I don't know if this is the appropriate place to make this post or if it belongs in the homebrew tab. If necessary, I can redirect the discussion there. However, I'll start here for now because there are more people, and this isn't really about homebrew.
I'll begin by explaining my reasoning: I always felt that pure Strength-based characters suffer from not having a decent ranged option. One might say, "If they wanted a ranged option, they should have invested in Dexterity," which I agree with, except there are situations where a pure melee character can easily be rendered useless if they don't have a decent ranged option. For example, a fighter or barbarian against flying enemies can only rely on thrown weapons to contribute to damage, which not only have a very short range, likely requiring attacks at their 2nd or even 3rd increment, but the character will also likely have a Dexterity modifier of +1 or +2, no potency runes on those weapons, and will need to draw the weapon before each attack. This, in my opinion, feels a little too punishing for a system such as Pathfinder 2e, where characters are meant to function effectively from the start. Although this situation is fairly niche and a good GM might adjust the encounter or make it so the flying enemies are close to the ground, allowing these martial characters to leap and strike before falling, it seems odd that this can happen in the first place.
For this reason, I thought, "Why not make thrown weapon attacks work with Strength instead?" In a sense, it would work like it does in D&D 5e and, I believe, Starfinder 1e; you use the exact same modifier for a thrown weapon attack that you would have used for that weapon in melee. For example, a hatchet would require Strength, while a dagger could use either Strength or Dexterity. This doesn't even solve most of the problems a character that doesn't invest in thrown weapons would otherwise have, like the action economy or the lack of runes on the weapon, but at least you'll have a decent backup option in case you need to target a flying enemy. A Dexterity-based character likely has a ranged weapon, so it's not like you are nerfing Dex-based characters with this change.
What do you think? Would this be a welcomed change?
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Yeah, I've crafted many throwing builds and they aren't as straightforward as archery or melee and lose some levels to development (during which they're fine w/ another weapon). Several builds flourish while several more are passable (which isn't a great return on investment, but throwers are tactically simple so there's that). If there was access to a "Str to attack" option, the best ones would dominate a bit too much.
That said, I have always wanted the "brutal"/"Str to thrown attack" option for PCs which several monsters have, but understand it doesn't have a place, especially not as a free option. Heck, quite a few players have posted on the forums how much fun they have with thrown weapons (often to their own surprise), even with say a trident with its Str-melee/Dex-thrown issue and low range. It's that valuable to save all those Steps, especially vs. highly mobile enemies or in awkward environments.
So if I were to implement such a "Str to thrown attack" rule, I'd make it costly, like an Archetype centered on throwing where you either get Brutal with a second feat and/or have to use both hands, the latter being likely the better balanced option given how strong Dual Thrower would become if the two were combined (even though that wouldn't be until 10th level for normal games, so maybe that's fine?).
But yeah, Brutal by default would be unwelcome and unbalanced. Sorry.
(I agree low-Dex Str-warriors DO need to address flying creatures somehow, and hopefully realize that! As mentioned, that can be solved via teamwork, as long as the team knows that is.)
It would be a welcome change for sure and I say go for it. Thrown weapon support in PF2e is absolutely ghastly:
- You need either Quick Draw or a Returning Rune to do what a bow user does by default.
- Unless you use a Boomerang or a Chakri, your ranges are hilariously bad (and even those only get you close to the lowest ranges of proper ranged weapons).
- There are basically no feats that interact with a Thrown weapon like you get for Bows/Crossbows/Firearms.
All of this for the incredible privilege of adding...your full Strength to damage. Wow. Incredible. Amazing.
The truth is PF has been terrible at making throwing weapons fun since 1e, and that tradition continues in 2e, alongside the old PF standard of worshipping bows and making all other ranged options worse for no discernible reason.
So yeah, give thrown weapons STR to hit. I guarantee it will break nothing and just make some of your players happy.
I'll begin by explaining my reasoning: I always felt that pure Strength-based characters suffer from not having a decent ranged option.
Ranged Trip [Akly, Bola, Flying Talon, Wrecker], uses an Athletics check at -2 within the weapon’s first range increment. It's what I use for ranged options on a str character.
The Brutal weapon trait was mentioned: "Brutal: A ranged attack with this trait uses its Strength modifier instead of Dexterity on the attack roll." [from bestiary 1]