Jack Daniel
Legend
Okay, try this one on for size. Assuming that a given feat represents an amount of time training towards a specific aim, it seems that one martial weapon per feat vs. one exotic weapon per feat is not a very balanced choice. They have the same prereqs, but the exotic weapons are better and are classified as such because they're supposed to be harder to learn. The rarity of a weapon nonwithstanding, martial weapons should be easier to learn than exotic weapons.
I've seen people try to push a version that works like the Simple Weapon Proficiency, learning all martial weapons with one feat, but this seems really wrong: that's a darn powerful feat. I've also seen weapon group proficiencies, and that's a little better since there are clear-cut groups of martial weapons (swords, axes, bludgeons, polearms...) but I never liked weapon groups in AD&D, and I don't like them in D&D:d20 either. Exotic Weapon Group: Firearms? I tossed that right out the window as soon as I saw it in the DMG.
My solution is this: Allow Martial Weapon Proficiency to grant a character 1 + Int bonus martial weapons. This is, of course, making the rather broad and simplifying assumption that the training time for one exotic weapon equals some martial weapons versus all simple weapons. But that's okay IMO, because roleplaying games don't ever need to be that realistic. All I want to know is, what are the implications that might cascade off this house rule? The rarity of magical exotic weapons is one thing, but I doubt it would reduce the popularity of the EWP feat.
Thoughts?
I've seen people try to push a version that works like the Simple Weapon Proficiency, learning all martial weapons with one feat, but this seems really wrong: that's a darn powerful feat. I've also seen weapon group proficiencies, and that's a little better since there are clear-cut groups of martial weapons (swords, axes, bludgeons, polearms...) but I never liked weapon groups in AD&D, and I don't like them in D&D:d20 either. Exotic Weapon Group: Firearms? I tossed that right out the window as soon as I saw it in the DMG.
My solution is this: Allow Martial Weapon Proficiency to grant a character 1 + Int bonus martial weapons. This is, of course, making the rather broad and simplifying assumption that the training time for one exotic weapon equals some martial weapons versus all simple weapons. But that's okay IMO, because roleplaying games don't ever need to be that realistic. All I want to know is, what are the implications that might cascade off this house rule? The rarity of magical exotic weapons is one thing, but I doubt it would reduce the popularity of the EWP feat.
Thoughts?
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