I like keeping the damage in line with the spear, but giving it a special property. re-rolling 1's would be nice, but what about something off the wall like:
When you make a successful critical melee or ranged hit against a large (or smaller) sized creature, you may choose to leave your trident impaled. Doing so will Restrain the target. Retrieving your trident will cost 1 action and remove the restrained condition; you must be within 5 feet to take this action.
I think its important to set it apart with something mechanical instead of just a flat damage increase.
Side note: is there anything official on Pole-arm Mastery feat and Tridents?
I had a player show interest in wanting a character built around using a trident so I homebrewed a Retiarius Barbarian (it could be fleshed our better but that’s not the point), but they eventually decided on playing a caster.
That aside, I like the idea of making the trident a versatile weapon, maybe a feat that does it and makes the damage 2d4/3d4?
I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
Yes. It is statistically almost identical to a spear so why the heck not.
I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
Yes. It is statistically almost identical to a spear so why the heck not.
I certainly would allow a trident to be used for Polearm Master. If a quarterstaff can, and a spear can, why not a trident?
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I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
Yes. It is statistically almost identical to a spear so why the heck not.
I certainly would allow a trident to be used for Polearm Master. If a quarterstaff can, and a spear can, why not a trident?
Adventure League is the only place I can see where it actually matters.
I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
Yes. It is statistically almost identical to a spear so why the heck not.
I certainly would allow a trident to be used for Polearm Master. If a quarterstaff can, and a spear can, why not a trident?
Adventure League is the only place I can see where it actually matters.
Yeah. I've never played Adventurer's League, but I've heard a lot of people complaining about their restrictions.
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it is categorically worse than the nearest analog.
I think that is the point.
Someone using a trident is saying, 'I am so badass, I use the worst spear and I will still kick your butt!"
I'm pretty new to the game; only a few years playing. Are there other situations like this where the weapons are so closely related, but one is lacking?
Light weight weapons don't really benefit much from being used by stronger people. Their lighter weight is more suited for quicker agile people that can't really use heavier weapons as effectively.
From a mechanical stand point that is the point of finesse. the "Light" category seems superfluous.
The way I'd fix the current trident would be to make it 1d8/versatile for 1d10.
It would need some drawbacks to not make it instantly better than every other 1-handed versatile melee weapon.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I like keeping the damage in line with the spear, but giving it a special property. re-rolling 1's would be nice, but what about something off the wall like:
When you make a successful critical melee or ranged hit against a large (or smaller) sized creature, you may choose to leave your trident impaled. Doing so will Restrain the target. Retrieving your trident will cost 1 action and remove the restrained condition; you must be within 5 feet to take this action.
I think its important to set it apart with something mechanical instead of just a flat damage increase.
Side note: is there anything official on Pole-arm Mastery feat and Tridents?
Officially, trident does not benefit from polearm master.
Ugh, ok... so lets add that, for sure. That doesn't make sense to me if the simple weapon analog is the spear... which does benefit from PAM.
I had a player show interest in wanting a character built around using a trident so I homebrewed a Retiarius Barbarian (it could be fleshed our better but that’s not the point), but they eventually decided on playing a caster.
That aside, I like the idea of making the trident a versatile weapon, maybe a feat that does it and makes the damage 2d4/3d4?
Trying to make the comparison easier, at a glance. All of this has already been said through the history of this thread.
Spear
Trident
Weapon Type
Simple
Martial
Item Rarity
Standard
Standard
Cost
1gp
5gp
Damage Type
Piercing
Piercing
Damage Type
1d6
1d6
Alt Damage
1d8
1d8
Properties
Range, Thrown, Versatile
Range, Thrown, Versatile
Range
20/60
20/60
Weight
3lb
4lb
Applicable Feats
Pole-Arm Mastery
Applicable Fighting Styles
Dueling
Dueling
Underwater Disadvantage
No
No
All of this to say that: it is categorically worse than the nearest analog.
Edit: Reformatted table for legibility.
I have a character that used a Spear and has Polearm Master, but they have storm magic and has recently become a Capt. of a ship... Therefore, I mean I just have to have a Trident - do you think it’s reasonable for a DM to grant the Trident for Polearm Master?
Yes. It is statistically almost identical to a spear so why the heck not.
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I certainly would allow a trident to be used for Polearm Master. If a quarterstaff can, and a spear can, why not a trident?
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Adventure League is the only place I can see where it actually matters.
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Yeah. I've never played Adventurer's League, but I've heard a lot of people complaining about their restrictions.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I think that is the point.
Someone using a trident is saying, 'I am so badass, I use the worst spear and I will still kick your butt!"
Like Jason Mamoa
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Lol!
I'm pretty new to the game; only a few years playing. Are there other situations like this where the weapons are so closely related, but one is lacking?
Shortsword/Scimitar
Mace/Handaxe
Dagger/Light Hammer/Sickle
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Light and Finesse should have just been the same property.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
I disagree, I appreciate that some weapons are both, and some are one or the other. I just think they could have executed it better.
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Light weight weapons don't really benefit much from being used by stronger people. Their lighter weight is more suited for quicker agile people that can't really use heavier weapons as effectively.
From a mechanical stand point that is the point of finesse. the "Light" category seems superfluous.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
One is “weapon wieildiness” and the other is “weapon speed”
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There should be a way to make weapons light/heavy, like making them out of specific materials or graviturgy abilities.
Also, there should be a guideline on at what weight a weapon becomes light or heavy.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
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