Here is a weapon and damage system that I originally made after many years of playing 3.5, but I think it could work with 5th edition or the future edition of D&D. I have a complete weapon document as well where I categorized weapons into Light, Medium, and Heavy Weapons. It might require some changes to some feats or class features like Sneak Attack or Bonus Attacks, I had to do this for 3.5 feats and features. Let me know what you think:
Light Weapons (such as Daggers or Rapiers or Unarmed Strikes) get 3 Attacks per round at 1d4 Base Damage per Attack, adding 1/2 Strength modifier to Damage. Two Weapon Fighting does not automatically grant an additional Attack.
Medium Weapons (such as a Battleaxe or Longsword) get 2 Attacks per round at 1d6 Base Damage per Attack, adding Strength modifier to Damage.
Heavy Weapons (such as Greatsword for example) get 1 Attack per round at 1d12 Base Damage per Attack, adding 2xStrength modifier to Damage. Reach Weapons are Heavy Weapons but only do 1d10 Damage. Grapple is a Heavy Weapon but only does 1d10 Damage.
A Bastard Sword (or Katana) can be used as either a Medium Weapon (one-handed) or a Heavy Weapon (two handed).
At certain level tiers (6/14/22/30, but this could change to fit 5th edition tiers), you gain +1 die of Base Damage to each Attack, but do not increase the number of Attacks. So at 6th level with a Light Weapon you would have 3 Attacks at 2d4 Base Damage each instead of 1d4 each like at 1st level. With a Medium Weapon you would then have 2 Attacks at 2d6 each, and Heavy would be 2d12 with 1 Attack then. Note that there are no minuses to each Attack like 3.5 had to complicate things.
Basically the maximum potential damage is exactly similar for the three categories, and almost exactly similar for the same Strength score. This system gives you the feel of a larger weapon doing more damage and being slower than a quicker less damaging weapon, without getting too complicated. It also opens up D&D so that a Dagger wielding Fighter can actually be effective and fun, and prevents the problem that 3.5 and pathfinder even has, where everyone just gravitates to the weapon that inflicts the most damage.
Criticals generally inflict +1 die Base Damage, so you would just roll 2d12 for a Greatsword (1d12 Base Damage) for example, then add any other modifiers such as 2xStrength modifier.
The magic system that I have also follows these same categories and damage tiers as well, with other changes such as a mana points system, so no more spell slots or spells per day just a scaling spell system with the same mana cap as Attack Bonus. This would need some modification for 5th as the maximum Attack Bonus in mine is still 5 higher than 5th edition (1+1/2 character level for mine, so maximum +11 at 20th level). The Mana system I have is also much simpler than the spell points or psionic systems that we have seen in other editions of D&D, and spells for better and worse are not as powerful or at least not as damaging at higher levels as they have been traditionally. There are other minor intricacies to the weapon and damage and magic systems but this is the gist of it.
Some notes on your system:
Damage bonuses break the symmetry you're trying to create here. 3d4 vs 1d12 seems nice until you have Weapon Specialization and frost on your weapon, and suddenly its 3d4+3d6+6 vs 1d12+1d6+2.
Are you going to rework DR? Otherwise Heavy Weapon guy is much more likely to power through.
I presume your light and medium weapons get multiple attacks on a standard action?
ryric wrote: Some notes on your system:
Damage bonuses break the symmetry you're trying to create here. 3d4 vs 1d12 seems nice until you have Weapon Specialization and frost on your weapon, and suddenly its 3d4+3d6+6 vs 1d12+1d6+2.
Agreed, I changed a lot of feats/class features accordingly. I did have to rework almost everything else, for example Weapon Specialization adds +1 Damage per weapon category, so +1 for Light, +2 for medium, +3 for heavy. Not quite perfectly equal but close enough.
Are you going to rework DR? Otherwise Heavy Weapon guy is much more likely to power through.
Yes, already did, DR is just 1/2 to help with this and simplify math for players too (Barbarians class feature in 3.5/pathfinder would have to change accordingly, maybe versus only 1 type of damage?, I have a points based character creation system that is open and classless so it made this change easier in any case as Damage Resistance costs more points essentially).
I presume your light and medium weapons get multiple attacks on a standard action?
Yes, you have to remove the Full Attack designation from 3.5/pathfinder.
Thanks for the thoughts and response.
Charles Larkin wrote: ryric wrote: Some notes on your system:
Damage bonuses break the symmetry you're trying to create here. 3d4 vs 1d12 seems nice until you have Weapon Specialization and frost on your weapon, and suddenly its 3d4+3d6+6 vs 1d12+1d6+2.
Agreed, I changed a lot of feats/class features accordingly. I did have to rework almost everything else, for example Weapon Specialization adds +1 Damage per weapon category, so +1 for Light, +2 for medium, +3 for heavy. Not quite perfectly equal but close enough.
Are you going to rework DR? Otherwise Heavy Weapon guy is much more likely to power through.
Yes, already did, DR is just 1/2 to help with this and simplify math for players too (Barbarians class feature in 3.5/pathfinder would have to change accordingly, maybe versus only 1 type of damage?, I have a points based character creation system that is open and classless so it made this change easier in any case as Damage Resistance costs more points essentially).
I presume your light and medium weapons get multiple attacks on a standard action?
Yes, you have to remove the Full Attack designation from 3.5/pathfinder.
Thanks for the thoughts and response.
Also, things like Frost would add +1 die of base damage, not a flat 1d6 for example, so it would raise your maximum damage by 12 potentially for a light weapon (1d4+1d4) so 2d4/2d4/2d4, same as a Heavy Weapon 1d12+1d12(2d12 with the one attack)
Looking at how attacks work within the 3e system, some things to consider:
- Damage reduction will likely have to be turned into a "per round, per person" thing, rather than a per hit system.
- Save effects on weapons (ones that stun, decapitate, destroy, etc) will have an issue with multiple attacks, because it's not just extra damage. You may have to either artificially limit to once per round, or make up a DC bonus for the effect on the lower attacks per round weapons.
- Combat Maneuvers? Once per round limitation, or maybe another boosted DC situation for the lower attacks per round weapons?
- Hitting multiple targets? Invent a "sweeping attack" combat action that, at the cost of attack bonus, lets your attacks apply towards a range of targets?
- What about using mixed weapons? Fighting with a longsword and dagger? Using a greatsword, and kicking? This one I have no idea.
Stuff to consider with this level of mechanics change...
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