Weapon weight's and STR requirements. To low on many weapons.

[mya]

As you know weapons have a weight stat, but they also have a "Strength to wield" stat.

 

For example the withering scythe.

 

Brambus says 'Object 'withering scythe' is type weapon, material metal.'
Brambus says 'Extra flags: socketable.'
Brambus says 'Weight is 30, value is 3, level is 45.'
Brambus says 'Weapon type is two-handed polearm.'
Brambus says 'Damage is 9d5 (average 27).'
Brambus says 'Can be socketed.'
Brambus says 'Affects hitroll by 3.'
Brambus says 'Rare item.'
Brambus gives you a withering scythe.
After a brief examination you decide it looks much like a a two handed polearm. (17 Str)

 

It's weight is 30 adimensional units of weight

But it requires 17 STR to wield. You can check this requirement if you "examine" the weapon.

 

This scythe STR requirement is perfectly balanced. It's a easy weapon to get, very powerful, but it needs a high STR to wield.

 

Why is this STR requirement important ?

Because it allows to balance some things like what races can access what weapon.

It allows some classes like Necromancer, DK's, Shamans, Blademasters, Berserkers, Warriors, to disarm a weapon, even if it is cursed, by lowering the opponent strength.

It can also create a difficulty to removing cursed weapons by forcing players to wield two Demon talismans, 2 glass rings and having to remove some STR enhancing gear.

 

I remind that one cannot ever lower a stat lower than 3. And that the lowest STR requirement you will ever find is 4 STR.

 

Now that that I explained the mechanics of this allow me to begin addressing what I think is wrong.

 

1) Some very powerful weapons have a to low STR requirement for them.

2) There is a tendency for most weapons created in the last years to only have a STR requirement of 4.

 

Examples:

 

The new Water mace in Fort Blackwatch:

Object 'storm forger hammer' is type weapon, material water.
Extra flags: glow hum nodrop bless socketable.
Weight is 25, value is 3, level is 50.
Weapon type is two-handed mace/club.
Damage is 9d5 (average 27).
Can be socketed.
Affects hitroll by 2.
Affects damroll by 5.
Affects luck by 3.
Rare item. (4 STR)

 

The new holy sword in Fort Blackwatch:

Object 'blackwatch sword steel' is type weapon, material black steel.
Extra flags: glow nodrop bless.
Weight is 12, value is 3000, level is 15.
Weapon type is sword.
Damage is 6d7 (average 24).
Affects damroll by 2.
Affects hitroll by 2. (4 Str)

 

Fire mace on Ralardia. (Ferals can be shamans.)

Object 'flaming sceptre' is type weapon, material bone.
Extra flags: glow magic nodrop.
Weight is 25, value is 2, level is 40.
Weapon type is two-handed mace/club.
Damage is 10d4 (average 25).
Affects hitroll by 3.
Affects damroll by 3.
Affects two handed by 2.
Rare item.  (4 Str)
 

The Pirate Hoock in Waterfall.

Object 'Pirate's hook' is type weapon, material titanium.
Extra flags: socketable.
Weight is 10, value is 1, level is 40.
Weapon type is exotic.
Damage is 3d15 (average 24).
Can be socketed.
Affects second attack by 10.
Affects third attack by 5.
Affects damroll by 2.
Affects hitroll by 2.
You have a feeling only a thief can use it.
Unique item. (4 Str)
Can be dual parried.

 

While other weapons have strangely high STR requirements like the mithril sabre.

Object 'mithril sabre' is type weapon, material mithril.
Extra flags: hum magic bless antievil antineutral noremove socketable.
Weight is 20, value is 4, level is 40.
Weapon type is sword.
Damage is 5d9 (average 25).
Can be socketed.
Affects hp by 20.
Affects move by 30.
Affects damroll by 5.
Rare item.  (16 Str)

Which gets even higher the moment you place a socket in it.

 

Or the Vorpal sword 20 STR requirement.

 

What could be done?

For one, if there are none, there could be a directive for builders to place new weapons STR at 10.

Or build a table for standard weapon weight.

For example:

 

Standard STR requirement table

"exotic"      8  
"sword"    10   if two handed 14
"dagger"    4
"spear"     11  if two handed 13
"staff"         6
"mace"      12 if two handed 14
"axe"         14 if two handed 16
"flail"          11  if two handed 13
"whip"         5
"polearm"   13

 

[Celerity]

In the case of the mithril sabre...it was a conscious decision in order to make it accessible to key weak races but having a high weight to impove parry quality. Mithril is light in lore, but sabres are heavy weapons.

[f0xx]

...having a high weight to impove parry quality..

Waat?

[Celerity]

Heavier weapons parry better than lighter ones...unless I'm remembering something incorrectly.

[P_body]

mind blown.

 

Except that can't be an independent variable. That has to at least be based on weapon type first. otherwise a light dagger wouldn't parry better than a heavy axe. But a heavy axe might parry better than a lighter axe...very interesting idea to toy with. 

[mya]

You are remembering something incorrectly.

If that was the case it would be another reason to complain over giants overadequacy as melees.

 

I disagree with your assessment of sabres being 'heavy', but we can discuss it at another time.

 

In my view this is a "grandfathering" of the old sword it replaces.

Warder at shandor
Object 'heron blade' is type weapon, material steel.
Extra flags: glow antievil antineutral noremove socketable.
Weight is 22, value is 4, level is 45.
Weapon type is sword.
Damage is 5d9 (average 25).
Can be socketed.
Affects hp by 20.
Affects damroll by 5.
Affects sword by 1.
Rare item.After a brief examination you decide it looks much like a sword. (17 Str)

 

Which is a pain for my elf, since when I socket it with the Kesrick spike the STR requirements goes up to 18.

[The Forsaken]

Actually I think the demon hunters blade in the pentagram replaced that one.

[Celerity]

Mya is right in that the mithril blade is based on the old heron blade...maybe the demon hunter's is as well. I did set it deliberately at the 16 str value though.

 

I went through the old code quickly and can't find anything that suggests parry chance is changed by weapon weight. Looks like I'm wrong on that...I wonder what it was that was important to me to have a high weapon weight. Can't just be cleaving...

 

edit: sabre being heavy for a sword, not absolutely heavy