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2022-05-19, 07:30 AM (ISO 8601)
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Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Exactly what it says in the title. A halfling that specializes in or masters darts that gets gauntlets of ogre power seems very strong compared to any other weapon since you are getting 4+ attacks per round with that strength bonus to damage for each of those attacks.
This seems like a very strong option without any drawbacks that I can think of, does it need a nerf or is it fine compared to other fighter options? Is there some major flaw with this that I am overlooking?Last edited by Beelzebub1111; 2022-05-19 at 07:30 AM.
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2022-05-19, 07:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Their is a rule in one of the books (combat and tactics I think) that suggests a dm not allow a character like that to get his strength bonus when using darts. But yes if you use RAW dart specialization is broken, but second edition did not run on raw the way latter editions did.
Last edited by awa; 2022-05-19 at 07:59 AM.
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2022-05-19, 09:25 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2004
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- Australia
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Just wait until you run across a Dark Sun half-giant dart specialist :)
Yes, they were a little broken, especially given how fast they were. Great for interrupting spell casters with. Magic ones were fairly limited though and prepared enemies could negate ranged attacks.
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2022-05-19, 12:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2011
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- Sharangar's Revenge
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
I've also heard of a rule (possibly a house rule) where your strength bonus to damage cannot exceed the base damage of the weapon. Since a dart does 1d3 damage, you get no damage benefit for a strength score over 18/01 when throwing darts.
Personally, I've never had an interest in playing a dart specialist, but I could see it for a halfling.Last edited by Lord Torath; 2022-05-21 at 11:13 AM.
Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
My Spelljammer stuff (including an orbit tracker), 2E AD&D spreadsheet, and Vault of the Drow maps are available in my Dropbox. Feel free to use or not use it as you see fit!
Thri-Kreen Ranger/Psionicist by me, based off of Rich's A Monster for Every Season
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2022-05-19, 12:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2007
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- San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Dart Specialists can get pretty wild. Their main limitation is always going to be ammo. While dart's aren't listed with an effective weight in the PH (I think they were thinking pub darts, not plumbata), at 5sp a pop, early on, you're going to run into problems carrying a lot. At higher levels, the limitation becomes magic ammo... a dart specialist is completely shut down by a 3rd level spell.
Interestingly, the PH doesn't really cover thrown weapon specialists. There's melee weapons, and there's bows and crossbows, but thrown weapons? Nothing specific is said, except for their rate of fire.The Cranky Gamer
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2022-05-20, 02:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2004
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Rules as written doesn't give the hit/damage bonus from specialisation to darts - you take the specialisation for the extra attacks. Unless you dip into player options and end up with a grandmaster dart thrower.
The weight of darts was 1/2 lb, so you could carry 8 of them for a single longsword. For encumbrance, size wasn't an issue unless your DM house-ruled it.
What they were was very fast (speed 2), the equal fastest weapon in game. And while they didn't get bonuses from specialisation, they stacked the bonuses from dex (for being a missile/thrown weapon) and str (for hit and damage). So the broken book of elves with its +str/dex elf could be nasty. Or the 24 str/20 dex half giant from dark sun if you want ludicrously broken (and lucky on rolls).
Magic darts were rarish, and limited to only +3 (but more likely only +1), but didn't break unlike arrows. So you wouldn't need a lot.
And yes, protection from normal arrows would shut down darts - unless they had a handful of magic ones, because mages in 2e were very flimsy and could be turned to paste by a handful of darts in a turn. Chances were they would be hit before they could get any spells off.Last edited by Corvus; 2022-05-20 at 02:30 AM.
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2022-05-20, 09:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2007
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- San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
The Cranky Gamer
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
*Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
*The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.
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2022-05-20, 03:22 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Also, stoneskin was a really popular defensive spell in 2E because it made you completely invulnerable to most physical attacks for 1d4+2/level attacks. A dart specialist, with their high rate of fire, could knock the stoneskin off an enemy caster quicker than anyone else.
(The sheer OPness and widespread abuse of stoneskin was why it got toned down to just damage resistance in 3E, rather than total invulnerability.)Last edited by Lord Shark; 2022-05-20 at 03:24 PM.
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2022-05-20, 03:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2011
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- Sharangar's Revenge
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
My Spelljammer stuff (including an orbit tracker), 2E AD&D spreadsheet, and Vault of the Drow maps are available in my Dropbox. Feel free to use or not use it as you see fit!
Thri-Kreen Ranger/Psionicist by me, based off of Rich's A Monster for Every Season
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2022-05-20, 04:31 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2006
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- Washington, USA
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2022-05-21, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2011
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- Sharangar's Revenge
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Re: Is Dart Specialization Overpowered?
I can confirm. Throwing darts are a half-pound each. Not as bad as throwing axes, but it still adds up quickly.
Blowgun darts are 10 to the pound. But blowgun darts only have a rate of fire of 2/round, rather than 3. I'd also argue that blowguns do not add strength bonuses to hit and damage.Last edited by Lord Torath; 2022-05-21 at 11:18 AM.
Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
My Spelljammer stuff (including an orbit tracker), 2E AD&D spreadsheet, and Vault of the Drow maps are available in my Dropbox. Feel free to use or not use it as you see fit!
Thri-Kreen Ranger/Psionicist by me, based off of Rich's A Monster for Every Season