Picking a weapon for a fighter. I’m still working on my character generator:
https://campaignwiki.org/halberdsnhelmets/random/en?rules=freebooters
The rules for Freebooters on the Frontier have clear rules for picking a weapon for thieves, clerics and magic-users. But what about fighters? If you were to write a program, how would you determine the weapon to pick for your fighter? Right now, I’m just picking a random weapon from the list, irrespective of abilities. What do the players playing fighters do at your table? Pick d10 weapons? Pick wt 3 weapons if their strength is 13 or higher? Pick a melee weapon if their strength >= their dexterity? Looking for suggestions to make this better.
Here’s how to look at just fighters:
https://campaignwiki.org/halberdsnhelmets/random/en?rules=freebooters&class=fighter
There are many things that still don’t work regarding equipment. Magic-users aren’t implemented. Buying equipment using extra silver is not implemented. (Any suggestions?)
Another thing that’s not working is picking two abilities to swap. Or turning this question around: what classes do you pick based on the abilities your rolled without swapping: always a fighter if str or con is your best ability, always a thief if dex is your best ability, always a cleric if cha or wis is your best ability; and if int is your best ability, 50% magic-user, 50% thief?
https://campaignwiki.org/halberdsnhelmets/random/en?rules=freebooters
high dex, high strength – two handed weapons.
high con, high strength – single/double handed weapons
high con, high dex, avg str – two weapon fighter
high str, average dex, weapon and shield
really high dex, longbow / thrown weapons / sling (primitive)
high dex, low con – longbow/shortbow/thrown
low con – darts/throwing knives
average stats – randomize.
also, if you are willing to swap attributes, you could always pick the class first and then swap the low prime requisite with the highest ‘non-prime’ attribute.
Another method I use is pick the class and use 4d6 drop lowest for the ‘two primes’ or 6 + 3d6 drop lowest or 6 + 2d6.
I think for equipment, ‘kitting up’ a few sets of typical equipment lists per class and just picking one would work. Maybe you base them off of wealth?
I also use a weighted random table where I ignore repeats.
1-40 dagger
41-60 quarterstaff
61-80 darts
81–85 +1 bracers
86-90 amulet of protection
91-92 …
Something Like that, but usually with more entries. If there is something I really want the character to have most of the time, I make it have a high occurrence chance. One thing I do programmatically is to not require it to add to 100. so it could be a chart like 1-100 dagger, 101-200 quarterstaff, 201-250 7 days rations, then a bunch of 50/20/10/5/single weighted entries.
Ray Case
I’ve been thinking about the code to use for swapping ability scores and this is what I came up with:
Fighter: swap the highest of wis, int or cha for the lowest of str, con or dex, if it is higher
Thief: swap the highest of wis, str, int for dex, if it is higher
Cleric: swap the highest of wis, int or dex for cha, if it is higher
Magic-User: swap the highest of str, wis, con, dex or cha for int, if it is higher
What do you think?
Ray Case
As for weapons, your suggestions inspired me to the following, in order:
1. High dex and str and not a halfling: pick a 2-handed weapon doing 1d10. (great sword and the like)
2. High dex and not a halfling: pick a ranged weapon doing 1d8. (longbow)
3. Low str: pick a light (wt 1) melee weapon doing 1d6.
4. High str: pick a melee weapon doing 1d8.
5. Random weapon.
It’s a start, but I’d like to make it better.
In terms of Freebooters on the Frontier I wasn’t sure what “single/double handed weapons” or “two weapon fighter” actually meant – I’ll have to read up on that. Also, since this is the favorite weapon for fighters, they can try and buy a shield or a second light weapon with the silver they rolled up, but it’s not guaranteed.
Alex Schroeder I like how you are focusing on the attributes that are less useful by class. Good idea!
And I deployed the new code. 🙂
Alex Schroeder I was just thinking about the weapons without thinking about system at all. Your system for picking a weapon is elegant.
My additional thinking was that high con made the fighter less risk adverse.
the notes saying stuff like ‘swapped x and y’ are great!
Also, for some reason, I feel like high con/str characters would use ‘in your face’ weapons like maces or axes – but that is a style thing more than anything else.
Good point. Hm… I was thinking of adding a rule 1.5 – after high str and high dex: High con and str: pick a forceful weapon doing 1d8 – but basically the only weapon that satisfies this rule right now is a flail. Then I looked at the rules again and noticed that #2 is for high dex, #3 is for low str, and thus “high con and high str” is going to fall under #4 which only tests for high str and picks a any close d8 weapon, ie. an axe, a fail or a sword. I think that given the current set of weapons and tags, the existing rule should handle it just fine.
I have nothing to add, Alex. It looks like you’ve already codified the loose system I used when I rolled up random characters for backers of the Kickstarter.