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Raging_Pacifist
2008-05-18, 09:34 PM
Reading the weapons sections of the SRD it says that a trident does 1d6 damage. This doesn't seem right to me. The picture in the PHB shows basically three daggers on a stick, so why doesn't a trident do more like 3d4 damage? But that seems like too much as it would deal more overall damage than a great axe.:confused:

Cuddly
2008-05-18, 09:37 PM
Because this is D&D.

Aquillion
2008-05-18, 09:38 PM
Reading the weapons sections of the SRD it says that a trident does 1d6 damage. This doesn't seem right to me. The picture in the PHB shows basically three daggers on a stick, so why doesn't a trident do more like 3d4 damage? But that seems like too much as it would deal more overall damage than a great axe.:confused:
You can stand next to a high-level unarmored Barbarian, stab him twenty times in the chest with it using average human strength, and chances are overwhelming he will survive. And you're worried about the picture?

To answer your question, daggers (and all weapons) are assumed to be used with some modicum of intelligence -- you aim for someplace likely to do damage. If you just tape three daggers together it doesn't automatically do triple the damage, since you're not really tripling your ability to focus on the squishy bits.

Worira
2008-05-18, 09:41 PM
I totally do 20d4 damage with the daggerbroom.

FlyMolo
2008-05-18, 09:44 PM
I totally do 20d4 damage with the daggerbroom.You win a cookie.

The trident should really do 2d4 or something.

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll
2008-05-18, 09:46 PM
Sigged. I'm hoping to eventually create a library of witty comments.

BRC
2008-05-18, 09:49 PM
Because Damage in DnD is more or less an abstracted concept that has only a passing connection to reality. If you say "You take damage until you die" that makes sense, any more detail then that, and it starts falling apart.


Just recite the MST3K mantra until you feel better.

Calinero
2008-05-18, 10:02 PM
If we started looking at damage realistically, we would soon realize that pretty much anyone is going to be out for the count after one hit from anything significantly larger than a dagger. So, unless you feel like dying after the first broadsword hit in every fight, I would suggest not thinking too hard about damage. Remember the MST3K mantra!

PS: Every time you bring up real life physics in a gaming discussion, God kills a catgirl. Nice going.

Aquillion
2008-05-18, 10:08 PM
Because Damage in DnD is more or less an abstracted concept that has only a passing connection to reality. If you say "You take damage until you die" that makes sense, any more detail then that, and it starts falling apart.The problem I have with this is that there are a number of effects (poison, some magical weapon effects, various special defenses) that seem to quite firmly depend on the assumption that "if it does hp damage, it pierces your flesh and causes you to bleed" (at the very least.)

There are creatures whose blood damages weapons when they take damage, say. There are poisons and other effects that you're exposed to when you're hit. If hp represented some abstraction for 'fate', you're still getting an absurd number of hits on your typical fighter in the course of a battle.

Toliudar
2008-05-18, 10:28 PM
So? If we assume that every successful attack makes some contact, and hurts at least a little, that still allows a TON of room for abstraction about what effect that hurt has.

The Necroswanso
2008-05-18, 10:54 PM
If you think about it, in D&D you aren't constantly dealing insanely greivous wounds. At best you're giving your opponent minor knicks, cuts and bruises until they simply keel over from blood loss.

Demented
2008-05-18, 11:01 PM
Since they're both one-handed, the base amount of force you're applying is the same, so you're doing less damage with each prong than you would with an actual dagger. The trident still does 1d8 damage to the dagger's 1d4.

Two more blades alone don't make for three times as much destruction.

/excuses for the utterly arbitrary

I'm not even sure tridents are aerodynamic enough to be used as ranged weapons. :smalltongue:

Deepblue706
2008-05-18, 11:28 PM
I definitely support the idea of multiple points/heads on a weapon dealing more damage - primarily because it means that if your party's Fighter wears armor spikes and rolls up into a ball, rolling down a ramp and over enemies would result in amazing damage. Which would be awesome.

OH! That means the Fighter can be useful at high levels - as the bowling-ball of choice for your CoDzilla! Truly, one could use this method to become a "living weapon", often a goal of martial types.

Worira
2008-05-18, 11:52 PM
Half giant psychic warrior 7

Powers: Expansion and some other stuff.

Base height and weight, 8'4" and 508 pounds (maximum rollable)

Expansion, augmented to Huge: 33'0" and 32512 pounds.

According to CWar, a 32400 pound improvised weapon does 165d6 damage.

Let's add armour spikes, since sharp objects count as twice the weight. That's an effective 65024 pounds, or 328d6 of damage.

Then jump on them for an average of 1148 damage.

Raroy
2008-05-18, 11:59 PM
Half giant psychic warrior 7

Powers: Expansion and some other stuff.

Base height and weight, 8'4" and 508 pounds (maximum rollable)

Expansion, augmented to Huge: 33'0" and 32512 pounds.

According to CWar, a 32400 pound improvised weapon does 165d6 damage.

Let's add armour spikes, since sharp objects count as twice the weight. That's an effective 65024 pounds, or 328d6 of damage.

Then jump on them for an average of 1148 damage.

Pssh, a wizard would save or die it and win anyway.

Inyssius Tor
2008-05-19, 12:16 AM
Half giant psychic warrior 7

Powers: Expansion and some other stuff.

Base height and weight, 8'4" and 508 pounds (maximum rollable)

Expansion, augmented to Huge: 33'0" and 32512 pounds.

According to CWar, a 32400 pound improvised weapon does 165d6 damage.

Let's add armour spikes, since sharp objects count as twice the weight. That's an effective 65024 pounds, or 328d6 of damage.

Then jump on them for an average of 1148 damage.

Awesome! Now you need to optimize Jump. I see this gigantic spiked bear-man covered in thick lead plates, leaping thirty-five feet into the air and smashing down on his foes like a humanoid Hammer of God.

EDIT: Wait, no, you can't use yourself as an improvised weapon--that would be silly. Get a halfling cohort to ride on your back as you jump, and throw you at your foes at the zenith of your leap.

Raging_Pacifist
2008-05-19, 02:44 AM
Worira, you sir win.

Illiterate Scribe
2008-05-19, 04:54 AM
old thread is old. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=826384)

Anyway, this needs pictures.

*fires up Illustrator*

Tengu
2008-05-19, 04:59 AM
Half giant psychic warrior 7

Powers: Expansion and some other stuff.

Base height and weight, 8'4" and 508 pounds (maximum rollable)

Expansion, augmented to Huge: 33'0" and 32512 pounds.

According to CWar, a 32400 pound improvised weapon does 165d6 damage.

Let's add armour spikes, since sharp objects count as twice the weight. That's an effective 65024 pounds, or 328d6 of damage.

Then jump on them for an average of 1148 damage.

And now we know why Mario eats mushrooms that make him grow.

MorkaisChosen
2008-05-19, 05:08 AM
Add in some levels of Warblade to the Half-Giant, specialise in Tiger Claw and Iron Heart, get that stance that means you always have a running start and get +10 on Jump checks, then take Bloodstorm Blade.

Alternatively, get a Hulking Hurler cohort with Bloodstorm Blade levels to throw you as a returning weapon.

Tsotha-lanti
2008-05-19, 06:36 AM
Reading the weapons sections of the SRD it says that a trident does 1d6 damage. This doesn't seem right to me. The picture in the PHB shows basically three daggers on a stick, so why doesn't a trident do more like 3d4 damage? But that seems like too much as it would deal more overall damage than a great axe.:confused:

... is this a joke?

If you think about it, the length of a cut caused by a greatsword is going to be something like 5+ times the length of a cut caused by a dagger. And the depth will probably be something like 3+ times that. So clearly a greatsword should be dealing 15 times as much damage as a dagger, ie. 15d4!!!

Come on. Seriously?

Ned the undead
2008-05-19, 07:17 PM
Don't forget that your character in DnD is stronger and and less vulnerable than normal commoners. Besides your not always laying open foes with a Greataxe. You are causing nicks, cuts, bumps on the head till they succumb or you finally do lay them open.

de-trick
2008-05-19, 09:12 PM
"did you just stab that guy with a trident in the heart" cookie if you guess quote

I know what you mean but if you had a trident doing 3d4 than everyone would use it and more powerful weapons would have to do more damage and then all the other weapons would have to be remade. But then you'd have to increase the trident damage..... till rocks fall you die

Merlin the Tuna
2008-05-19, 09:37 PM
old thread is old. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=826384)

Anyway, this needs pictures.

*fires up Illustrator*The orc quadruple axe (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=12174882#post12174882) and accompanying quote are still my favorite of the bunch.

Maerok
2008-05-19, 09:45 PM
"did you just stab that guy with a trident in the heart" cookie if you guess quote

I'll take the cookie, but where did you get a hand grenade?

SurlySeraph
2008-05-19, 09:48 PM
... is this a joke?

If you think about it, the length of a cut caused by a greatsword is going to be something like 5+ times the length of a cut caused by a dagger. And the depth will probably be something like 3+ times that. So clearly a greatsword should be dealing 15 times as much damage as a dagger, ie. 15d4!!!

Come on. Seriously?

Ah, but greatswords deal slashing damage, so they aren't going straight into the wounds!


"did you just stab that guy with a trident in the heart" cookie if you guess quote

Anchorman. I had half that movie memorized before I even saw it because people around me would not stop quoting it, even when I threatened their lives in enormous detail. Borat was similar.

Waspinator
2008-05-19, 09:53 PM
Half giant psychic warrior 7

Powers: Expansion and some other stuff.

Base height and weight, 8'4" and 508 pounds (maximum rollable)

Expansion, augmented to Huge: 33'0" and 32512 pounds.

According to CWar, a 32400 pound improvised weapon does 165d6 damage.

Let's add armour spikes, since sharp objects count as twice the weight. That's an effective 65024 pounds, or 328d6 of damage.

Then jump on them for an average of 1148 damage.

Congratulations, you found the silliest overpowered combo ever.

Nohwl
2008-05-19, 09:55 PM
its now on my i want to play this character list.

Innis Cabal
2008-05-19, 10:00 PM
@quotes
I dont know!

nothing really relevent to add that hasnt been said

Waspinator
2008-05-19, 10:58 PM
its now on my i want to play this character list.

I'd be tempted to do it too if I knew any DMs that would allow something that crazy. The ones I know would probably just lower all of the roofs to stop it....