Weapons

[maasenstodt]

I'm in the midst getting ready for our group's first DCC RPG playtest session this evening. I'm going to be running The Keep on the Borderlands and was working out how I will handle AC and damage given the differences between DCC RPG and the module/D&D.

In doing so, I was looking at and thinking about the DCC RPG weapon list and had a few comments/suggestions:

1. I'd like to see the battle axe be useable with one hand.
2. Shouldn't the spear have ranges attached to it?
3. Speaking of spears, the 1d8 listing for damage seems a bit generous, particularly since it is a one handed weapon, it's dirt cheap, and it (presumably?) can be used from the second rank.
4. It might be nice to make certain weapons useable with one or two hands (with both the battle axe and spear being good examples), with the latter providing a +1 bonus to damage.
5. Did I miss it or is the use of weapons from the second rank not commented upon? If I didn't miss it, this topic (and the weapons that allow for it) might be worth mentioning.
6. Did I miss it or is the loading time for a crossbow not commented upon? If I didn't miss it, I think it should be limited to an 'every other round' kind of weapon. I also think the damage should be raised to 1d8 or perhaps even 1d10.
7. The flail is kind of underwhelming.
8. It might be nice to include a note that equivalent weapons used by larger than man-sized creatures (minotaurs, ogres, etc.) do one die type higher damage (e.g., a minotaur's mace does 1d8 dmg instead of 1d6).

That's it for now.

[kataskicana]

I loved that the spear did a d8. Historically it was the most used weapon in war almost from the dawn of man til they started using longer spears (pikes). And it wasn't just that they were cheaper to make it was becuase a long stick with a poke-y bit on the end would let you kill someone before they could kill you and that was kewl!

For anyone wanting to get a feel for the real effect of old weapons I highly recommend SpikeTVs deadliest warrior. It is great to see the real impact of various weapons against various shields and armors and bones and tissue. (I think in the Deadliest Warrior - ultra-real RPG all characters would have 3 HPs and weapons would average 1d10 damage... if you didn't have armor and got hit by a sword or axe you are going to be ended.)

[GnomeBoy]

2. Shouldn't the spear have ranges attached to it?

I think in this case a spear is a long pointy thing that you hang onto and poke at people you don't like...

...a javelin is a long pointy thing that you hurl in the general direction of people you don't like.

[goodmangames]

1. I'd like to see the battle axe be useable with one hand.
2. Shouldn't the spear have ranges attached to it?
3. Speaking of spears, the 1d8 listing for damage seems a bit generous, particularly since it is a one handed weapon, it's dirt cheap, and it (presumably?) can be used from the second rank.
4. It might be nice to make certain weapons useable with one or two hands (with both the battle axe and spear being good examples), with the latter providing a +1 bonus to damage.
5. Did I miss it or is the use of weapons from the second rank not commented upon? If I didn't miss it, this topic (and the weapons that allow for it) might be worth mentioning.
6. Did I miss it or is the loading time for a crossbow not commented upon? If I didn't miss it, I think it should be limited to an 'every other round' kind of weapon. I also think the damage should be raised to 1d8 or perhaps even 1d10.
7. The flail is kind of underwhelming.
8. It might be nice to include a note that equivalent weapons used by larger than man-sized creatures (minotaurs, ogres, etc.) do one die type higher damage (e.g., a minotaur's mace does 1d8 dmg instead of 1d6).

Good callouts!

General principle #1: Where an experienced judge can "solve it" on their own, I'd rather keep the rules sparse and not elaborate. Some of what you've noted above will be solved by this general principle.

1. Suggestion: at STR 16+ a character can use a 2-handed weapon with one hand.
2 and 3. As noted earlier in this thread, there's a fine line between "spear" and "javelin", and they're often blurred in many games. I'm referring here to the thick, heavy stabbing weapon that wasn't really thrown that often.
4. 3E had some complicated math around this (involving the number 1.5...that's all I remember offhand) where, mathematically, a character ended up in the same place fighting with a two-handed weapon as if he made another choice. I can't remember the details but I remember, years ago, dissecting the math and saying to myself, "Okay, that's really cool that they got the math right, but I really wish my character choices actually mattered because no matter what I choose the math turns up the same result!!!" I would say, to your comment, c.f. general principle #1 above; agreed that it would make sense for a +1 damage bonus on certain weapons used two-handed. Identify them as you see fit!
5 and 6. c.f. general principle #1. Personally I don't use battle grids so ranks don't come into play a lot. I allow crossbows to fire every round just because I don't like tracking too many things in combat.
7. Okay, noted.
8. c.f. general principle #1.

Hope that helps. Not trying to be snarky but I don't want the rules to get too long and I do believe much of this is the kind of thing that a good judge can solve on their own (as you are demonstrating!).

[jmucchiello]

The only useful part of a hand and a half weapon in 3e is you can switch between one and two handed as needed. I think this is what he wants in DCCRPG. How you implement such a rule does not have to have anything to do with 3e.

Flails usually bypass shield bonuses. This makes flails utterly useless in most dungeon crawls as shields are not commonly used by denizens of the dark.

[meinvt]

5 and 6. c.f. general principle #1. Personally I don't use battle grids so ranks don't come into play a lot. I allow crossbows to fire every round just because I don't like tracking too many things in combat.

I gave spears the advantage of being able to attack from "behind" a front rank character.
For crossbows, I did rule that if you fired the turn before and also move on your turn you couldn't immediately fire again. But, if you want to just stand and shoot that is fine. I agree that this is probably fine as a judges ruling, particularly at the current damage level.