Inferior Materials = Superior Option? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Inferior Materials = Superior Option?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
AvonRekaes
Aug 17, 2010 16:37:53 So, looking at the Dark Sun book, I read the rules on weapon breakage. I really like the Reckless Breakage Option, because it lets the player decide if he wants to risk it, but the knowledge that your weapon *can* break is still there. Plus, I can certainly see situations where the benefit of a reroll is worth the risk. It's a fun, flavorful, and exciting mechanic.

And I can't use it with steel weapons.

The recent design and development article said "There isn’t any real difference between a +3 bone longsword and a +3 steel longsword..." but that's incorrect.

The +3 bone longsword comes with the option to reroll a 1 on every attack roll, at the risk of losing the weapon. The +3 steel longsword does not allow me to do this. Ergo, the steel longsword is inferior to the bone one.

The logic goes like this: If you can forsee, at any single point, the risk of using Reckless Breakage rule to be worth the potential loss of your weapon (particularly in an "Inherent Enhancement Bonus" game like suggested for Dark Sun), then the loss of the ability to take that risk when you would otherwise consider it is a drawback, not an advantage.

Any ideas on how to fix this, if one wanted to use the Reckless Breakage rule in their campaigns?

I was thinking of messing with the range of natural rolls on the reroll that causes your weapons to break, and then allowing you to use Reckless Breakage with metallic weapons. Currently the break range is 1-3. I might raise it to 1-5 for basic materials (obsidian, wood, bone), and then have different metalic weapons have smaller ranges. Like Bronze (Heroic masterwork) might break on a roll of 1-3, and Steel (Paragon masterwork) on a 1 or 2, and magical metals like Adamantium or Mithral (Epic masterwork) only break on a 1.
#2
FlashbackJon
Aug 17, 2010 16:45:34 Er... you can, in fact, use Reckless Breakage with a metal weapon. It already has a pretty substantial chance to not break (to the tune of 75%), whereas a nonmetal weapon will break automatically.
#3
AvonRekaes
Aug 17, 2010 16:48:06 Eh? Really? I probably made a mistake reading it. I was just skimming through the book in my bookstore. Nevermind! >_>;
#4
FlashbackJon
Aug 17, 2010 16:52:38 To be perfectly clear, you may use Reckless Breakage with any weapon. Nonmetal weapons break automatically when you choose to reroll, while metal weapons break only if the reroll is a natural 5 or less.

Fumbling Breakage only applies to nonmetal weapons, though, which could be the source of the confusion.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 AvonRekaes Aug 17, 2010 16:37:53	So, looking at the Dark Sun book, I read the rules on weapon breakage. I really like the Reckless Breakage Option, because it lets the player decide if he wants to risk it, but the knowledge that your weapon can break is still there. Plus, I can certainly see situations where the benefit of a reroll is worth the risk. It's a fun, flavorful, and exciting mechanic. And I can't use it with steel weapons. The recent design and development article said "There isn’t any real difference between a +3 bone longsword and a +3 steel longsword..." but that's incorrect. The +3 bone longsword comes with the option to reroll a 1 on every attack roll, at the risk of losing the weapon. The +3 steel longsword does not allow me to do this. Ergo, the steel longsword is inferior to the bone one. The logic goes like this: If you can forsee, at any single point, the risk of using Reckless Breakage rule to be worth the potential loss of your weapon (particularly in an "Inherent Enhancement Bonus" game like suggested for Dark Sun), then the loss of the ability to take that risk when you would otherwise consider it is a drawback, not an advantage. Any ideas on how to fix this, if one wanted to use the Reckless Breakage rule in their campaigns? I was thinking of messing with the range of natural rolls on the reroll that causes your weapons to break, and then allowing you to use Reckless Breakage with metallic weapons. Currently the break range is 1-3. I might raise it to 1-5 for basic materials (obsidian, wood, bone), and then have different metalic weapons have smaller ranges. Like Bronze (Heroic masterwork) might break on a roll of 1-3, and Steel (Paragon masterwork) on a 1 or 2, and magical metals like Adamantium or Mithral (Epic masterwork) only break on a 1.
#2 FlashbackJon Aug 17, 2010 16:45:34	Er... you can, in fact, use Reckless Breakage with a metal weapon. It already has a pretty substantial chance to not break (to the tune of 75%), whereas a nonmetal weapon will break automatically.
#3 AvonRekaes Aug 17, 2010 16:48:06	Eh? Really? I probably made a mistake reading it. I was just skimming through the book in my bookstore. Nevermind! >_>;
#4 FlashbackJon Aug 17, 2010 16:52:38	To be perfectly clear, you may use Reckless Breakage with any weapon. Nonmetal weapons break automatically when you choose to reroll, while metal weapons break only if the reroll is a natural 5 or less. Fumbling Breakage only applies to nonmetal weapons, though, which could be the source of the confusion.