Sure!
So, the good :
- that there are more weapon properties and they are "unlocked" as you level up. I'd liked if some properties were available also to non-martials (which do not have exertion), but it also makes sense.
PC- the key concept is to give martials a bit more access to utility and out of combat usage.
Overall they seem a good way to spend some exertion, and they don't seem to overshadow combat maneuvers
The bad:
- While I like the idea that there are special ways to use magic weapons (magical counterattack), I think they can overshadow the power of the base magic weapon itself, and they can meddle quite a bit with class identity (any warrior of sufficient level could use mere a +1 weapon to cast demiplane, shift, or gate).
I would have framed the magic abilities differently, like bypassing resistance or immunity
PC- yes, at level 17 and with sufficient exertion they can do some crazy good stuff.
At level 13, vanilla 5e martials are really quite impressive. The Hunter subclass of Ranger for example! I feel that bypassing resistance or immunity would be a raw power upgrade whereas I was striving for versatility, at a cost, in the use of weapons. I think you could use a +1 Blowgun to do it, RAW, although for most of the effects, you're actually making an ability check disguised as a non-proficient weapon attack, so the weapon bonus becomes rather more significant. Having said that, if you can think of things that you can do with a magic weapon that don't mess with the game maths then I'm all ears!
The ugly:
- formatting could use a second pass IMO. Maybe you already fixed some things, I think I got the first version published and struggled with the layout
PC- yeah. I don't think I've laid out ten documents yet. For about 60-80 USD I can get it done by someone who is a pro at it.
But I have difficulty justifying spending that money as essentially a fan product.
It is indeed an interesting take! I'm curious how much of it was inspired by D&D1's playtest weapon masteries
PJC- Oh, entirely! I am not a hotshot designer or anything like that, but it's very, very easy to design and make stuff in A5e. The SRD is better than the pre January Hasbro one. And I was quite interested to see what could be done to make something that would slot into a 5e game with very little muss or fuss.
You need exertion as a concept and expertise dice and maneuver DCs. Once you have those it goes together neatly which was very pleasing.
Just the beauty of the A5e toolset.
homebrewandhacking.com
