[D&D 3.5] Weapons, Upgrades, and More (Revamp'd)

[blackwind1kaze]

This has been an ongoing project that has gone through several itterations. It started out as a way to upgrade weapons via masterwork, rather than just getting a boring +1 to hit bonus. The goal was to allow players more customization in their weapons. Since then, that central goal has remained, but it has grown to also rebalancing the various Weapons and Armor out there in D&D.

The thread has grown from there, so this post is being divided up into sections:

[Section I] Revised Weapons
[Section II] Revised Armor
[Section III] Weapon and Armor Property Descriptions
[Section IV] Upgrading Your Gear (It's a Masterwork!)
[Section V] Creating New Gear
[Section VI] The Economics of Gear
[Section VII] Gear Related Feats


Note: while this is mainly a repost of Seerow's version found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?202722-D-amp-D3-5-Weapons-Upgrades-and-More) with fixed tables with his permission, I am also working on fixing simple calculation errors and the like in this as well as expanding into newer ideas.

0.07 - Section #4" Added Upgrading your Gear starting basics.
0.06 - Section #3: Added Enhanced Weapon Properties.
0.05 - Section #2: Added updated rules.
0.04 - Section #1: Added Simple Two-Handed Weapons.
0.03 - Section #1: Added Simple One-Handed Weapons.
0.02 - Section post placements and Section #1 start.
0.01 - Thread placement and intro post.

[blackwind1kaze]

[Section I] Revised Weapons

Base Weapon Types:
Melee Weapons
Light Weapons - A light weapon is easier to use in one’s off-hand than a one-handed weapon is, and it can be used while grappling. A light weapon is used in one hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus (if any) to damage rolls for melee attacks with a light weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or one-half the wielder’s Strength bonus if it’s used in the off-hand.

One-Handed - A one-handed weapon can be used in either the primary hand or the off-hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with a one-handed weapon if it’s used in the primary hand or one-half his or her Strength bonus if it’s used in the off-hand. A One-Handed weapon may be used in two hands and gain one and one-half times the character’s Strength bonus to damage.

Two-Handed - Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply one and one-half times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon.

Ranged Weapons
Slings and Thrown Weapons - Slings and Thrown Weapons are treated similarly except Slings use stones as projectiles rather than throwing the sling itself. Slings and thrown weapons require only one hand to use. A character may apply their Strength bonus to damage while attacking with a sling or thrown weapon. Both may be used out to 5 range increments, and reloaded/drawn with a free action.

It is worth noting a thrown weapon is different from a melee weapon with the throwing property, the throwing property grants only 10ft base range, and a weapon with this property is listed as a melee weapon. A weapon designed as a thrown weapon is listed under ranged weapon, and has a 50ft base range. Thrown weapons and slings are usable in melee with a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls.

Bows - Bows are projectile weapons which require two hands to use. A character gets no strength bonus to damage rolls unless the bow has the Mighty Property. Bows may be fired out to 10 range increments, and may be reloaded with a free action.

Crossbows - Crossbows are projectile weapons. Most crossbows require two hands to use (exception: Crossbows with the Light property may be used with one hand). A character gets no Strength bonus on damage rolls with a Crossbow. Crossbows may be fired out to 10 range increments, and may be reloaded with a move action.

Core Weapons


Simple WeaponDMGCriticalRangeTypeWeightSpecial

Light Melee Weapons

Dagger1d4x210 ft.Piercing or Slashing1 Lb.Concealble, Stealth

Light Mace1d6x3-Bludgeoning4 lbs.-

Punching Dagger1d6x3-Piercing1 lb.-

Sickle1d619-20/x2-Slashing2 lbs.-

Spiked Gauntet1d6x2-Bludgeoning and Piercing1 lb.Brutal 1

One-Handed Melee Weapons

Club1d6x210 ft.Bludgeoning3 lbs.Brutal 2

Heavy Mace1d8x3-Bludgeoning8 lbs.-

Javelin1d6x210 ft.Piercing2 lbs.Return

Morningstar1d8x2-Bludgeoning and Piercing6 lbs.Deadly 1

Shortspear1d6x210 ft.Piercing3 lbs.Chargebreaker, Deadly 1

Two-Handed Melee Weapons

Longspear1d6x3-Piercing9 lbs.Chargebreaker, Deadly 1, Reach 1

Quarterstaff1d6/1d6x2-Bludgeoning4 lbs.Double Weapon, Monk Weapon

Spear1d8x3-Piercing6 lbs.Chargebreaker, Deadly 1

[blackwind1kaze]

[Section II] Revised Armor

{insert Table here}

Updated Rules for Armor Check Penalty (ACP) and Movement Penalties from Armor

Armor by default incurs no penalties for being worn, except Arcane Spell Failure (ASF). ASF is baseline 10% per armor category (so 10% for light, 20% for medium, and 30% for heavy).
Penalties to movement speed and armor check penalties are determined based on encumbrance. Max dex remains a property of armor, but if the max dex of your encumbrance level is more restrictive than that of your armor, use that instead.
Armor weight may be increased or decreased with the appropriate properties. An armor's weight is effectively considered double for purposes of encumbrance if the character is trying to swim.
ACP's listed on armor are added to the the ACP incurred from encumbrance, but only penalties from encumbrance apply to strength based skills (ie. Climb, Jump, and Swim). ACP incurred from the armor itself applies to dexterity based skills (ie. Balance, Hide, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble).
Dwarves, and any other races/class features that grant the ability to move at normal speed while wearing heavy armor now gain the ability to move at normal speed when encumbered, regardless of whether this is a result of armor or not.


Updated Rules for Donning Armor
Donning Armor takes 1 minute per armor category. So it takes 1 minute to don light armor, 2 minutes for medium, or 3 minutes for heavy. Donning the Armor hastily can reduce that time to being measured in rounds instead, so 1 round for light armor, 2 rounds for medium, and 3 rounds for heavy. Doing so reduces the armor's AC bonus by 1 and increases the Armor Check Penalty by 2.

[blackwind1kaze]

[Section III] Weapon and Armor Property Descriptions


Weapon Properties

Enhanced Properties

AccurateA weapon with this property gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls. This benefit may not be taken more than once.

BrutalA weapon with this property rerolls 1's when rolling damage, however you must keep the second result. This property may be taken a second time to allow for rerolling 1's and 2's, keeping the second result, even if it is worse.

DeadlyA weapon with this property gains a +2 bonus to critical confirmation rolls. This property may be stacked twice, giving a +4 total bonus.

DefensiveWhile wielding a defensive weapon, your weapon gains a +2 shield bonus to AC. If a weapon with this property gains an enhancement bonus to attack and damage, that enhancement bonus also increases the shield bonus from this property.

OpportunistA weapon with this property gains a +2 bonus to attacks of opportunity. This property may be stacked twice, giving a +4 total bonus.

Monk WeaponA weapon with this property may be used with a monk's flurry of blows class feature.

[blackwind1kaze]

[Section IV] Upgrading Your Gear (It's a Masterwork!)

Weapons and Armor come in several different qualities. In the standard D&D rules, you have only common, and masterwork. There are now four qualities of gear: Common, Exceptional, Superior, and Masterwork. Instead of a +1 enhancement bonus to hit, every quality increase gives a +1 bonus slot that may be used to enhance the gear as the crafter desires.

Arrows, Bolts, and other Ammunition may also be upgraded to Masterwork as normal, the benefits of masterwork arrows do stack with masterwork weapons, though normal caps for abilities still apply (for example a weapon with +4 bullrush using arrows with +4 bullrush still only has a +4, due to the ability being capped at +4 total).

It is important to note if a property added overlaps with an already existing property, that you only charge for the difference. For example, if you take a Glaive with Reach, and want to upgrade it to the second version reach, then you take the cost of reach (1 slot) and subtract that from the cost of the second version of reach (2 slots), and only charge the difference (1 slot). So your masterwork Glaive with the original version of reach would spend only 1 slot to gain the second version of reach, and would still have two more slots worth of upgrades available.

[blackwind1kaze]

Spot for section 5

[blackwind1kaze]

Spot for section 6

[blackwind1kaze]

Spot for section 7