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There are two ways being discussed in our group about how to handle this. Without stating my role in the discussion, I'd like to hear others thoughts.
The rules that were used in the last session were:
Improvised Chain: 1d4 damage, light weapon, 10' reach, can trip, can disarm, threatens adjacent and to extent of reach.
Between sessions the following rules were generated for using the normal chain in the equipment section of the rules as an improvised weapon:
Improvised Chain Form (A): 1d6 damage, 10' reach, size large (two hands), crit 20 (x2), weighs 2 lbs.
Improvised Chain Form (B): 1d4 damage, 10' reach (does not threaten 10' away but does threaten adjacent opponents, unlike any other weapon), size medium (one-handed melee weapon), crit 20 (x2), weighs 2 lbs.
My question is, which would you prefer? If neither, how would you treat using a standard chain (not a spiked chain, a normal chain) as a weapon?
I'm talking about a PC purchasing a chain, as described in the equipment section, which is:
Chain: size 10 ft.; cost 30gp; weight 2lbs; hardness 10; hp 5.
As used in session: 1d4 damage, light weapon, 10' reach, can trip, can disarm, threatens adjacent and to extent of reach.
New ideas:
(A): 1d6 damage, 10' reach, size large (two hands), crit 20 (x2), weighs 2 lbs. Threatens as a normal reach weapon.
(B): 1d4 damage, 10' reach (does not threaten 10' away but does threaten adjacent opponents, unlike any other weapon), size medium (one-handed melee weapon), crit 20 (x2), weighs 2 lbs.
Personally I think the horrific nerfing of the spiked chain was almost completely unnecessary. The nerfing of trip maneuvers balanced this out for the most part. A drop in damage output would finish this.
If you want to nerf this in your game, all the power to you, but you might want to look at the "Sisters" characters in the "Council of Thieves" adventure books, #3 if I remember right. They have bladed scarves, which do have 10ft reach, but no statement really on how they act so far as I can tell.
Good the PCs are using 10 ft of chain as a weapon. I like the idea.
Why not let them use the chain either way they would like to?
Chain as a weapon. Good idea. you could 1d4/1d6 it and you could also use both reaches depending on either used one handed or two handed.
The thing is people went crazy over spiked chains in 3.5 because they were the only exotic weapon worth taking. Now not one really is IMHO.
The chain weapon here is almost identical to what a spiked chain was, but at half damage.