Best Simple Weapon (3.5)

[gallagher]

what do people most prefer as a simple weapon? i feel like currently it is the longspear for its better damage, two handedness.

are there any reach simple weapons?

[Mongoose87]

Longspear for its two-handedness and reach.

[Draz74]

what do people most prefer as a simple weapon? i feel like currently it is the longspear for its better damage, two handedness.

are there any reach simple weapons?

Ah, irony, irony ...

[arguskos]

If you manage to convince your DM that the greatclub should be a simple weapon (shouldn't be hard, it's a big club after all) you have a good non-reach Power Attacker.

Light Maces are EXCELLENT with Lightning Maces.

The Longspear is a great weapon, thanks to reach.

The Quarterstaff is the only double-weapon that's non Exotic, making it useful for TWF.

The Morningstar is good to beat certain DRs and as a target for Greater Mighty Whallop.

The Poison Ring (Dragon Compendium) is useful for deploying poisons (durrrr).

The Sling has some specific PrCs that can do fun stuff.

That's about all of the really useful simple weapons.

[Greenish]

Spiked Gauntlet/Armor to count as armed all the time, and attack adjacent enemies while wielding a reach weapon.

Longspear, because reach is the key.

[HunterOfJello]

Dagger.


You can pierce with it, stab with it, throw it, use it to cut stuff, cut yourself with it, sacrifice stuff with it, and hide it easily.

[arguskos]

Spiked Gauntlet/Armor to count as armed all the time, and attack adjacent enemies while wielding a reach weapon.

Longspear, because reach is the key.

Amusingly enough, Spiked Armor/Shields are MARTIAL. Spiked Gauntlets totally work though. Forgot to add that to my little list above.

[Greenish]

Amusingly enough, Spiked Armor/Shields are MARTIAL.

Right you are. Curious.

[arguskos]

Right you are. CuriousStupid.

Corrected, for accuracy and lulz.

Another good "convince the DM moment": make all Spiked crap be Simple. It's basically "I stab him with my shoulder".

[lsfreak]

Another good "convince the DM moment": make all Spiked crap be Simple. It's basically "I stab him with my shoulder".

Personally, I put this with everyone being proficient (and non-provoking) with unarmed combat, except maybe wizards/sorcerers. I don't see how someone can be trained with any kind of weapon melee weapon, but not trained in even basic hand-to-hand.

[arguskos]

Personally, I put this with everyone being proficient (and non-provoking) with unarmed combat, except maybe wizards/sorcerers. I don't see how someone can be trained with any kind of weapon melee weapon, but not trained in even basic hand-to-hand.

Exactly. I mean, you can adapt basic hand-to-hand to use a spikey bit. Can't be THAT hard, and this is D&D, where Abstraction is King.

Also, anyone else think Simple Weapons got the shaft? I've been considering fiddling around with them some. Not sure what I'd change yet though.

[Greenish]

Also, anyone else think Simple Weapons got the shaft?

I don't know, they're not supposed to be so brilliant, and they do their job.

[arguskos]

I don't know, they're not supposed to be so brilliant, and they do their job.

No, they really don't. No one uses them. Ever. Any class that has only simples just doesn't really USE weaponry for anything. The only class I can think of that ends up using them for anything is like the Cleric, and that's only if you're a battle cleric that doesn't take the War Domain or play an Elf or ANYTHING else. EDIT: I should be fair. Wizards without spells use Crossbows too. Forgot that.

For options to matter, they need to be usable sometimes. Currently, Simples have nothing to recommend themselves, and that needs to change I think. Not sure how to do that without obviating Martials, but then again, I also plan to shift around the weapon categories anyways.

[Spiryt]

No, they really don't. No one uses them. Ever. Any class that has only simples just doesn't really USE weaponry for anything. The only class I can think of that ends up using them for anything is like the Cleric, and that's only if you're a battle cleric that doesn't take the War Domain or play an Elf or ANYTHING else. EDIT: I should be fair. Wizards without spells use Crossbows too. Forgot that.

For options to matter, they need to be usable sometimes. Currently, Simples have nothing to recommend themselves, and that needs to change I think. Not sure how to do that without obviating Martials, but then again, I also plan to shift around the weapon categories anyways.

3.5 "simpul martiul exutic" system sucks, doesn't have much sense and is obviously unbalanced.

Point buy system like in Baldurs Gate is times better, AFAIK it was one of variants in AD&D.

[Knaight]

Also, anyone else think Simple Weapons got the shaft? I've been considering fiddling around with them some. Not sure what I'd change yet though.

Simple: Shortspear, Longspear, Quarterstaff, Spear
Martial Weapons: Trident, Glaive, Guisarm, Halberd, Lance, Ranseur.
Exotic Weapons: Urgosh

Nah, Martial Weapons get the shafts.

More realistically, I do think simple weapons should probable have some boost if you have martial weapon proficiency in all weapons, just so spears, staves, some maces, etc. aren't completely worthless for classes with martial weapon proficiency, but if you just have simple weapon proficiency they do their job well enough.

[arguskos]

Simple: Shortspear, Longspear, Quarterstaff, Spear
Martial Weapons: Trident, Glaive, Guisarm, Halberd, Lance, Ranseur.
Exotic Weapons: Urgosh

Nah, Martial Weapons get the shafts.

Ba-dum-tish! Shows me alright.

More realistically, I do think simple weapons should probable have some boost if you have martial weapon proficiency in all weapons, just so spears, staves, some maces, etc. aren't completely worthless for classes with martial weapon proficiency, but if you just have simple weapon proficiency they do their job well enough.

This was actually what I was considering. Something like, "if you have martial prof, all simples get Weapon Focus/Specialization for free, and if you somehow get more than 4 exotic profs, martials get the same benefit as simples". This is OBVIOUSLY not a final concept, but my current line of thought.

[gallagher]

what do people most prefer as a simple weapon? i feel like currently it is the longspear for its better damage, two handedness.

are there any reach simple weapons?

omg i was looking at the shortspear entry in my PHB, and was totally confused

[Thurbane]

I like the longspear if I'm shield free, or morning star if I'm using a shield.

And greatclub really should be a simple weapon. Fun Fact: a large morningstar (2d6 damage) is better for a medium simple weapon wielder than a greatclub (1d10 damage). You only take a -2 size penalty, instead of a -4 non proficiency penalty!

[Fizban]

Heavy Sickle. For 1d8 damage in one hand that doesn't weigh 8lbs. Why would you need a Spear for two handing? Just put both hands on your Heavy Sickle/Morningstar. Now if you wanted it for x3 crit or throwing that would make sense. Longspear is also good with the reach.

Ooh, and Clubs! Cost: 0gp, and throwable in 10' increments. They never see it coming.

[Calimehter]

+1 to Clubs. Spend your entire starting wealth on clubs and crush every foe in the campaign world under the weight of infinite amounts of weight before even beginning play. Inform your GM that it is perfectly legal and RAW if he objects.

[Knaight]

Ba-dum-tish! Shows me alright.


This was actually what I was considering. Something like, "if you have martial prof, all simples get Weapon Focus/Specialization for free, and if you somehow get more than 4 exotic profs, martials get the same benefit as simples". This is OBVIOUSLY not a final concept, but my current line of thought.

Alternately, have a weapon specific boost for each. Someone with a longspear should really be able to choke up on it for instance, taking a -2 penalty to attack foes in melee, with Short Haft only needed for heavier, less agile pole arms. A quarterstaff should get a die or two of damage when used two handed. Etc.

[Ravens_cry]

+1 to Clubs. Spend your entire starting wealth on clubs and crush every foe in the campaign world under the weight of infinite amounts of weight before even beginning play. Inform your GM that it is perfectly legal and RAW if he objects.

A club has weight, 3 pounds each to be precise. You could carry a quite a bit, and afford every one, but infinite? Not by RAW without infinite strength.
As I said in an earlier thread, the only thing worse then a rules lawyer is an incompetent one.

[balistafreak]

Hey, that's a bit harsh. Nowhere does it say you have to be carrying all of your possessions. Otherwise buying a mount would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to bury yourself in some 1000 pounds of horseflesh.

For that matter, nowhere does it say you have to be able to carry all of your possessions. Assuming you must be carrying all your possessions (ridiculous as pointed out above), you can start your career a hojillion clubs, you'll just be crushed (less than) a second later. Or perhaps not, if the clubs are elaborately stacked like Lincoln Logs in an endless cabin in all directions around you. (Okay, not really. )

[Coidzor]

For another reach simple weapon, there is also the Fauchard, from one of the Dragons (331, IIRC) & it's a 1d8 reach slashing weapon with the same crit as a longspear (20/x3), 1 pound more in weight and 2 GP more in cost. Not very exciting but it's one of two sources of slashing simple weapons I can think of offhand.

Basically a slashing clone of the longspear without druids getting the proficiency or being able to do double damage as a readied action against a charge.

[Ravens_cry]

Hey, that's a bit harsh. Nowhere does it say you have to be carrying all of your possessions. Otherwise buying a mount would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to bury yourself in some 1000 pounds of horseflesh.

For that matter, nowhere does it say you have to be able to carry all of your possessions. Assuming you must be carrying all your possessions (ridiculous as pointed out above), you can start your career a hojillion clubs, you'll just be crushed (less than) a second later. Or perhaps not, if the clubs are elaborately stacked like Lincoln Logs in an endless cabin in all directions around you. (Okay, not really. )

Actually, it does.

If you want to determine whether your character’s gear is heavy enough to slow him or her down more than the armor already does, total the weight of all the character’s items, including armor, weapons, and gear.

Clubs are weapons.

[balistafreak]

Wait a minute, this is too good not to point out.

So my Fighter owns, say, a ship. Not a rowboat, but a three-masted, square-sailed, needs-a-crew-of-at-least-twenty-to-operate, ship.

I'm doing my thing, adventuring a whole bunch. I pick up a treasure chest and decide to lug it out of the dungeon.

DM points out I'll need to compute my encumberance, so I do...

If you want to determine whether your character’s gear is heavy enough to slow him or her down more than the armor already does, total the weight of all the character’s items, including armor, weapons, and gear.

I explode underneath the weight of a ship.

[sofawall]

I explode underneath the weight of a ship.

I pity the poor shopkeepers.

Also, Ravens Cry, if you suggest that what myself and Sir Balista here are saying is ridiculous, you said it first.

[Ravens_cry]

3.X does have it's share of ridiculousness, I am not denying that. Just don't use ones that don't exist.

[sofawall]

3.X does have it's share of ridiculousness, I am not denying that. Just don't use ones that don't exist.

So you would rather have virtually everyone perpetually pancaked to the floor than allow people to leave stuff at home?

EDIT: Also, that in no way stops the infinite clubs. You're just overencumbered.

[Ravens_cry]

So you would rather have virtually everyone perpetually pancaked to the floor than allow people to leave stuff at home?

No, I meant precisely what I said.