Hello!

Okay, so I'm probably worrying about utter nonsense here, but this spooks around my head for a few days now. Currently I'm playing a Battlemaster (Level 7 by now) in a group for roughly ten months. Back then we started at level 3, and she had a Chainmail, Shield and an armory consisting of a Flail, a War Pick and a Longsword, and she used these three weapons more or less equal (with a slight focus on the War Pick, because these feel underused in fiction - just my perception here). For about eight months it all worked out great.

Then however our party rescued the daughter of a noble, who was so grateful that he gifted one magical item to each of us, and my warrior got a magical Falcata (stat-wise like a Longsword, but without versatile option - but as she never was intended to fight without shield that doesn't matter). Now I'm struggling to actually justify keeping the other weapons. I mean, my character probably will keep them just for nostalgia value - after all she fought with them in a few life-threatening battles, but technically the magical Falcata is just better - aside from a +1 enchantment it also causes, when ignited, 1d4 additional fire damage.

Now I'm pondering how my character ICly could justify keeping these weapons, however I'm not entirely satisfied with the "options":

- Keep them for nostalgia value
- Keep and use them 'to not overspecialize on a single weapon'
- Keep them for the rare case of meeting a monsterwhere having a non-slashing weapon might give an edge (no pun intended)

My problem is also that my character just loves her Falcata too much. She comes from a small town where all magic was very rare and everything magical she encounters usually ends with "Oh, that's fascinating!", so she was overjoyed when she got that weapon. (At first she refused to accept it, but the noble basically said "It's just gathering dust in my armory, so please, have it", which convinced her to happily accept it ...)

Any more ideas how I can justify keeping these old weapons?

Thanks in advance,
- Miri

Backups in case you lose the Falcata?

Damage type options (some creatures may be more vulnerable to bludgeoning, others can actually multiply if you use slashing)?

Beyond that I don't know. If you're not nostalgic there isn't a reason, beyond the above, to use a mundane weapon over a magic version.

Maybe your character just likes to collect weapons? People collect all sorts of things - even things they'll never use. Perhaps one day they'll have a home with a room dedicated to showcasing the weapons and armours they've collected over their years of adventuring?

Some monsters are resistant to certain kinds of damage. (Slashing, Piercing, etc.)  Without glancing at a book to fully appreciate your magic weapon, all I can offer is that it's just generally a good idea to have more than one weapon, just in case you come across that ONE beastie that happens to be resistant to everything the falcata includes.  No, you normally wouldn't do nearly as much damage as you do now...but you might regret not having something that would be more effective in that niche situation.

I'm really big on maintaining versatility in all the range of rpgs I play.  I think versatility is king.  The moment you get too used to something, your DM/ST/GM will throw something at you that really puts your back to the wall.  Again, those other weapons might not be as bad ass normally, and that's fine, but you might regret not having a back-up in the case your current weapon is rendered near-useless.

There's also the possibility that you lose that weapon for any kind of reason.  In my opinion, if you can justify carrying three weapons, (even if one of those is a dagger) then do so...but at the very least, try to carry two different types, so you always have that option; even if you never need it.

Also?  Bags of holding can kinda negate that hang-up, by just keeping those extra weapons conveniantly out of your way for day-to-day stuff.

Just my two cents.  Follow your feelings, Luke.

The pick at least you can justify keeping around as a tool. If you fight a lot of skeletons, the flail could be more useful than even the magic weapon 

But there’s really no issue with keeping any of the weapons around without justification. The aesthetic of being a walking armory is reason enough, even if you only ever use one weapon.

In general I like to be versatile with weapons too - especially if I'm playing characters who are studying the art of war (well, more or less) for their 'whole life'. I guess she'll then just keep them as backup *and* because she really likes to collect weapons, yeah.

The thought to just keep them to give them eventually to offspring as heirloom (assuming that she doesn't get eaten or something, of course) also crossed my mind - hm-hm.

(I just had to imagine her like, ten years in the future, in a small house, with the living room littered with weapons and armor pieces on the walls - sounds quite fun, actually.)

Thanks a lot for your replies!

Is there a 'home' she could send the old Longsword to, and just keep the magic one with her?  As others have outlined, she has reason to hold onto the other 2 for their damage types as well as their non-combat capabilities.  I suppose the other question is whether or not your group is using Encumbrance or not.  Would she be personally carrying the weapon, or does the party have a pack animal or cart or something they carry their extra "stuff" in?  If there's community storage available, then just keep it there.  Who knows, she may make a dear friend some day and want to give them something that she could always count on, may it do the same for them.

Hmm ... we have good friends in an Inn which probably could store a bit of equipment, yeah. Also my DM is pretty lax, so far we never used encumbrance (and in general don't do much book-keeping when it comes to rations, water, etc). 

Rust monsters ... b-but I just bought this fancy new plate armor today ... that would be hardcore, I'm already indebted 500 gold with the other party members who lent me money for the plate. ;)

The best reason to hang on to all those weapons is for the super rare occasion of where you go somewhere and are told to leave all your weapons at the door.

"No problem, here's my war pick, here's my flail, here's my long sword, oop can't forget about the falcata.  I think that's...wait, here's a dagger."

Scene cuts to a table piled full of weapons as you walk away.

Quote from Utticer >>

The best reason to hang on to all those weapons is for the super rare occasion of where you go somewhere and are told to leave all your weapons at the door.

"No problem, here's my war pick, here's my flail, here's my long sword, oop can't forget about the falcata.  I think that's...wait, here's a dagger."

Scene cuts to a table piled full of weapons as you walk away.

 So when the Elves are confiscating all the weapons from the Dwarves in The Hobbit.

Quote from Utticer >>

The best reason to hang on to all those weapons is for the super rare occasion of where you go somewhere and are told to leave all your weapons at the door.

"No problem, here's my war pick, here's my flail, here's my long sword, oop can't forget about the falcata.  I think that's...wait, here's a dagger."

Scene cuts to a table piled full of weapons as you walk away.

Quote from drag0n_77 >>

Quote from Utticer >>

The best reason to hang on to all those weapons is for the super rare occasion of where you go somewhere and are told to leave all your weapons at the door.

"No problem, here's my war pick, here's my flail, here's my long sword, oop can't forget about the falcata.  I think that's...wait, here's a dagger."

Scene cuts to a table piled full of weapons as you walk away.

 So when the Elves are confiscating all the weapons from the Dwarves in The Hobbit.

 
I'm thinking more of Mat and Faile being told to get rid of all their weapons and between the two of them there was a ridiculous pile of daggers. 

You'd keep the dagger: that's for buttering toast!

Try to visualize the weapons in relationship to the character and how they're carrying them- a longsword (or equivalent blade), a flail, and a warpick do not take up that much space.  It's not like you're trying to stow two polearms, a maul, and a heavy crossbow on your person (unlike someone I once played with).  You should be fine.