War Spear

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One of the characters in our ame is playing a Southern Islander, and used a War Spear to get his +1 spear bonus.

I was looking at the stats on the thing, and was wondering whether the damage rating was wrong. The War spear is listed as doing 2d4 damage, but a Primitive War spear is listed at 1d10.

Is the 2d4 an error for 2d6? This would give it the same damage as a Pike and would make it more in line with the other 2 handed weapons.
 
The strange thing is that if you look at the other primitive weapons, they all do the same amount of damage as their regular counterparts, differing only in having AP 0. This suggests that War Spear should be 1d10, OR that that a Primitive War Spear should be 2d4.

As you say, the other two-handed weapons all do 2dX damage. I would be inclined to rule that both kinds of War Spears do 2d6 -- although that would mean both entries are wrong, so maybe it would be better to say both do 1d10.
 
I agree that the damage difference is unusual but not indefensible -- damage has nothing to do with the quality of the weapon -- a cruder spear head simply might be more damaging.

Also, while true that there is a difference primitive weapons have a very high chance of breaking when combating armored foes.
 
Interesting recent archaeology (and followed by practical testing) has demonstrated that the primitive hunting "self bow" (with a flat cross section) was far more damaging and had a higher penetrating power than the later bows with what we might consider a more traditional D-shaped cross section used in battle.

So bows and arrows from many centuries earlier were actually better at killing things than the later military ones. Strange but true!

Cheers
 
DrSkull said:
Is the 2d4 an error for 2d6? This would give it the same damage as a Pike and would make it more in line with the other 2 handed weapons.

I think the 2d4 is spot on, a little more damage than the Hunting Spear, while a the same time a little less than the Pike. I'd just change the primitive War Spear's damage to 2d4.

TTFN,

Yokiboy
 
Yokiboy said:
DrSkull said:
Is the 2d4 an error for 2d6? This would give it the same damage as a Pike and would make it more in line with the other 2 handed weapons.

I think the 2d4 is spot on, a little more damage than the Hunting Spear, while a the same time a little less than the Pike. I'd just change the primitive War Spear's damage to 2d4.

TTFN,

Yokiboy

2d4 also changes the probability distribution so that mid-range values are more likely than extreme values. This is not necessarily a plus or a minus. It just makes the War Spear damage more "reliable." Personally, I think the 1d10 is a better solution. That gives roughly the same mean damage at 2d4 (.5 higher), but also keeps the same uniform probability distribution as 1d8. If you look at other weapons that are similar in type, they tend to just up the damage one category without changing distribution, until you get to the exotics (eg. poniard (1d6) -> short sword (1d8) -> broadsword/Arming Sword (1d10) -> War Sword (1d12)). Besides, you have to give these racial groups something worth fighting with.
 
Taharqa said:
2d4 also changes the probability distribution so that mid-range values are more likely than extreme values. This is not necessarily a plus or a minus. It just makes the War Spear damage more "reliable." Personally, I think the 1d10 is a better solution. That gives roughly the same mean damage at 2d4 (.5 higher), but also keeps the same uniform probability distribution as 1d8. If you look at other weapons that are similar in type, they tend to just up the damage one category without changing distribution, until you get to the exotics (eg. poniard (1d6) -> short sword (1d8) -> broadsword/Arming Sword (1d10) -> War Sword (1d12)). Besides, you have to give these racial groups something worth fighting with.

Yes, but isn't the family in this case Hunting Spear (1d8) -> War Spear (2d4) -> Pike (2d6)? I certainly don't want the Hunting Spear using 2d3 damage, but could live with the Pike doing 1d12 I guess. Honestly half a dozen of one, six of the other... It's all the same to me. :)

TTFN,

Yokiboy
 
Yeah, but Yokiboy, a progression like this makes more sense:

1d8 Hunting Spear :arrow: 1d10 War Spear :arrow: 2d6 Pike

Max damage goes from 8 (4.5) to 10 (5.5) to 12 (7). The other way, max damage goes from 8 (4.5) to 8 (5) to 12 (7). (Averages in parentheses)

Of course, for myself, for aesthetic reasons I have always liked spears and given them a boost in my campaigns -- in my D&D campaigns there was a War Spear that did 1d8, for example. So, I'm biased. :)
 
I really like the more consistent damage that a 2 die weapon provides -- it's worth the -.5 hp to me to know that my Kushite Barb/Pirate can dish out between 11 and 13hp with 63% certainty.

Single die fighters will have good luck as often as bad luck -- I prefer consistency over luck. As a player anyway.
 
You are all overlooking the most important thing to consider when choosing a weapon for your character.


Which one has the coolest illustration?


:D
 
Darth Mikey said:
You are all overlooking the most important thing to consider when choosing a weapon for your character.


Which one has the coolest illustration?


:D

They all have blood on them... how do you choose? :wink:
 
BhilJhoanz said:
I really like the more consistent damage that a 2 die weapon provides -- it's worth the -.5 hp to me to know that my Kushite Barb/Pirate can dish out between 11 and 13hp with 63% certainty.

Single die fighters will have good luck as often as bad luck -- I prefer consistency over luck. As a player anyway.

I think the same way, but until an official erratta is released, or we see the 2nd printing of the rulebook, we just have to house rule it. I'm happy with 2d4 and will keep it at that - although rolling d4s is not a whole lot of fun... :D

TTFN,

Yokiboy
 
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