First, lets atest the obvious: There are a ton of weapon types that no one use. Ever.

I was thinking what we could use to give a few non-DPS benefits for the red-haired step-child of the weapon list to make them more useful, and I come with this list.

Some weapons will not be changed, because they have a niche, and are already largely used. For the others, I balanced them like this:

Throwing weapons: We all know that we use them mostly for convenience of not carrying around a bow/xbow and ammunition, when we can just use one slot for those ranged target levers around. It is hard to make those things useful because of their pitiful damage and low rate of fire. So, that is what I come around for them.

  • Dart: On a natural 20, the target will be blinded for 5 seconds. No save. (proficient only).
  • Shuriken: Throw 3 shurikens at once per shot (Proficient only, like a repeating crossbow).
  • Throwing Axe: Use Strength to hit (proficient only). Free proficiency for dwarfs.
  • Throwing Hammer: Use Strength to hit (proficient only). Damage raised to d8.
  • Throwing Dagger: Use Dexterity to damage (proficient only).


This will also remove the "Brutal Throw" feat from the game. If you have the feat, you get a free feat change token for fred.

Ranged weapons: There are right now two types of ranged characters in game: The Archer that uses Longbows (Arcane Archers) and the heavy repeater focused classes (Artificers and Mechanic Rogues).

  • Light Crossbow: Reloads as fast as a bow (proficient only). Unnafected by Rapid Reload.
  • Heavy Crossbow: With Rapid Reload, reload as fast as a bow (proficient only). Threat range raised to 18-20/x2.
  • Light Repeating Crossbow: Slight reduced reload animation. With Rapid Reload, reload as fast as a bow.
  • Great Crossbow: Threat range raised to 18-20/x3 (Even then I think many people will not use them because of reload animation, that stay as-is)


The crossbow changes will diferentiate them more from one another. Heavy repeater stay as the most damaging bow, light repeater raises up if you care more about fast hits than basic damage (like wind stance/earth stance monks). Great crossbow step even further if you care about damage, and the basic xbows have some difference for people that use them as a backup. Crossbows DO NOT add any modifier to damage by themselves, just like today.

  • Longbow: Use Dexterity for damage (proficient only).
  • Shortbow: Use Dexterity for damage (proficient only). Threat range changed to 19-20/x2.
  • Composite Longbow: Becomes an Exotic Weapon (Granted for free at Ranger 1). Use Strength for damage (proficient only). Threat range raised to 20/x4.
  • Composite Shortbow: Becomes an Exotic Weapon (Granted for free at Ranger 1). Use Strength for damage (proficient only). Threat range changed to 18-20/x2


Composite bows become the de-facto DPS bows, but they require you to spread your stats between STR/DEX. Basic bows becomes better for dex-based archers. Bow Strength will be removed from the game, and if you have the feat and no ranger levels (since they get the feat for free at level 1, and will trade it for composite bow prof.), you get a free feat change.

One-Handed weapons: The kind of weapon you want to use while using a shield, or using two weapons.

  • Dagger: Use Dexterity for hit and damage (proficient only). Yes, free finesse on all daggers.
  • Morningstar: Deal Bludgeoning and Piercing damage.
  • Heavy Mace: Damage raised to 1d10. (Becomes better than the morningstar, but still worse than the Warhammer because of crit profile)
  • Sickle: On a natural 20, Hamstring the target (proficient only).
  • Kukri: Free proficiency for Rogues (for a decent slashing weapon).
  • Light Hammer: Damage changed to d6. Threat range changed to 20/x3 (to mirror Warhammer, and becomes strictly better than the light mace).
  • Battleaxe and Handaxe: Free proficiency for Bards (since they are basically a long/shortsword) and all dwarves.
  • Heavy and Light Pick: On a natural 20, the target bleed for a few seconds (damage/duration TBD) (proficient only).


Some changes made for consistency issues (like light hammer being worse than a simple weapon), and others to add that "fun stuff" on seldom-used weaponry, like sickles and picks. The most important thing on the list, for me, is the dagger change, since it allow finesse rogues to start with a finesse weapon instead of waiting up to level 3 to get the feat (since rogues start with BAB +0)

Two-handed weapons: Only two changes to the main list

  • Greataxe: Free proficiency for all dwarves
  • Greatclub: Becomes a Simple Weapon


Greatclubs will have the same damage and crit profile as the Heavy Mace, but will have the benefits of two-handed weapons (50% more strength on damage, double power attack, glancing blows). I was thinking about the greataxe proficiency, and it might end up taking out the niche of Divine Warforgeds. I decided to keep the suggestion because of consistency (since I gave all other axes to dwarves), and the fact that dwarves are a bad race by now (might change on the enhancement pass).

Opinions?