New weapon idea


Homebrew and House Rules


i was working on a new weapon and wanted some opinions.

one handed exotic weapon
1d8 medium/1d6 small
x2 critical
special: Reach

i am still working on its name but it is a short pole-arm just long enough for reach but can also be used against adjacent foes.


no comments?

Sovereign Court

Reach in one hand that isnt a whip? Seems a bit iffy. Hard to apply force on a weapon that long in a single hand. Justify it.


Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Reach in one hand that isnt a whip? Seems a bit iffy. Hard to apply force on a weapon that long in a single hand. Justify it.

It's a thrusting weapon?

Justification over.


Well, one could always just use a small sized longspear (or any other reach weapon for that matter)

You take -2 attack and -2 damage assuming you're proficient with the weapon. So, the longspear would be one-handed with reach and deal 1d6-2 damage.

By using the various polearms you could also have the opportunity to get disarm or trip properties.

Sovereign Court

Madcap Storm King wrote:
Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Reach in one hand that isnt a whip? Seems a bit iffy. Hard to apply force on a weapon that long in a single hand. Justify it.

It's a thrusting weapon?

Justification over.

Thrusting a 6 feet (mininum length pretty much) long weapon in one hand is ridiculous. There isnt a single weapon in the PHB that gives reach in one hand.

My question was also to the OP, and if your going to respond with snarky, poorly justified comments like that don't even bother posting.


look at p. 145 of the 3.5 DMG. Kusari-gama is an exotic light weapon that does 1d6 and has both reach and adjacent attack (also the bonus for tripping/ disarming). You can use Weapon finesse with it as well.

I had a twf rogue that used these and lunge to great effect.

Sovereign Court

trednis wrote:

look at p. 145 of the 3.5 DMG. Kusari-gama is an exotic light weapon that does 1d6 and has both reach and adjacent attack (also the bonus for tripping/ disarming). You can use Weapon finesse with it as well.

I had a twf rogue that used these and lunge to great effect.

I did say the PHB.

Also, Paizo have said before they are very reluctant to let reach weapons have the ability to strike adjacent squares too; basically because it's too good. I tend to agree with this sentiment, especially on a d8 weapon.


A one handed weapon that has reach and hit adjacent squares is OP. The thing is, if it's one handed you can very well use another weapon in the other hand, or a shield for that matter and threaten adjacent squares anyway.
The posibilities are endless. In our game that deals with high power characters one of our players have the ability to use a spear one handed, he is from a Spartan like culture. It's complicated to say the least, and a REAL pain in the ass, but it's also feat expensive.
Now, doing that with a ONE handed alone is too much.


i think in comparison with other exotic weapons the idea of using a reach weapon one handed isn't too big.

if you look at all the special qualities that weapons can have i.e. being thrown ,reach, brace, trip, disarm, etc. giving a weapon one of these in exchange for exotic weapon proficiency seams fair to me.


northbrb wrote:

i think in comparison with other exotic weapons the idea of using a reach weapon one handed isn't too big.

if you look at all the special qualities that weapons can have i.e. being thrown ,reach, brace, trip, disarm, etc. giving a weapon one of these in exchange for exotic weapon proficiency seams fair to me.

Not if it ALSO hits adjacent characters. That's when it becomes OP.

Sovereign Court

You haven't actually told us what the weapon IS either, or your concept for it. You've just given us the crunch and no fluff.


Ok lets forget about the hits adjacent aspect, it will only function at reach.

Think of a 6 foot long Long sword, figure half the length is handle and half is blade.
The handle is balanced to make it easier to wield with one hand but it takes some training to be able to use it without any difficulty.

Now I know it doesn’t work the same way but I got the idea from a friend of mine, me and a bunch of friends went to a tournament of AMPT Guard, it’s a foam sward fighting game, in Kentucky and my friend made a weapon like this and used it with a shield and it was very effective.

So I decided to make this weapon for a character for him in a pathfinder game we will be playing.


I could see a weapon that is either one-handed reach, or one-handed adjacent, requiring a swift action to swtich between the two.

Basically, a chain weapon (like a kusari-gama) that could be used at reach (like a whip), or tightened up into a one-handed weapon used up close. Imagine something like a chain with a weight on each end. Grab it by one weight and it's a reach weapon, but can't be used up close. Switch your grip to mid-chain (swift action) and you get a short range chain weapon with a dual weight (sort of like a dual headed flail).


northbrb wrote:

Ok lets forget about the hits adjacent aspect, it will only function at reach.

Think of a 6 foot long Long sword, figure half the length is handle and half is blade.
The handle is balanced to make it easier to wield with one hand but it takes some training to be able to use it without any difficulty.

Now I know it doesn’t work the same way but I got the idea from a friend of mine, me and a bunch of friends went to a tournament of AMPT Guard, it’s a foam sward fighting game, in Kentucky and my friend made a weapon like this and used it with a shield and it was very effective.

So I decided to make this weapon for a character for him in a pathfinder game we will be playing.

There you have it. Go for it then. It will give you some trouble, bear that in mind, when that shield bash stuff kicks in and all he'll be nigh unstopable, but it's the best way to make it. Damage is reasonable, crit too and the exotic weapons enters to cover the reach. I think, overall, it's reasonable.


thanks


mdt wrote:

I could see a weapon that is either one-handed reach, or one-handed adjacent, requiring a swift action to swtich between the two.

Basically, a chain weapon (like a kusari-gama) that could be used at reach (like a whip), or tightened up into a one-handed weapon used up close. Imagine something like a chain with a weight on each end. Grab it by one weight and it's a reach weapon, but can't be used up close. Switch your grip to mid-chain (swift action) and you get a short range chain weapon with a dual weight (sort of like a dual headed flail).

Kusari-Gama is an excelent weapon. I would put it almost like you said, and also make it a double weapon (when used without the reach of course) I would make the spiked chain like this as well, reach if used in that stance, or double weapon without reach.


Sounds like an interesting exotic weapon.

The Kusari-Gama (the real life one) was a specialised weapon for use against cavalry but that could be dismantled into 'innocuous' parts. The weighted chain was whirled and used to trip the oncoming rider's horse by entangling the front legs. The wielder then moved in to finish the fallen rider with the scythe-like end (and it really was around the size and sharpness of a scythe, not a kama!). You could use it as a two-handed scythe, or as a tangling/tripping/striking chain, and swap rapidly between the two, but you couldn't use it as both at the same time. I know people who hurt themselves trying ...


Xum wrote:
mdt wrote:

I could see a weapon that is either one-handed reach, or one-handed adjacent, requiring a swift action to swtich between the two.

Basically, a chain weapon (like a kusari-gama) that could be used at reach (like a whip), or tightened up into a one-handed weapon used up close. Imagine something like a chain with a weight on each end. Grab it by one weight and it's a reach weapon, but can't be used up close. Switch your grip to mid-chain (swift action) and you get a short range chain weapon with a dual weight (sort of like a dual headed flail).

Kusari-Gama is an excelent weapon. I would put it almost like you said, and also make it a double weapon (when used without the reach of course) I would make the spiked chain like this as well, reach if used in that stance, or double weapon without reach.

As long as it requires a swift action to change 'stance' when using it, I'd have no issues with it being a double weapon as well (would actually make sense). Although, if it would complicate enchantment when you use it as a one-handed weapon (I guess you pick which 'end' you get for enchantment purposes).


Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Madcap Storm King wrote:
Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Reach in one hand that isnt a whip? Seems a bit iffy. Hard to apply force on a weapon that long in a single hand. Justify it.

It's a thrusting weapon?

Justification over.

Thrusting a 6 feet (mininum length pretty much) long weapon in one hand is ridiculous. There isnt a single weapon in the PHB that gives reach in one hand.

My question was also to the OP, and if your going to respond with snarky, poorly justified comments like that don't even bother posting.

Actually minimum length for hitting six feet away would be four feet.

Since you're going to assume I'm being an ass, fine, I will be.

Firstly, you're discounting the whip when it has 15 feet of reach and is a non-thrusting weapon. Thrusting weapons take much less strength to use effectively than a swinging weapon. Basically little air resistance and allowing inertia to carry the weapon forward with the thrust results in it taking less energy to use. I have personally used a weightlifting bar (25 lbs if memory serves) to thrust, and it was barely an extraneous weight. Meaning that if a lowly 10 STR fellow like myself can use a two-handed thrusting weapon that weighs 25 lbs, you could use a one-handed thrusting weapon of 12 lbs badly, then one of six pounds could be used fairly easily. Six pounds is the weight of a heavy greatsword. A wooden pole, even one six feet in length (around 3 pounds if made out of a good wood, with a .25 pound metal tip) would be child's play for even a weak warrior such as myself. The only thing is it would be a bit unwieldy- IF you decided to swing or didn't know how to use it. Making it an exotic weapon.

That snarky and poorly justified enough for you, Francis?

As far as the reach thing goes: Keep it core. None of this hit things up close stuff, especially if it's one-handed.


Bringing an old post, only to don't open another.

How about this:

Exotic weapon, two handed, 2d6, x2, slashing
Special: Users with Strengh below 16 receive -2 to hit with this weapon. You use double your Strengh modifier, instead x1.5, as damage modifier for this weapon.

I wanted a way to bring the beta Overhand Chop feat back to the game, but with the Strengh "requisite" and crappy critical to balance it down. What do you think?

Basically is a big sword, about 3 foot long squared blade (no tip), plus a 2 foot handgrip. Used in wide, dumb slashes. At GM discretion, he could restrict it use in tight-quarters (are you in a 5 foot wide, 7 foot high corridor? Sorry...), just don't want to make it more complicated putting it on the rules.

Sorry about the bad english...


Madcap Storm King wrote:
Actually minimum length for hitting six feet away would be four feet.

Sounds like a long rapier, then.

freduncio wrote:

Exotic weapon, two handed, 2d6, x2, slashing

Special: Users with Strengh below 16 receive -2 to hit with this weapon. You use double your Strengh modifier, instead x1.5, as damage modifier for this weapon.

I wanted a way to bring the beta Overhand Chop feat back to the game, but with the Strengh "requisite" and crappy critical to balance it down. What do you think?

Basically is a big sword, about 3 foot long squared blade (no tip), plus a 2 foot handgrip. Used in wide, dumb slashes. At GM discretion, he could restrict it use in tight-quarters (are you in a 5 foot wide, 7 foot high corridor? Sorry...), just don't want to make it more complicated putting it on the rules.

Well, Overhand Chop came back in the APG, after a fashion, so in some ways there is no need for this. Sounds like a huge cleaver (I think it would need to be larger than three feet long though). Leaving out the double strength modifier damage, it's fine as a weapon goes.


Dabbler wrote:
Well, Overhand Chop came back in the APG, after a fashion, so in some ways there is no need for this. Sounds like a huge cleaver (I think it would need to be larger than three feet long though). Leaving out the double strength modifier damage, it's fine as a weapon goes.

Actually there's some fighter archetype abilities that mimics the Ovehand Chop feat (and one is named after it), but not to the feat extension.

Take out the double strengh modifier damage and you have a grow up slashing greatclub, and exotic.

What I'm asking is, for its benefit (double strengh damage), are the drawbacks (exotic, low crit, strengh requisite) light, enough or too heavy to the balance?

Aside. Yay! Great Cleaver was the name that I was looking for.


freduncio wrote:
Dabbler wrote:
Well, Overhand Chop came back in the APG, after a fashion, so in some ways there is no need for this. Sounds like a huge cleaver (I think it would need to be larger than three feet long though). Leaving out the double strength modifier damage, it's fine as a weapon goes.

Actually there's some fighter archetype abilities that mimics the Ovehand Chop feat (and one is named after it), but not to the feat extension.

Take out the double strengh modifier damage and you have a grow up slashing greatclub, and exotic.

What I'm asking is, for its benefit (double strengh damage), are the drawbacks (exotic, low crit, strengh requisite) light, enough or too heavy to the balance?

Aside. Yay! Great Cleaver was the name that I was looking for.

In a word, no.

I know that sounds harsh, but Overhand Chop was dropped as a feat because it was a must-have broken feat that made all two-handed fighters too good. It's kept as a class feature in the APG because it balances with the loss of other class features. Your weapon basically makes it a feat again, only now without any pre-reqs but strength 16). Doesn't matter if it has smaller threat range and crit multiplier - the boosted damage from strength makes it a must have that will STILL churn out shed-loads more damage per round than any other two-handed weapon after a few levels.

Compare it to a greatsword at 1st level in the hands of an 18 strength fighter:
Greatsword: 2d6 damage, +6 damage from strength, average 13, 26 on critical. Assuming critcals confirm, you crit 10% of the time so 15.6 average.
Great Cleaver: 2d6 damage, +8 damage from strength, average 15, 30 on critical. Assuming critcals confirm, you crit 5% of the time so 16.5 average.
By level 20 both can have +16 on their strength:
Greatsword: 2d6 damage, +18 damage from strength, average 25, 50 on critical. Assuming critcals confirm, you crit 10% of the time so 30 average.
Great Cleaver: 2d6 damage, +24 damage from strength, average 31, 62 on critical. Assuming critcals confirm, you crit 5% of the time so 34.1 average.
The higher you push the strength, the bigger the damage discrepancy will become and it will always outpace the better threat range of the Greatsword. The reduced chance to hit isn't a factor because no-one with low strength will bother with it anyway.

Sorry if I come across as really negative, but it's the way the numbers crunch.

If we reduce the base damage to 1d10, the average damage works out much closer at all levels ... but then you actually lose out on a lot of the critical focus feats as well. Not sure it would still be attractive as a weapon if you did that.


Thanks for the answer! =)

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Homebrew and House Rules / New weapon idea All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Homebrew and House Rules