Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Thoughts on handaxes design?

Am I the only one not vibing with the size of the handaxes in BG3?
As in, it's way too big, especially the handle?


Picture : me, trying out my new Ranger/Rogue build (hoping for multiclassing) based on Connor Kenway from Assassin Creed 3 (💚), aka Connor Tavway.

I thought it was going to be more like a hatchet or tomahawk (like in this video called "Tomahawk & Handaxe Fighting!").

It looks odd to me. Especially when :
- compared to the size of a shortsword
- the fact that it's a "Simple Melee Weapon" (not "Martial")
- it's a "Light" weapon that can be used as a off-hand weapon. Right now, it looks so disproportionate as an off-hand weapon 😶

When looking up "handaxe" in Google Images, there are various sizes, sure, but when looking up in the dictionary, we find this :

So, my suggestion is : Could the handaxes see their handle reduced by, at least, a third of their current size, please?

Also, this might also be an issue with other weapons like longswords, I just found this mod : "Longsword Handle Resized".

Am I alone on this 😅?
I could understand people wanting big axes but "Battleaxes" are a thing already 😅

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Edit :
As mentioned by The_Red_Queen, this is also a weapon that has the "Throw" property. Hard to picture a character being able to throw an oversized "handaxe" accurately with just one hand 😶 Actually, here's a picture, it looks weird.


Edit 2:
Also, see Throwing equipped weapon.

No, you’re not alone! I’ve been thinking exactly the same. I’d definitely expect something smaller, tidier and more aerodynamic-looking as it’s a throwing weapon as well, allegedly, as a light one.

So I like the hatchet as a small axe. You should see the battle axe first, that's what I call it big.... Hand axes would be more like small throwing weapons for me.

Good point! I forgot to mention that, thank you! I've now edited the OP to include that.

+1!

The haft is definitely too long, it looks like a wood-cutter's axe not a hand-axe. It's almost as large as a battle-axe, it should be just a bit bigger than a hatchet.

Maybe this particular handaxe was once the throwing weapon of choice of a 9 foot tall bandit

It is big, but in top down games items are often exadurated for clarity sake. I don't think that screeshots shown are representative of your average player's screen view. I am not sure if it is more exadurated then other weapons.

I think it's more exagerated in that it should at least be on the same scale as the short sword or dagger. That does indeed look like a woodcutter's axe.

Definitely does not look like a throwing axe. I guess we should be happy they don't explode on impact, destroy all CC effects in a 30' radius and leave a fire surface.

The scale of weapons is all over the place so yeah totally agree with you on this one.

Equip the goblin staff now that's one big sucker right there completely out of proportions, that staff is so big it's comical.

Sizes are all over the place you can find huge Morningstar that looks oversized on a wood elf but you give it to a dwarf and it's tiny in size.

So it's not just axes the scales are off and weird looking for most weapons. Hopefull that will all get fixed. The question is when, because August is around the corner.

Do you think it happens because the item scales with the model, or something? So as bigger character picked up goblin's staff it grows proportionally to the new model? (I have never equipped it, might try if I play BG3 again).

I like Handaxes beeing like in the real worlds Viking Variants.
The Blades are very small but effective. Making the Handaxe a realy light and fast weapon with devastating combat effectivness.
The Vikings knew how to make a good weapon and put it to use.
Swen Vincke should know for sure that this would be the better choice insted of big clunky weapons on the back of people just for the looks of visually more interesting.

But anyway, Swords and other weapons worn on back are no good way to start a battle. Weapons on hip are allways drawn faster and in a way that can be dangerous to the enemy you face.
Theres several fighting techniques in several cultures who masterd drawing a weapon while sametime striking with them in a fluid motion.

So, a bit more realism would be nice to have.
What would historians say about Videogames in 500 years from now on, writing about display of using weapons worn on back.
They would think that all the Videogame developers wherent the best in history lessons.
So many Videogames, even movies showing a lot of people with weapons worn on back.
Did CONAN (Schwarzenegger) did it? Cant remember, i guess he didnt.

Have to watch the movies again.