[3.Q] Making Exotic Weapons Interesting

[Auroch]

Everyone who's done even a little bit of min-maxing in their day knows that nearly all exotic weapons are complete garbage. I'm running my first extended campaign now, and planning mechanics and setting for my second. The first thing I set out to change was to make exotic weapons interesting and viable. Probably for heavy CharOp purposes EWP is still a bad choice, but I don't care about that; I just don't want a player to be punished for learning to use a cool weapon.

By the time I was done fixing this and some things that bugged me, and then the things that came up while I made those changes, I had made at least minor changes to every important subsystem of the 3.5/Pathfinder rules; this is close enough to being its own edition that I've named it "3.Q". I'll be posting the results here, in approximate order of how useful I expect they'll be to port directly to a more 'pure' Pathfinder/3.5 game. Conveniently the first portion I mede is elso the most generelly useful portion.

Martial Weapons
Name	Cost	Damage (S)	Damage (M)	Critical	Range increment	Weight	Damage Type
Light Melee
Kama	2 gp	1d4	1d6	x2	—	2 lb	Slashing
Sai	1 gp	1d3	1d4	x2	10 ft	1 lb	Bludgeoning
Two-Handed Melee
Quarterstaff	—	1d4/1d4	1d6/1d6	x2	—	4 lb	Bludgeoning
Ranged
Crossbow, hand	100 gp	1d3	1d4	19-20/x2	30 ft	2 lb	Piercing

Bastard sword: Removed. The Katana, also known as the Elven Courtblade, is the closest equivalent, since it may be wielded two-handed as a greatsword by an unproficient wielder.

Quarterstaff: Double weapons get a categorical buff, and this is the sole non-exotic double weapon. It's accordingly moved to martial, with a bastard-sword-like rule for wielding it as a single weapon, the shortstaff. Wizards are not proficient with the quarterstaff, only the shortstaff. Monks are proficient with both the shortstaff and quarterstaff. For other classes which are proficient with a specific list of weapons which includes the quarterstaff, replace it with the shortstaff if the list previously contained only simple weapons, or include both the shortstaff and the quarterstaff if the list contained other martial or exotic weapons.

New Simple Weapon
Name	Cost	Damage (S)	Damage (M)	Critical	Range increment	Weight	Damage Type
Two-Handed Melee
Shortstaff	—	1d6	1d8	x2	—	4 lb	Bludgeoning

Shortstaff: Shortstaves proper are slightly shorter than quarterstaves and not made to be wielded as double weapons. However, a character proficient with the shortstaff can wield a quarterstaff as a shortstaff without penalty.

Enchanting Weapons

Enchantments placed on a double weapon cost the same as enchanting an ordinary single-headed weapon. If they are receiving the same properties, the process takes 25% longer than it would to enchant a single-headed weapon. If they are receiving different properties, gold and XP costs are equal to the higher cost of the two and the time required is the total of the time it would take to apply each of the two individually. The spellcaster enchanting the weapon must meet all prerequisites for both sets of properties and if spells must be expended, must expend all relevant spells for both sets of properties on every day of work. If some properties to be applied are shared and others are distinct, the additional time will apply only for the non-shared properties.

Light Melee Weapons
Name	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Crit	Range	Weight	Type	Special
Braid Blade	10 gp	1d3	1d4	18-20	—	1 lb.	Slashing	Special
Nunchaku	2 gp	1d4	1d6	19-20/x2	—	2 lb.	Bludgeoning	Monk
Siangham	3 gp	1d4	1d6	19-20/x3	—	1 lb.	Piercing	Monk
Talons	15 gp	1d6	1d8	18-20	—	1 lb	Slashing	—
Trench Knife	10 gp	1d6	1d8	20*/x4	—	1 lb	Piercing	—
War Cestus	4 gp	1d6	1d8	19-20/x2	—	1 lb.	Any	—

One-Handed Melee Weapons
Name	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Crit	Range	Weight	Type	Special
Barbed Trident	45 gp	1d8	1d10	x2	—	7 lb.	Piercing	—
Chuttuval	50 gp	1d4	1d6	19-20/x2	Reach	3 lb.	Slashing	Reach, Finesse
Dwarven Waraxe	30 gp	1d10	1d12	×3	—	8 lb.	Slashing	—
Grandfather	30 gp	1d6	1d8	x2	—	5 lb.	Bludgeoning	—
Katana	80 gp	1d8	1d10	19-20/x2	—	6 lb.	Slashing	Finesse
Spellspear	100 gp	1d6	1d8	19-20 /Special	20 ft	7 lb.	Piercing	—
Whip	1 gp	1d4	1d6	×2	Reach	2 lb.	Slashing	Greater Reach, Nonlethal, Finesse

Two-Handed Melee Weapons
Name	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Crit	Range	Weight	Type	Special
Double Sword	100 gp	1d4/1d4	1d6/1d6	19-20/x2	—	10 lb.	Slashing	Double
Dwarven Urgrosh	50 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	×3	—	12 lb.	Slash or Pierce	Double
Dire Flail	90 gp	1d8/1d8	d10/d10	×2	—	10 lb.	Bludgeoning	Double
Greathammer	50 gp	1d10	1d12	19-20/x4	—	30 lb.	Bludgeoning	—
Hooked Hammer	20 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	×3/×4	—	6 lb.	Bludg/Pierce	Double
Longstaff	15 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	x2	—	10 lb.	Bludgeoning	Double
Orc Double-Axe	60 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	×3	—	15 lb.	Slashing	Double
Spiked Chain	25 gp	1d6	2d4	×2	Reach	10 lb.	Piercing	Reach, Finesse

Ranged Weapons
Name	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Crit	Range	Weight	Type	Special
Bolas	5 gp	1d6	2d4	×2	10 ft.	2 lb.	Bludgeoning	Nonlethal
Blowgun	1 gp	1d2	1d3	19-20/x2	10 ft.	2 lb.	Piercing	—
Needles (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Greatbow	200 gp	1d10	1d12	x3	160 f.	6 lb.	Piercing	—
Arrow (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lb.	—	—
Net	20 gp	—	—	—	10 ft.*	6 lb.	—	Special
Razor Net	20 gp	1d4	1d6	—	10 ft.	6 lb.	Slashing	Special
Rep. Hv. Crossbow	400 gp	1d8	1d10	19-20/x2	120 ft.	12 lb.	Piercing	—
Bolts (5)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Rep. Li. Crossbow	250 gp	1d6	1d8	19-20/x2	80 ft.	6 lb.	Piercing	—
Bolts (5)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Shuriken (5)	1 gp	1	1d2	×2	10 ft.	½ lb.	Piercing	—

Blowgun: When you are unseen by your target, you may take a full-round action to make a single stealthy attack with a blowgun. Immediately after resolving such an attack, make a Stealth roll to remain unnoticed. If you hit the target, they get a +4 bonus on their Perception check to notice you. Numbing poisons or other methods to remove the sting of the needle can negate this bonus.

Bolas: Bolas can be used to make ranged trip or disarm attempts.

Braid Blade: This blade is woven into the end of a long braid. Its subtle nature grants +2 to any feint attempt. When a proficient wielder makes a full attack, they may make an additional attack with their braid blade, at their lowest attack bonus and with a -5 penalty. This penalty is reduced by 1 for every 3 ranks of Tumble, min -2 (at 9 ranks). A character with multiple braid blades may make additional attacks, to a maximum of (1/2/3/4) for Base Attack Bonus (1-5/6-10/11-15/16+), but the penalties stack. For example, a character with BAB 9, 12 ranks in Tumble, and two braid blades makes a full attack at +9/+4. She may then make one extra braid blade attack at +2, or two extra attacks at +0/+0.

Chuttuval/Spinning Sword/Urumi: Has 10ft of reach and can attack targets anywhere inside its range without penalty. May be used with Weapon Finesse.

Double Sword: While wielding a double sword and using _total defense_ or using Combat Expertise or _fight defensively_ to trade attack bonus for +2 AC or more, the wielder cannot be flanked.

Grandfather: A grandfather is a staff made for deception, said to even be capable of attacking through time. In the hands of a nonproficient user it is only a twisty shortstaff. In the hands of a proficient user, however, it can be used to fight cooperatively with your past and future selves. This provides at most one of three benefits:
A grandfather wielder flanking a target may treat that target as flat-footed
A grandfather wielder may be treated as a rogue four levels higher (minimum their character level) for the purposes of overcoming improved uncanny dodge or similar effects
A grandfather wielder may treat any square they have attacked from within (1 round/5 character levels, round down) as containing an ally for the purposes of flanking.

Greatbow: All greatbows are built as composite bows and may be built to accommodate high Strength scores like other composite bows; unlike other composite bows, they cannot be used by anyone whose Strength modifier is less than the bow's Strength rating. Unlike the longbow, the greatbow cannot be fired from horseback or another unstable surface. While wielding a greatbow with a lower strength rating than your Strength modifier, the difference may reduce the range penalty for distant shots (minimum -0, useless if within the first range increment, does not increase the maximum range).

Greathammer: When a greathammer attack misses by 10 or less and the target is wearing armor or wielding a shield, they make a Reflex save, DC (10 + half your BAB + Str modifier). If they fail, their highest armor or shield bonus is reduced by 2 until they are able to field repair their armor (a process which takes the same amount of time required to don armor, or for a shield a full-round action which provokes attacks of opportunity). They get a +4 bonus on future Reflex saves against this effect (from any source) until the field repairs are complete; you've damaged the really weak points. Both the penalty to armor bonus and the bonus to Reflex saves are cumulative.

Katana/Elven Courtblade: Katanas may be used with Weapon Finesse and may be wielded one- or two-handed. Anyone proficient with the greatsword may proficiently wield a katana two-handed but forgoes the ability to use weapon finesse unless trained with the katana. Power Attack and Weapon Finesse may be used together with a katana.

Net: When you throw a net, make a ranged touch attack against your target. A net’s maximum range is 10 feet. If you hit, the target is entangled. An entangled creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at only half speed, and cannot charge or run. (Escape can be achieved with a full-round action and DC 20 Escape Artist check or DC 25 Strength check. Alternately, the net has 5 hit points.) A net is useful only against creatures within one size category of you.
A net must be folded to be thrown effectively. The first time you throw your net in a fight, you make a normal ranged touch attack roll. After the net is unfolded, you take a -4 penalty on attack rolls with it. It takes 2 rounds for a proficient user to fold a net and twice that long for a nonproficient one to do so.

Nunchaku: If an attack with nunchaku misses, the wielder may reroll the attack. If this reroll hits, it deals half damage.
Note: Monks do not automatically receive proficiency in the nunchaku, but it may be used as a special monk weapon if they gain proficiency in it.

Razor Net: As a net, but attack the target's normal AC. If it hits, it deals damage and they are entangled as with a normal net. If they fail the Escape Artist or Strength check to escape by 5 or more, they take damage as if they had been struck again.
Additionally, folding a razor net is dangerous. It can be rushed and done in the same 2 rounds (4 if not proficient) as a normal net, but if so roll damage each round as if it had struck you and take half the result. By taking twice the time (4 or 8 rounds), you can fold it without risk of injury.

Siangham/Siangkam: When used for a combat maneuver (trip, disarm, sunder, etc.), you may roll 2d20 and take the higher result.
Note: Monks do not automatically receive proficiency in the siangham, but it may be used as a special monk weapon if they gain proficiency in it.

Spellspear: A spellspear contains a bladder in the base of the blade which can be filled with a potion or magical powder. Such a powder can be created from a scroll of a desired spell of 3rd level or lower. On a critical hit, rather than deal additional damage, a dose is delivered if possible. Make a Use Magic Device check or a caster-level check against DC 10+caster level of the potion or powder. If you succeed, the spell takes effect with the creature hit as the target. (If the scroll contained an area-effect spell, it is centered at a random location within range. If it has additional targets, they are randomly selected from creatures within range, and may include the wielder.) If you fail the check, the potion or powder explodes in a burst of arcane energy; 1d6/spell level bludgeoning damage sunders the blade (the blade has hardness 10 and 10 HP). If this damage does not break the spellspear, the attack deals x2 damage like a normal critical hit.
The spellspear's bladder can contain up to four doses. Mixing multiple spells in the bladder makes the UMD check impossible and deals sunder damage for _all_ mixed spells, added together.
Creating a powder for the spellspear: In order to powder a scroll for the spellspear, a craftsman must have Scribe Scoll and either Brew Potion or Exotic Weapon Proficiency(spellspear), and must use alchemist's tools. This takes 1 day and 25 gp/spell level in materials. On completion of the day's work, the craftsman makes a caster level check against DC 5+(3 x spell level), with failure meaning the powder explodes, dealing 1d4 force damage per spell level to the craftsman and their tools (Reflex half) and destroying all the remaining powder. If this process is attempted for a scroll containing a spell of 4th level or higher, the DC is 5+(10 x spell level) and the damage is 1d8 per spell level on a failure.
(Heavily inspired by Fax Celestis's Librum, but simpler and less swingy)

Spiked Chain: Has 10ft of reach and can attack targets anywhere inside its range without penalty. May be used with Weapon Finesse.

Shuriken: Shuriken count as ammunition. In addition, shuriken can be thrown in a volley. Once per round as part of a full attack, the wielder may throw up to 3 as a single attack. All three use the same attack roll to hit, and precision damage applies only once. If an enemy threatens the shuriken wielder, the volley provokes only one attack of opportunity.
Note: Monks automatically receive proficiency in the shuriken. They may be used as a special monk weapon, but a volley cannot be used in a flurry of blows unless all attacks in the flurry are ranged. If the monk is in melee reach of an opponent, mixing shuriken attacks with unarmed strikes or attacks with other monk weapons is possible but will provoke attacks of opportunity.
(This is only slightly different from Fax Celestis's version of the shuriken)

Talons: A proficient wielder attacking with two (or more) sets of talons gets +2 to damage with them and +4 to combat Intimidate checks.

Trench Knife: Trench Knives have a 17-20 critical threat range when wielded in a grapple.

Barbed Trident: A barbed trident deals wounds that don't close easily. At the start of the target's next turn, they take 1 point of bleed damage per damage die. (This stacks if you hit a target multiple times in one round.) A barbed trident can be set against a charge, but cannot be thrown effectively. A character proficient with the normal trident may wield a barbed trident without penalty. However, each time they hit, they must make a Strength check, DC 15+ target's Constitution modifier. Failure means that they are disarmed and the trident remains stuck in the target.

War Cestus: A cestus made for use in war has metal plates sewn into its leather, with sharp ridges and spikes protruding. The wielder may deal any combination of Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage with a war cestus. Cestuses (like ordinary spiked gauntlets) cannot be disarmed.

Whip: Has 15ft of reach and can attack targets anywhere inside its range without penalty. Nonlethal damage only. May be used with Weapon Finesse.

Optional Special-Bonus change: Paired weapons
(Because it felt mean to leave Dri'zzt and friends out in the cold.) Weapons may be enchanted as a pair (or larger set). This follows the rules for enchanting a double weapon, with the exception that if the weapons are of different types, it always takes the longest time, as if all their magical properties were different. When separated, they begin to lose their enchantments, +1 of enhancement bonus and +1 of bonus-equivalent property per hour (largest first), and do not regain them until they are reunited. (+1 of enhancement and +1 of special properties per minute, randomly chosen from the smallest properties yet to be restored. The wielder's UMD check vs. DC 20 can control the random choice.)

Any of the following count as the weapons being united:

• A being ('the wielder') is currently wielding both(/all) of the weapons
• The paired weapons have stayed within 5ft of each other continuously for the entirety of the last hour.
• Each weapon has stayed within 5ft of the wielder continuously for the entirety of the last hour.

PEACH, etc.

[Ranged Ranger]

I like this...

One thing that stands out as needing clarification:in the paired weapon rules, when you introduce the loss of properties you might want to reword (changes in bold) as:

"When separated, they begin to lose their enchantments, +1 of enhancement bonus and +1 of bonus-equivalent property per hour (round down; largest first), and do not regain them until they are reunited."

or

"When separated for an hour or more, they begin to lose their enchantments, +1 of enhancement bonus and +1 of bonus-equivalent property per hour (largest first), and do not regain them until they are reunited."

Just a minor clarification to avoid arguments over RAW/RAI...

[Auroch]

I like this...

One thing that stands out as needing clarification:in the paired weapon rules, when you introduce the loss of properties you might want to reword (changes in bold) as:

"When separated, they begin to lose their enchantments, +1 of enhancement bonus and +1 of bonus-equivalent property per hour (round down; largest first), and do not regain them until they are reunited."

or

"When separated for an hour or more, they begin to lose their enchantments, +1 of enhancement bonus and +1 of bonus-equivalent property per hour (largest first), and do not regain them until they are reunited."

Just a minor clarification to avoid arguments over RAW/RAI...

Those mean the same thing? "lose +1 per hour, round down" and "when separated for an hour or more, begin to lose" both mean that for the first 59 minutes the loss has no mechanical effect (59/60, round down, = 0), then starting at the end of the first hour they start losing things.

[Ranged Ranger]

Those mean the same thing? "lose +1 per hour, round down" and "when separated for an hour or more, begin to lose" both mean that for the first 59 minutes the loss has no mechanical effect (59/60, round down, = 0), then starting at the end of the first hour they start losing things.

Exactly! Other wise you need to provide an incredibly pedantic definition of lose... Seriously...

Ranged disarm: your opponents arrow grazes your hand and you drop your sword... you use a move action to pick it up on your turn, but because it hit the floor for 3 seconds, it has lost a +1 equivalent enchantment...

Returning Throwing knives: you use your weapons as designed, but because you attacked two different targets more than 5ft from each other, they loose their +1 equivalent enchantment (returning) and do not come back to you.

Getting ready for the day: you had your weapons sitting on the bed side table while you slept last night. You don your longsword, but before you pick up your shortsword someone starts banging on the banging on the door to your room you fail to say that your character picks up the shortsword before going to answer the door.... Oh no, the room is quite spacious and you are now 10 (or 15!) feet from your shortsword. Both of your swords have lost a +1 enchantment.

[Auroch]

...no. Neither of those phrasings implies that.