A Narrow Weapon Focus

[DRD1812]

With my martial characters, I sometimes feel stifled by the need to commit to a particular type of weapon. It's no fun turning down the ancient sword of god-smiting because I happen to be a greataxe guy.

I've got a comic over here (http://www.handbookofheroes.com/archives/comic/weapon-focus) on the topic, but I'm curious how the rest of you guys deal with this issue. Do you like focusing on a specific kind of weapon/fighting style, or do you try to keep your options open?

[Nifft]

This is a moderately clever form of advertising for your comic.

But it's not clever enough to disguise the fact that it's advertising for your comic.


P.S.: take Warblade levels.

[PhantasyPen]

I just opened a thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?559541-Fixing-the-Weapon-Focus-Line-(3-5)) a second ago, detailing how I have been thinking about fixing the Weapon Focus line. Admittedly this doesn't help your Axe/Sword problem, but the Weapon Aptitude class feature of Warblade, and the Aptitude Weapon enchantment are both viable options for that problem.

[ryu]

One could say the best path is to find a weapon choice that can be improved more cheaply and with greater granularity than any other such that literally any loot you find can be spent improving it by selling it if nothing else. This weapon is called a spellbook. Hell sometimes you get to improve it for FREE after killing an enemy wizard. I don't like being dependent on what loot I find.

[Bavarian itP]

1.) If you're a greataxe guy and only can get your hands on swords, the DM is not doing their job.

2.) Weapon group feats from UA are a way to make this more palatable.

3.) It's not a big deal anyways, since there's only one weapon-specific feat worth taking (Improved Critical).

[Vizzerdrix]

If it is random loot, I just cope with it. Sell it and upgrade what I like. But if it is a DM crafted, hand placed just for me item, and it isn't what I speced into, I ignore it, or trade it away for something dirt cheap at the soonest moment.

Paid for a night at an (low quality) inn once with a great sword that was stacked with stuff. DM was fuming for weeks after. He'd wanted to give everyone a special item. Problem was I was already several feats into doing polearms.:smallbiggrin:

[ExLibrisMortis]

If a player brought up the problem, I would suggest weapon group feats (from Unearthed Arcana, page 94), perhaps slightly condensed, as some of the groups are extremely niche (looking at you, dart and sling/punching dagger and spiked gauntlet/light flail and heavy flail). Myself, I'm quite happy with a guisarme, when I'm not using magic.

[DRD1812]

Paid for a night at an (low quality) inn once with a great sword that was stacked with stuff. DM was fuming for weeks after. He'd wanted to give everyone a special item. Problem was I was already several feats into doing polearms.:smallbiggrin:

Did he explain why he thought that weapon would suit your character? I can understand random powerful loot, and I can understand making tailored items for specific PCs. Giving a specific PC random powerful loot and treating it like tailored item seems like a lose-lose though.

[ericgrau]

The error is actually the DM giving you a weapon that's more than 1/4 your WBL. That's way too much treasure for 1 encounter. But that's about what you spent upgrading your current weapon. And if you're going to go that far to please the fighter you may as well take it a small step farther and do what I saw in one campaign:

PC: "I'm taking EWP bastard sword and weapon focus (bastard sword) because I like to be a knight with a big sword and shield."
Me: "Ok cool"
(1/2 session passes)
DM: "You find a +1 frost bastard sword"
Me: "That's quite a coincidence."
DM: "Yes, yes it is. Moving on."

[Kelb_Panthera]

I don't often find myself angling for the weapon supremacy fighter but I see the appeal of "I am the axiest axe guy that ever axed somebody!" even if I'm not so sure that an axe is the best weapon to fill that niche. Most of the time, though, I don't grab options that specify one and only one specific type of weapon unless it's a PrC requirement (read; weapon focus.) At most, I look at options that work with a group of similar weapons. Improved trip can go with a guisarm or a whip, shadow blade works with an unarmed strike or a dagger, etc.

That said, there's a couple work-arounds. The fastest and easiest one, if you don't mind being lawful with a mild CoC, is a one level dip in OA's samurai for the ancestral daisho feature. When the GM gives your axe guy a sword, you eat it and add its power to your axe. Alternately, you can accomplish largely the same thing with the ancestral relic feat (feats are generally a higher opportunity cost than class levels). Finally, you can take a one level dip in warblade for the weapon aptitude feature (amongst some other very nice features) and just use the sword instead of the axe unless you've picked up a style feat or you're going for weapon supremacy.

Then there's some more DM dependent techniques. This article (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060526a) makes the commissioning of items much more palatable and justifies allowing some substantial discounts so that having to sell the sword of doom doesn't hurt so much. If artificers are a thing in your campaign, you can combine with the above and probably justify having the powers of the sword transferred, at least in part, to the axe at no additional charge. Then there's the bonded item variant in DMG2; instead of getting the sword for doing the awesome battle with the Minotaur, your axe is empowered by your sheer awesomeness. Final option; weapons of legacy is actually pretty awesome if your DM is willing to work with you on founding a custom legacy item, even if the printed ones are pretty trash. Lots of folks around here will tell you that the penalties aren't worth it but I'm running one right now (table 4-8 on a sapphire hierarch build) and they really don't hurt near as much as has been suggested. Definitely don't bother if you can't go custom unless one of the extant legacies just happens to be a perfect fit though.

And, of course, there's simply asking nicely if your DM could just hot-swap the table roll for your specialized weapon. The coincidence of regularly running into some supposedly exotic weapon can strain credulity but sometimes you just have to tighten the ropes suspending your disbelief.

I would've suggested prestiging into kensai for signature weapon but that's really more of a "core of your build" option and probably not what you're seeking.