[Trifletraxor]

With the RuneQuest weapon tables, my players usually chose the same weapons over and over, because some weapons due to less damage or armor points just became filling on the weapon table.

Bows f.ex did 1d8+1. A throwing knife, dagger, axe or spear did less damage and had shorter reach, so why would anyone choose those missile weapons? The heavy crossbow was sometime employed due to its high one-shot damage, but the other crossbows where too slow for use (the one that didn't had puny damage so no reason to use it). Among the bows, the composite bow was the one who where always chosen.

Missile weapons showed this very well, but the same also applied for the melee weapons (though not as strongly). Some weapons where never chosen. With the STR and DEX requirement being as low as they where, there was really no reason not to pick a bigger weapon.

I considered (but haven't tried out) assigning damages to weapons like this:

natural weapons (for humans): 1d3
small 1h weapons: 1d4
short reach 1h weapons: 1d6
regular size 1h weapons: 1d8
bastard weapons 1h or 2h: 1d10
long reach 2h weapons: 1d12

Then differentiating the weapons based on the type of damage it did, or what weapon group it belonged to.

So long as I've played, none of my players have used a scimitar unless forced to due so, because the broadsword is just better.

Anyone else who've had this problem?

SGL.