There are already weapons with the reach property in D&D5e, like lances and polearms. Shorter weapons do not get a penalty, but reach weapons get a bonus reach and can strike you from afar (like some attacks of huge creatures from example). Lances get a disadvantage to use them to strike creatures at 5ft, but I think it´s the only one. You also have weapons that you can use two or one-handed, and weapons that give penalties when you wield two weapons.
I prefer it that way, do not get penalties to shorter weapons but to give advantages to the weapons that have reach. Maybe it is not as realistic, but it is less messy and in the end, you have the same bonuses/penalties. Just remember that penalties and bonuses in attacks using numbers are fewer in 5e, they merged most of them in the "advantage/disadvantage" rules.
That said it would be interesting that most weapons could use different types of damage like in reality, in previous editions and in games like Pathfinder or The Dark eye; because there are creatures that are resistant, immune or vulnerable to certain types of attacks (or even subclasses like the protection domain clerics) and only one type of damage per weapon is a little restrictive and unrealistic.
It also would be interesting if they do something different with the armours, especially the medium ones. Most armour is the same, even tho a plate armour or chainmail or scale have very different properties. I do not think they will diverge much on the core rules of D&D5e, but it would be nice if they allow modding support in the game so we can do that.
Last edited by _Vic_; 11/03/20 07:29 PM.
