As much as I like D&D, it many ways it is limited and could use polishing. After all, BG wasn't a direct 1:1 translation of D&D, so why should BG3 be? It's a CRPG, so things can be improved.

One thing that always irked me is how weapons and armor are handeled. They are terribly simplified an lack proper variatey and ... flare? Feel?

Anyone who is into medieval fighting knows that most weapons are not limited to 1 damage type. A sword CAN be a specialized thrusting weapons, but it can also be a thrusting, slashing and blunt weapon. Half-swording and the dreaded mordhau can be used to end your enemy rightly.
Something like a warhammer is primarily a blunt weapon...but most warhammers had a back and top spike, so you could do thrusting attacks.
So what I'm saying is give weapons damage values for different damage types based on a weapon.

A longsword might do 2d4 slashing, 1d6 thrusting or 1d8 blunt damage. Only one type of damage is done per attack, with damage type done either random, based on level/weapon skill(higher skills means a more favorable damage type is chosen more often) or the player can focus.

Armors would get different damage type damage resistance/reduction, with things like chainmail great against slashing, but poor against blunt, and things like field plate being great against everything.



Also adding weapons reach would add a lot. Anyone who ever trained with weapons can tell you just how big of a factor reach is. Having a shorter weapons makes it so much more difficult to get within striking range. So every weapon would have a reach value:
fists - 0
knives - 1
one handed mace/axe/hammer/shortsword - 2
sword - 3
longsword/two-handed mace/axe/hammer - 4
spear -5
greatsword - 6
pike/polearm - 7

The reach difference would basically give a penalty to hit to the one with shorter weapon, simulating the difficulty of getting within striking distance.


Doing these would both give even mundane weapons a lot more variance and character and make it more interesting. Now two different swords can have their own pros and cons and have something going for them even if not heavily enchanted.
That +1 hammer is nice, but it doesn't have spikes, so it's only blunt damage. On the other hand, this other hammer is normal, but has spikes. Do I go for a magical shortsword or a regular sword. Maybe that +1 reach could prove decisive?

Last edited by Ellderon; 11/03/20 12:01 PM.