almost every character I play with an average-ish STR runs into encumbrance issues and I have to start finagling equipment to keep the number in the "light" category, e.g. just about any caster. I usually try to have several weapons available but I stick to light ones like rapiers, daggers, maybe a club for skeletons. I try to get darkwood and/or mithral everything as soon as I can afford it. I was recently making a level 3 and I gave him a darkwood club for about 310 gp so it could be 1.5 lbs instead of 3. I'm JUST short of being medium encumbered so I needed it. I also had to not carry any of his food and only a few flasks of his oil. Most of his crap is on his pony. I'm just keeping what I need to have readily accessible for a combat. Actually, he has an 11 STR. STR is (usually) the only stat where 1 point is actually mechanically helpful so that's where I tossed an extra otherwise-useless point.

In PF, darkwood adds 10 gp per lbs or something, but it has to be masterwork. I don't get why. *shrug* Presumably the fluff explanation is it's harder to work with so you need a master craftsman who charges more.

[Lightlawbliss]

I would probably go heavy pick for my non-exotic weapon (assuming dagger and sling are automatic haves), and I wouldn't bother with exotic weapons unless the race i'm using get's a good one anyway.

the heavy pick can be used in one hand when I need it to, can be used in 2 when my likely low str needs some help (the games I play in tend to use half the absolute value for two handed fighting instead of just half str mod added) and when I make somebody helpless, I have a reasonable chance to finish them in one try.

[peacenlove]

(Spiked) Gauntlet and armor spikes are always wielded and confer all of their passive enhancements 24h / 7d. For me Spiked Gauntlet is superior because you threaten and can be a suitable flanker when everything else goes to Hells.
Long spear at low levels for charge breaking and reach, dropping it when weight becomes a problem.
Bow, because of all the utility arrows on various sources (alchemist's for ignite, grappling hook for securing ropes etc).

[Psyren]

Always pack a light slashing weapon (e.g. a dagger) in case you get swallowed or tied up.

[Necroticplague]

A scorpion's claw (from sandstorm) provides you with a +4 to grapple checks. This would help you escape from a grapple, in case they try and get you that way. On, alternatively, you can use it to augment grappling using Telekinesis.

[dextercorvia]

I like a staff with two wand chambers. It has two ends, so you can pile on multiple effects without wracking up as much expense.

[bekeleven]

Simple: I've gotten good mileage out of both daggers and darts. Darts cost less than weigh less, which matters at low levels.

Martial: Lucerine Hammer. It's a scythe... with reach. What's not to like?

Exotic: Gnomish Quickrazor. It was built for casters, and it's just generally useful to have a weapon you can hide under your sleeve and the bump looks like a bracelet.

[Jeff the Green]

Simple: Morningstar (for DR/bludeoning or DR/piercing), quarterstaff (wand chambers ho!), or dagger (mundane utility)
Martial: Dwarven warpike (if a dwarf), scythe (CDG, as mentioned), or heavy pick (almost as good at CDG as scythe, but lighter and less unwieldy)
Exotic: Net, lasso, or bolas. Targeting touch AC is much better when your BAB sucks.

[Fax Celestis]

I'm a fan of the longspear. And rods are effectively light maces, so I also enjoy smacking upstarts with my lesser metamagic rod of brain injury +1.

[Psyren]

What Fax said -metamagic rods are weapons and thus are the way to go.

[peacenlove]

What Fax said -metamagic rods are weapons and thus are the way to go.

Especially with a Crystal of return from MIC, to enhance your action economy.

[Gwendol]

Dagger, and possibly longspear.