So, as this thread, especially Dagnabbit's post here points out, the rope dart as written is a little odd. I have some suggested changes which my GM in a PbP has approved, but I'd love your opinions.
-First of all, it ain't a ranged weapon with a range of 20'. (as if it could go further.) It's 20' maximum, if that, and related to the Meteor Hammer (which should be a monk weapon, but that's another discussion. Monks should be able to use all kinds of cool weapons. I digress.) which is a melee, not a ranged weapon.
-It's a blocking and distracting weapon, definitely.
-Damage of 1d3 at 10' and 1d4 at 20'. Reasoning: you can draw the rope in shorter, but you have less momentum when you hit, if you have a shorter rope. (Not sure about 15'.)
-It's a two-handed weapon.
-You can Flurry with it, but Flurry of -2 attacks, minimum 2 Flurry attacks. Reasoning: it's hard to whip that thing as quick as a sword or unarmed strike.
-You can Trip, Grapple, or Disarm with it...but not as part of a Flurry.
-The 'dart' can be blunt or sharp and deliver damage accordingly.
Some of the reasons I wanted to do this thing up:
-Martial artists use it. It's cool. (monk-asian-flavor-hate notwithstanding.)
-Monks have one flurryable range weapon: shuriken. Not a monk weapon. Not even a ninja weapon! Samurai used it. (monk-asian-flavor-authenticity-yadda-yadda notwithstanding.) I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that it's weird for monks to run around tossing shuriken. I can totally see a monk loading up a sling with multiple bullets and flurrying them out--neat image--but it's not there in the rules.
-Monks are combat debuffers. This is a debuffing kind of weapon, like a whip.
What do you think?