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Re: Updating GLAIVE for 4e
Mon, 2008-07-28 12:09 — tboneNot a big inconvenience, no. As you point out, it's a one-time, character-creation calculation. (I'm a big proponent of the idea that "one time only" is rarely inconvenient.) You won't ever have to figure any base Dam during play; just write down Punch Dam (based on ST x 2/3), Base 1-h Wpn Dam (based on ST x 4/5), and Base 2-h Wpn Dam (based on ST), one time each. No need to look at the Strength Dam table again; from there, as you note, it's just a matter of adding a weapon's Dam Add to its Base Dam, same as we do now.
So, no real inconvenience; rather, it's the... hmm, there must be a good word for this... the "perception of non-standard rules for no good reason" factor. Whatever that should be called.
There is, of course, a good reason for "ST x 4/5": it's the intentional abolishing of negative Dam Adds (like "thr -2"), and instead decreeing that all Dam Adds will be 0 or higher, with ST-based Dam lessened to compensate. It works well enough, too, IMHO!
I only note that it looks a wee clunky. Nowhere else in the rules calls for looking at some Att multiplied by 2/3 or 4/5; some players won't be able to help but respond negatively at first glance: "Eww, I know it's just a small thing, but why this ugly, proprietary method?"
From that standpoint alone, it'd be nice to stick with plain, RAW "thr Dam". But then again, maybe it won't be possible to squeeze out good results doing so, in which case ST x 4/5 may be our friend after all.
(And I just thought of a solution that keeps the multiples, but better hides them. There's no reason the Dam table can't have three Dam columns [it already has two in RAW]. Just have a table listing ST on the left, and three Dam columns: Punch Dam, Base 1-h Wpn Dam, and Base 2-h Wpn Dam. The last column would simply mirror RAW's thr column, while the first two columns would incorporate the x2/3 and x4/5 ST multipliers, respectively – without the player even needing to know about such things. Hmm, off the top of my head, I like that!)