I Actually Really Dig Damage by Class

Yesterday I posted my version of Trent B’s Hack.

In Trent’s hack everyone does a d6 damage and Fighters do a d8 and I adopted that into my hack, with slight alterations: Fighters d8, Cleric and Druid d6, Sorcerer d4 (except quarterstaff d6).

Trent has his own rules for dual wielding and 2h weapons, but I have it as roll two die and take the highest of the two for 2h weapons and dual wielding either gives you +2 AC or +2 attack, your choice.  You need a min of 13 in strength and dexterity respectively to use these options.

Let’s cut out the fat and look at this as a rule as written:

Damage:

Fighters d8, clerics and druids d6, sorcerers d4 (except d6 with quarterstaff)

Dual wield (min 13 dex)- +2 AC or +2 Attack.

Two handed weapons (min 13 str)- roll two of damage die type, take highest of the two.

Ranged Weapons- Bows/slings- move and fire (35 yards).  Crossbows +2 hit/dmg- 1 round immobile to load.

Boom!  That’s it!

What I like about these rules is their utter simplicity.  It keeps the fighter on top for weapon damage (where they should be), there is no convoluted charts and tables for various weapons, and due to that there is no need to create a shit ton of rules to regulate who/what can use these weapons.

If you have someone who wants to play a spiked chain wielding sorcerer, awesome!  He does a d4 damage with it due to lack of training with various weapons, but he can still feel cool (and like a badass) by going into the fray with a big spiked fucking chain.

Other games I’ve seen that have weapons doing a variety of damages A) have HUGE tables of weapon choices with tons of stats, etc (see below); B) rules of attribute requirements for many of them to keep various classes from using them; C) The need to justify why a weapon does the damage that it does.  Why does a Great Axe do 1d12 and a Great Sword do 2d6 damage?  Why does a long spear do 1d10 damage?; D) And/or an edges/feats system that require a character to dump rewards into so as to gain the use of a weapon type.

Think of 3.x/Pathfinder- to use a Spike Chain you have to take the feat Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain) to use it (and it doesn’t even do that much damage unless you also take feats to let you fight with two weapons at once without suffering massive modifiers).

I am NOT knocking the variety weapon damage system that many games use (also classless games would be difficult to nail down damage without a variety weapon system).  I’m just stating that I’m really digging weapon damage by class and the reasons why…

Again lets look at this:

Damage:

Fighters d8, clerics and druids d6, sorcerers d4 (except d6 with quarterstaff)

Dual wield (min 13 dex)- +2 AC or +2 Attack.

Two handed weapons (min 13 str)- roll two of damage die type, take highest of the two.

Ranged Weapons- Bows/slings- move and fire (35 yards).  Crossbows +2 hit/dmg- 1 round immobile to load.

VS

Weapons (This is from Pathfinder RPG that I put into my other Hack)

Weapon	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Range	Type	Special
Unarmed Weapons
Unarmed	-	1d2	1d3	1d4	-	B	Nonleathal
Gauntlets	2gp	1d2	1d3	1d4	-	B	-
Light Melee Weapons
Axe, Throwing	8gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	10ft	S	-
Dagger	2gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	10ft	P & S	-
Dagger, Punching	2gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	-	P	-
Gauntlet, Spiked	5gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	-	P	-
Hammer, Light	1gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	20ft	B	-
Handaxe	6gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	S	-
Mace, Light	5gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	B	-
Sickle	6gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	S	Trip
Starknife	24gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	20ft	P	-
Sword, Short	10gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	P & S	-

Weapon	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Range	Type	Special
One-Handed Melee Weapons
Battleaxe	10gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	S	-
Club	-	1d4	1d6	1d8	10ft	B	-
Flail	8gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	B	Disarm and Trip
Longsword	15gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	S	-
Mace, Heavy	12gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	B	-
Morningstar	8gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	B & P	-
Scimitar	15gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	S	-
Shortspear	1gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	20 ft	P	-
Sword, Bastard	35gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	-	S	-
Trident	15gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	10ft	P	Brace
Warhammer	12gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	B	-
Whip	1gp	1d2	1d3	1d4	-	S	Disarm, Nonleathal, Reach, Trip

Weapon	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Range	Type	Special
Two-Handed Melee Weapons
Chain, Spiked	25gp	1d6	2d4	1d10	-	P	Disarm and Trip
Falchion	50gp	1d6	2d4	2d6	-	S	-
Flail, Heavy	15gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	-	B	Disarm and Trip
Glaive	8gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	-	S	Reach
Greataxe	20gp	1d10	1d12	2d6	-	S	-
Greatclub	5gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	-	B	-
Greatsword	50gp	1d10	2d6	2d8	-	S	-
Halberd	10gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	-	P & S	Brace and Trip
Lance	10gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	P	Mounted Only
Longspear	5gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	-	P	Brace and Reach
Quarterstaff	-	1d4	1d6	1d8	-	B	Double
Scythe	18gp	1d6	2d4	1d10	-	P & S	Trip
Spear	2gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	20ft	P	Brace

Weapon	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Range	Type	Special
Ranged Weapons
Blowgun	2gp	1	1d2	1d3	20ft	P	ROF- 2
Darts (10)	5sp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bolas	5gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	10ft	B	Nonleathal and Trip
Crossbow, Hand	100gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	30ft	P	-
Bolts (10)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Crossbow, Heavy	50gp	1d8	1d10	1d12	120ft	P	ROF- ½
Bolts (10)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Crossbow, Light	35gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	80ft	P	-
Bolts (10)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dart	5sp	1d2	1d3	1d4	20ft	P	ROF- 3
Javelin	1gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	30ft	P	-
Longbow	75gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	100ft	P	-
Arrows (20)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Longbow, Comp	100gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	110ft	P	Strength (Min 14)
Arrows (20)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Net	20gp	-	-	-	10ft	-	Tangle
Shortbow	30gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	60ft	P	-
Arrows (20)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Shortbow, Comp	75gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	70ft	P	Strength (Min 12)
Arrows (20)	1gp	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sling	-	1d3	1d4	1d6	50ft	B	-
Bullets (10)	1sp	-	-	-	-	-	-

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