Further weapon differentiation

Here are my house rules for further weapon differentiation. Note that in my game weapon, armor and shield use is not restricted by class.

Shield +2AC instead of +1 if wearing mail or lighter body armor, +2 to saves against Breath & Blast

Swords allow an additional cleave (even for mages).

Axes +1 damage.

Hammers & Maces +2 to hit metal and exoskeletal armor.

Flails ignore shields and you may reroll the damage die once per attack.

Spears can be set against a charge to deal double damage and hit on the attackers initative.

Polearms two handed spears I'll suited for throwing but with an additional weapon type. A naginata would be a sword-spear, a helberd an axe-spear. They deal D8 damage.

Backstabs tiny and small weapons deal D10 damage, medium or larger weapons deal D8 damage. 

these are some good house rules. there's a reason for each weapon, but they're simple enough that you could reasonably keep track of them in your head.

These rules are absolutely delightful. I love them.

I'll probably use the shield +2 on saves.

Given the Thievery+Encumbrance rules in HFH, I wonder if there's somewhere that general encumbrance level might interact with the ability to more effectively utilize one's shield and/or do 'reflex' based saves.

I dig tying the polearms to a 'subtype'.

 

Would a pike be a spear-spear?

Interesting mix.  Really like the shield one, especially if you dont use the Wisdom bonus on all saves feature.
Though it seems swords would drop off in popularity as characters get higher level, for other weapons, given I've found after about 4th to 5th level you really dont need/use more cleaves, as you typically dont have enough enemies in reach or they are tougher than you can reliably cleave through.  Though on the whole would always be quite useful for the common folk.

For axes I'd likely use the impact rule from Warhammer RPG (in that you roll 2 dice and take the higher) rather than a blanket +1 damage, it effectivly adds the +1 bonus damage on average but doesnt exceed the cap weapons have in general.

[quote="The Dark"]

Would a pike be a spear-spear?

[/quote]

A short pike is a spear, a very long pike is almost like a mobile piece of dangerous terrain. A problem with pikes is the arc is limited by allies fighting in front of you, and if you stand in the first row it can't be used if you're engaged in melee (except vs. another pike). As my game is set ~10th century pike squares or phalanxes are not common but if my players want to clear a dungeon with a pike formation I would probably treat it as a sort of ranged weapon.

Something I wonder about the vanilla rules, in which lances deal D10 damage and cost 1 gp, how would they function on foot?

 

[quote="Loswaith"]

Interesting mix.  Really like the shield one, especially if you dont use the Wisdom bonus on all saves feature.
Though it seems swords would drop off in popularity as characters get higher level, for other weapons, given I've found after about 4th to 5th level you really dont need/use more cleaves, as you typically dont have enough enemies in reach or they are tougher than you can reliably cleave through.  Though on the whole would always be quite useful for the common folk. [/quote]

I don't have any experience of higher level play yet. We usually fight without a tactical map, the melee is more like its own zone than anything else. Does being generous and allowing 10'+ of movement after each kill unbalance the game at higher level? I don't really have a problem with non-swords being the first choice for fighters at higher levels.

[quote="wilmer"] Something I wonder about the vanilla rules, in which lances deal D10 damage and cost 1 gp, how would they function on foot? [/quote]

I believe there are manuscripts showing dismounted knights using lances as spears.  So I would treat as spears, possibly two-handed only if they're the full length jousting spears.

I still like the original D&D normal sword doing 1d8 damage one handed. Otherwise it’s no better than a short sword if you are using a shield. Perhaps .ale it d8+1for two hands? Or here’s something radical. Make it d10 with two hands and make a two-handed sword d12.

[quote="wilmer"] ... I don't have any experience of higher level play yet. We usually fight without a tactical map, the melee is more like its own zone than anything else. Does being generous and allowing 10'+ of movement after each kill unbalance the game at higher level? I don't really have a problem with non-swords being the first choice for fighters at higher levels.  [/quote]

I'd think the 10' move would be of benefit given most heavy armoured characters have only 20 to 30 combat movement, though they are still limited to their movement, so overall wouldnt be much of an issue overall.  I've found it wasn't so much an issue of getting in range as just not having that many enemies close enough to each other with low enough hit points to make effective use of a sequence of more than 3-4 cleaves (though that is still a huge 4-5 attacks), even as a narative style (without a tactical map) there is still logistical limits to how many enemeis are within 5 feet of each other.

If fewer swords work or fit your setting then its a non-issue, was just something I noticed. :)