WotC 2020 Was The Best Year Ever For Dungeons & Dragons

[CleverNickName]

Indeed, the trident has symbolic meaning, and was included for that reason, like the sickle. But mechanically there is no way to differentiate it from a spear (which is what it was - a fishing spear).

But does a weapon have to be mechanically distinct in order to be included in the weapon list? I would argue No, it doesn't need to be.

I don't think there is anything wrong with some (or many) weapons having only cosmetic differences between them.

And by "cosmetic" I mean the shape and appearance but also the cost and weight. The weight difference between these "otherwise identical" weapons is usually only a pound or three, which is negligible even if your table is one of the rare ones that actually tracks encumbrance. Same for cost: with all of the arguments about "useless gold" in these forums, it seems most folks wouldn't notice a cost difference of 2-20gp. Tempest in a teapot.

 

[Reynard]

The boring nerdy rules we all ignored?! The point of 5e is to be KISS fun fantasy, not a simulationist medieval battle game.

Listen, I agree. I was just saying that you can totally differentiate between those weapons. it isn't hard. But it is granular. You could even do it in 5E if you wanted and it wouldn't break anything (just make it slower and more tedious).

 

[darjr]

Hmmm how to easily make weapons different?

Maybe some of the pole arms do piercing, some slashing, some bludgeoning. One or two can be used to do one of two or three, players choice. Maybe remove reach from some of them depending on attack type. Maybe one of them can reach 15 feet with disadvantage.
I’d leave it at that.

 

[Oofta]

But does a weapon have to be mechanically distinct in order to be included in the weapon list? I would argue No, it doesn't need to be.

I don't think there is anything wrong with some (or many) weapons having only cosmetic differences between them.

And by "cosmetic" I mean the shape and appearance but also the cost and weight. The weight difference between these "otherwise identical" weapons is usually only a pound or three, which is negligible even if your table is one of the rare ones that actually tracks encumbrance. Same for cost: with all of the arguments about "useless gold" in these forums, it seems most folks wouldn't notice a cost difference of 2-20gp. Tempest in a teapot.

If the only difference is cosmetic, why have it at all? Your imagination is the only limitation when it comes to describing a weapon. There's no real reason to have the trident, no reason to compound the problem by adding more confusion.

 

[Sacrosanct]

A glaive is typically about a foot longer than a halberd, and has a slightly lighter weight blade. But 5e rules don't have a way to differentiate between 6 foot long and 7 foot long unless you use the overcomplex, slow and dull reach rules from 1st edition.

Falchions and katanas are far more different to each other than halberds and glaives, but 5e lumps them both into longsword. All the 5e weapons are broad categories, not representations of specific real world weapons (there was never any such thing as a longsword).

Some have a large slashing blade only. Others have a spike or spearpoint for primary damage. So by your own logic, they should have different damage ratings (b/s/p) and thus be individual weapons. There are differences, even with how 5e handles things, that prevents them from all being "a blade on a stick is just a blade on a stick." With how 5e mechanics work, the differences between a glaive (s) and a partisan (p) are greater than a katana, falchion, or long sword (which are all primarily slashing).

so to say that there are "far more differences" between those swords doesn't make sense

 

[billd91]

But does a weapon have to be mechanically distinct in order to be included in the weapon list? I would argue No, it doesn't need to be.

Ideally, it should be mechanically different to be on the weapon table. What I think would serve your desires here is a separate table listing the mechanical weapon entry and appropriate synonyms that could all be represented by the same mechanical values. Alternatively, some Notes column entries like in 1e's PH that calls out things like "includes Cutlass, Sabre, Sickle-sword, Tulwar, etc" would also do the trick.

 

[Rabulias]

That doesn't work for polearms - the are all "long". Any longer and you couldn't use them in a dungeon. And because they are long, you can't swing them like a hammer (the 1st ed ones where horseback-only weapons IRL).

While I am not a polearm nerd, most of the polearms in AD&D 1e were for infantry, often in formation (a single fighter with a 10'+ long polearm - what does he do when an opponent closes in? If your opponents face a bunch of long pointy sticks, they have more trouble closing in on you and your allies).

Some of the polearms were designed for an unmounted user to pull riders off mounts, and AD&D 1e had a rule to address this, IIRC. Lances (and maybe a few others) are the only ones intended for use while mounted.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Maybe next year will be a good year for polearms in D&D.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe next year will be a good year for polearms in D&D.

They're going to save Guy S'arme's Guide to Guisarmes for 2024, when it can be part of the big 50th anniversary celebration.

The Beedle and Grimm's version will actually come with 12 randomly selected full-sized polearms.

 

[CleverNickName]

Ideally, it should be mechanically different to be on the weapon table. What I think would serve your desires here is a separate table listing the mechanical weapon entry and appropriate synonyms that could all be represented by the same mechanical values. Alternatively, some Notes column entries like in 1e's PH that calls out things like "includes Cutlass, Sabre, Sickle-sword, Tulwar, etc" would also do the trick.

I mean, "ideally" is kind of a bold statement. Your ideal isn't necessarily my ideal, after all.
The things you list are good things to want, depending on what your table prefers. It shouldn't be a mandate.

The folks at my table wouldn't mind having a table of 30 different polearms, different only by their descriptions and artwork to spark the imagination. (My VTT group tends to be inspired more by fluff than crunch. We switched to Foundry from Roll20 largely because of the flashy animated map backgrounds and spell effects.)