Adding DC to weapons

[Tywyll]

Has anyone had issues with the rules for adding DC to weapons based on Advantages? They seem overly complicated to me, for one, and for another they bother me from consistancy sake.

 

For example, a character is strong enough to do 2d6 with his weapon. He can actually hope to kill an unarmored opponent with a single swing (NPC thug that is).

 

Then, he picks up Woozafatz, the Mail Cleaver. Woozafatz has Armor Piercing. Suddenly, a sword exactly like his old one ('cept for its magic) is limited to doing 1.5 d6 on a swing, and having no chance at dropping an unarmored opponent (though it will do more damage to armored opponents of course).

 

Does this cause a problem with anyone else's suspension of disbelief? I'm having real issues grasping it. I mean, I realize the implications of allowing an AP weapon a straight modifier from str (everyone's favorite weapon goes from the sword to the pick, though historically, that ain't true).

 

And now that I am entroducing a group of new players I am trying to find ways to explain some concepts, like this one.

 

Can anyone shed some insight on this topic?

[Eosin]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

In fantasy games or other heroic games, I don't allow AP --- Instead, I use the Resistant Piercing rules from 3rd Edition or more recently in Dark Champions.

 

Basically, a point of RP ignores a point of non-hardened armor and does not increase the modifier on STR so you do the same damage.

 

This still leaves a problem with Penetrating & Increased STUNx but I have far fewer issues with those than I do with AP.

[Outsider]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

You could get around that by having Woozafatz include a bit of extra STR, only usable to provide 1/3 of the STR needed to add DCs to the attack due to STR over the STR min.

[Yesman]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

I totally ignore having advantages change the rate that strength adds DCs. In a Heroic level game, I don't see much need for it.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

I do the same as Yesman. In Heroic level games, I ignore advantages. STR adds DC's to all melee/hand to hand attacks at the same rate (5pts STR = +1DC) regardless of advantages.

 

Considering only a few non-magical weapons have advantages (flails etc) it makes sense. Magic weapons shouldn't be penalized because they have advantages attatched to them. A fighter isn't going to use that magical warhammer with +2 StunX and X2Kb if he can't do the same kind of damage that he can do with his mundane warhammer.

[Tywyll]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

Ok, that's cool. That was what I was considering. I was really just worried about the balance implications... would doing that throw the game out of wack?

 

I'm guessing not from your responses, so I'll give it a swing. (no pun intended).

 

Thanks!

[caris]

Re: Adding DC to weapons

 

I'm not exactly found of the idea of completely ignoring the impact of advantages on added damage from STR. In part because, I usually have the magic weapons, even with advantages doing more damage than a mundane weapon anyways. If I were concerned about it, I would have the weapon granting a certain amount of the Advantage as a Naked Advantage for STR. In a campaign where points are not paid for magic items, than you can ignore the whole matter. If I am making the characters pay points, than I would track it.