Blasphemous Polyhedral Weapons Table

[tbeard1999]

Submitted for your approval...

Or your bitter denunciations, calls for burning at the stake, etc.

But before you light the torches, remember that polyhedrals are pretty. {ducks and runs for cover}

BLASPHEMOUS POLYHEDRAL WEAPONS TABLE (BPWT)
SWORDS
Dagger* d4
Rapier d6
Cutlass d8
Shortsword d10
Broadsword d12
Bastard Sword (1 hand) d12+1
Bastard Sword (2 hands)† d20-2
2-handed Sword† d20-1
Great Sword† d20+1

AXES/HAMMERS/MACES
Club* Varies
Hatchet* d6
Hammer* d8
Mace* d10
Small Ax* d6+2
Military Pick d12
Morningstar d12+1
Great Hammer† d12+2
Battle Axe† d20

MISSILE WEAPONS
Thrown Rock d6-4
Sling d4-1
Small Bow† d4
Horse Bow† d6
Longbow† d10
Light Crossbow† d12
Heavy Crossbow† d20
Arrows (20)
Crossbow Quarrels (20)
Sling Pellets (20)
Cranequin

POLE WEAPONS
Javelin* d4
Spear* d6
Spear (2 hands)*† d8
Halberd† d12
Pike Ax† d12+1
Trident* d6
Naginata† d10
Cavalry Lance d20-1
Pike† d12+1, OR
as a spear


PECULIAR WEAPONS
Quarterstaff† d10
Net* d6-3
Cestus (Notes)
Whip d4
Lasso* Varies
Boomerang* d12
Nunchuks d8
Spear Thrower +2
Blowgunt See Poison
20 Darts See Poison
Torch (Notes)
Table, Chair, etc.*?†? -
Wizard's Staff d6
Molotail* -
Gas bomb* -
Bola* -
Sha.ken* d6-2
Arquebust d20+3
Blunderbusst d10
Grenade (Notes)
Petard (Notes)
Gunpowder (1 charge) -

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by tbeard1999

Submitted for your approval...

Or your bitter denunciations, calls for burning at the stake, etc.

But before you light the torches, remember that polyhedrals are pretty. {ducks and runs for cover}

WEAPONS TABLE
SWORDS
Dagger* d4
Rapier d6
Cutlass d8
Shortsword d10
Broadsword d12
Bastard Sword (1 hand) d12+1
Bastard Sword (2 hands)† d20-2
2-handed Sword† d20-1
Great Sword† d20+1

AXES/HAMMERS/MACES
Club* Varies
Hatchet* d6
Hammer* d8
Mace* d10
Small Ax* d6+2
Military Pick d12
Morningstar d12+1
Great Hammer† d12+2
Battle Axe† d20

MISSILE WEAPONS
Thrown Rock d6-4
Sling d4-1
Small Bow† d4
Horse Bow† d6
Longbow† d10
Light Crossbow† d12
Heavy Crossbow† d20
Arrows (20)
Crossbow Quarrels (20)
Sling Pellets (20)
Cranequin

POLE WEAPONS
Javelin* d4
Spear* d6
Spear (2 hands)*† d8
Halberd† d12
Pike Ax† d12+1
Trident* d6
Naginata† d10
Cavalry Lance d20-1
Pike† d12+1, OR
as a spear


PECULIAR WEAPONS
Quarterstaff† d10
Net* d6-3
Cestus (Notes)
Whip d4
Lasso* Varies
Boomerang* d12
Nunchuks d8
Spear Thrower +2
Blowgunt See Poison
20 Darts See Poison
Torch (Notes)
Table, Chair, etc.*?†? -
Wizard's Staff d6
Molotail* -
Gas bomb* -
Bola* -
Sha.ken* d6-2
Arquebust d20+3
Blunderbusst d10
Grenade (Notes)
Petard (Notes)
Gunpowder (1 charge) -

So a (Nunchaka) does (1d8) regardless if a 8 ST Halfing Fighter uses them or a 16 ST Human Fighter?

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

So a (Nunchaka) does (1d8) regardless if a 8 ST Halfing Fighter uses them or a 16 ST Human Fighter?

Yes, but they do 1d6+1 in regular TFT, regardless of ST. The Blasphemous Polyhedral Weapons Table (BPWT) doesn't change this.

[Chris Rice]

Whilst I'm not entirely against using polyhedrals for weapons, I do have to question some of the values. (I'm assuming you haven't changed the strength requirements.)

Off the top of my head, the battleaxe was 3d6 damage (3-18 range, average 10.5) but with the likely results strongly in the middle of the range (8-13). On your table the damage for the same weapon is 1d20 (1-20 range, average 10.5) but with any result being equally likely. The chance of rolling the top of the range on 3d6 is less than 0.5%. On 1d20 it's 5%, or 10 times more likely.

I don't like that. I find it too extreme and unpredictable for an individual blow.

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

Whilst I'm not entirely against using polyhedrals for weapons, I do have to question some of the values. (I'm assuming you haven't changed the strength requirements.)

Off the top of my head, the battleaxe was 3d6 damage (3-18 range, average 10.5) but with the likely results strongly in the middle of the range (8-13). On your table the damage for the same weapon is 1d20 (1-20 range, average 10.5) but with any result being equally likely. The chance of rolling the top of the range on 3d6 is less than 0.5%. On 1d20 it's 5%, or 10 times more likely.

I don't like that. I find it too extreme and unpredictable for an individual blow.

I calibrated the damage based on the average TFT damage. For instance, a 2d6 broadsword averages 7 points of damage. With a d12, it averages 6.5 points of damage (close enough). ST requirements, cost and weight haven't changed.

Obviously your mileage may vary. However, some TFT weapons use a bell curve for damage; some don't. That has always bugged me (and apparently no one else on the planet).

Also, this table tries to address the problem you noted in another thread - high levels of armor protection. A bell curve will often exacerbate that problem, particularly where the average damage is less than the fixed protection level.

As noted in that thread, a 2d broadsword will damage a figure who stops 9 hits 1/6 of the time. A d12 will damage them 1/4 of the time. That seems to address your complaint, to some extent.

And as noted, you can calibrate the damage to be more or less variable. A d12 can be replaced with 1d10+1. Or 1d8 +2. Or 1d20-4. All average 6.5 points of damage per hit.

You could also decide that hafted weapons (for instance) are more variable than swords. Or vice versa. So a Battleaxe does 1d20, while a Greatsword does 1d12+5 and a 2 handed sword does 1d10+4, for instance.

[JLV]

I have to agree with Chris on this one -- your system may be great, but it eliminates the bell curve, which actually has an effect on the combat system. So, I think his reasoning on this issue is sound. Sorry, buddy, but there it is!

[larsdangly]

It's non-canonical, but I'm down with it! Funny dice are just fun. It might upset some old grognards, but its one way TFT could sharply distinguish itself from GURPS. Just make sure the numbers all work out so that expected value of damage and the worth of armor and so forth don't get nuked.

Edit: The cool opportunity here is to mix and match the numbers and types of dice so that different categories of weapons (blunt, slicing, piercing, etc.) have quite different distributions even when their average values are the same. This will make them interact with armor differently, and present different sorts of dangers

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by JLV

I have to agree with Chris on this one -- your system may be great, but it eliminates the bell curve, which actually has an effect on the combat system. So, I think his reasoning on this issue is sound. Sorry, buddy, but there it is!

Et tu, JLV?

:D

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by tbeard1999

et tu, jlv?

:d

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by tbeard1999

Yes, but they do 1d6+1 in regular TFT, regardless of ST. The Blasphemous Polyhedral Weapons Table (BPWT) doesn't change this.

Right, I get that; however, I shall beg the question nonetheless for the purposes of discussion:

"Shouldn't a 16 ST Fighter use a "ST-Appropriate" set of Nunchaku; which would be different than the ST-Minimum example Nunchaku presented on the table which a Halfling might use?" After all, Giants use giant-sized clubs for ST-Appropiate damage - and conceptually, what is a set of Nunchuka after all, other than a flail combined with (albeit) a small club(s)?