2-handed weapon house rule.

[Slimcreeper]

I’ve never watched Game of Thrones, sadly. Or Dr Who, or much Star Trek. I’m a total fraud of a nerd.

[Slimcreeper]

Oh! I decided what I was going to do with this several days ago. The equipment list, in my opinion, needs some refreshing anyway, so I'm going to customize the whole thing. Mind, I am not recommending this for anyone else, it is houseruling that I am doing.

I'm going to add Size 7, which can only be wielded by Trolls & Obsidmen and uses Strength to hit and to damage. I'm also going to add stone brother bows, etc. However, for all weapons they will need to have weapons modified to have a larger grip, increasing the cost by 25% and the availability by 1. When attacking with un-modified weapons, they are Harried.

For windlings, one of the things I'm going to add a Hook & Line. Basically it is a grappling hook attached to a strand of non-sticky giant spiderweb. It only does damage +2 and entangling TN of 9. If the windling keeps a grip on the line and attacks with it again, he or she can increase the entangling TN as the windling tangles more and more of the line around the target. It won't cause any additional damage, but as long as the target is still entangled, for each success on the attack test increase the entangling TN by 2, to a maximum TN of 15.

When I have it done I'll post it for you to use or critique. I figure it's easier to add or take away equipment than to add or take away rules.

[etherial]

Oh! I decided what I was going to do with this several days ago. The equipment list, in my opinion, needs some refreshing anyway, so I'm going to customize the whole thing. Mind, I am not recommending this for anyone else, it is houseruling that I am doing.

For your consideration:

http://pandagaminggrove.blogspot.com/20 ... troll.html

[ChrisDDickey]

I'm going to add Size 7, which can only be wielded by Trolls & Obsidmen and uses Strength to hit and to damage. I'm also going to add stone brother bows, etc. However, for all weapons they will need to have weapons modified to have a larger grip, increasing the cost by 25% and the availability by 1. When attacking with un-modified weapons, they are Harried.

This strikes me as the worst of all possible worlds.
Why do Troll two handed weapons use STR but human two handed weapons use DEX? It does not seem to solve any problem other than a desire to see large races two handed fighting style become deliberately unbalanced.

You "pay for" this upgrade by minor weapon procurement restrictions that affect all large race weapon-users, whether they use two handed weapons or one handed weapons. Aside from the unbalanced nature of the core proposal, you can't offset the unbalance of granting two handed weapon users a bonus by increasing the weapon price for members of large races that use one handed weapons. That does not re-balance it, it makes the unbalance worse.

[ChrisDDickey]

For windlings, one of the things I'm going to add a Hook & Line. Basically it is a grappling hook attached to a strand of non-sticky giant spiderweb. It only does damage +2 and entangling TN of 9. If the windling keeps a grip on the line and attacks with it again, he or she can increase the entangling TN as the windling tangles more and more of the line around the target. It won't cause any additional damage, but as long as the target is still entangled, for each success on the attack test increase the entangling TN by 2, to a maximum TN of 15.

This seems to be exactly what a windling sized whip would be, except for the extra rules about increasing the TN. Remember that with entangling weapons, one extra success is required to entangle at all, so it would not be each success on the attack test increasing the entangling TN by 2, but each success past the first one. And again, I don't see any reason why a windling could not simply use a windling sized whip, or why a human or troll sized character could not use a bigger hook and line.

[Slimcreeper]

Those are good points, Chris! Especially about having other races having access to Strength-oriented weapons. My thought is that I can introduce different weapons and see how it goes, and then if it is a big problem I can modify it. I'm not married to the strength to hit idea, but I think it's worth exploring. I can imagine other solutions, like penalties to knockdown tests

This is only for my personal games, not recommended for other tables. My adventures are 50-50 combat/social, with the RP being just as dangerous as the combat, and combats rarely playing out on a level playing field. You can't just carry polearms into business meetings or easily clamber around in tunnels if you are almost 9 feet tall, 500 lbs or 7 feet and 900 lbs. Heck, I'm looking around my house right now and a troll would have to duck and turn sideways to get into my kitchen.

I don't see asymmetry as a big problem. Right now I actually see obsidimen (especially) and trolls as too balanced. 4th did a good job of making them more viable as casters, I think, but I would really like to see them be really scary in melee, particularly with a big weapon. I mean, a human caster with versatility or windling with flight (Named 5th Circle Wizard spell!) can really optimized, which is cool. With some modifications, geek the mage may not be the first priority in combat; instead it might be neuter the troll or obsidiman! (I mean, the obsidiman technically comes pre-neutered, but you know what I mean).

I haven't worked through the Hook and Line's stats yet, but the idea is that a windling would be able to fly around and tangle the target. I have a hard time imagining that a creature only 18 inches high could effectively wield a whip large enough to really entangle a human, much less an obsidiman. When I work through my equipment list, I'll be looking at the ways each race would most effectively use the weapons.

I'm going to be looking at the whole list, though, and try to give it more regional character. After all, not every store in every region will offer the same things! And not just weapons, but the whole list. Weapons are just the only equipment where getting it wrong can so consequential in a time critical way.

Thanks, Panda! I will definitely be leaning on your list some!

**I also think the Dexterity minimimums are so low as to be effectively meaningless. If you have a Dex of 7 you're worthless in combat anyway, and the only way you can even get that low is to be a Dwarf or Obsidiman with minuses on your attribute buy.