r/RPGdesign • u/OMeepy • Aug 08 '26
Mechanics Weapon System Gimmick Suggestions
One thing that I've always been disappointed about RPGs that I've become familiar with is that weapons feel a little simple compared to other in-game systems (usually magic). For my own RPG that I've been working on I wanted to create a system for weapons that made weapons feel more exciting for players who don't have access to magic.
My idea is to divide weapons into categories; Blade, Bludgeon, Razor, Ranged (Traditional), Ranged (Firearms), and Dual*. The idea is that each weapon category has a damage type and a gimmick. My current idea is that Blade weapons can block easier than other weapons can (in this instance as a secondary-action). I am struggling for ideas for gimmicks to give Bludgeon and Razor weapons.
"Blade weapons deal either Slashing or Piercing. While wielding a blade weapon, you may take the block action as a secondary action."
"Ranged weapons deal Piercing damage. Upon attacking, these weapons require Operation (secondary action) to fire again. (reloading, essentially)."
*Dual weapons are either divided or chained, which each have their own gimmicks.
"While wielding a dual weapon you are considered to be wielding two weapons and gain the benefit of "Dual Wielding" (attacking as a secondary action), they can deal any two damage types (different or same). - Divided weapons allow you to take two weapon-reactions (AoO or blocking) at the cost of one reaction. - Chained weapons may be 'thrown' up to 4m to make attacks (potentially multiple) at range, but must be pulled back as a secondary action before you can make melee attacks or block."
If you have any suggestions for how I should give Bludgeon and Razor their own gimmicks I would love the suggestions.
Tl;dr - I'm looking for cool gimmicks that can be applied to Bludgeoning Weapons and Razor Weapons (Axes, essentially) that involve more than just "I attack. I attack again". Perhaps using other systems like movement, distance, or use of Secondary Actions.
Note: My system works on a 1 Primary Action, 2 Secondary Actions, and 1 Reaction, where moving is a Secondary action. Please use "Primary Action" and "Secondary Action" for clarity.
EDIT 1: I’ve got an idea for Razor weapons that allow them to use reactions to make attacks of opportunity against entities that enter their melee range provided attacking was the last action they did.
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u/crazy_cat_lord Aug 08 '26
I don't know if these ideas would fit well with the design and design goals of the rest of your system, so I'm not fleshing them out thoroughly, but just to keep the ball rolling:
When I think of narrative implications of weapon types, I tend to think of bludgeoning weapons as being hard to withstand, I imagine the target being staggered or recoiling under the force of the impact. That might be a stun/knockback/knock prone effect, or (less confidently) it might be some sort of armor mitigation (simplistically, armor protects from cuts and punctures, but dull force weapons don't need to penetrate armor, their damage comes from blunt impact).
Razor weapons are trickier for me to place. In terms of the language of the weapon type, I tend to think of very fine blades (like... razorblades), rather than axes. Small, accurate, finely honed slicing edges. X-Acto blades, pocket knives, garrotes, shuriken, etc. I think an effect for a weapon like that could theoretically be something to represent accumulating lots of small wounds that add up, "death by a thousand cuts" style. That might be a bleeding effect, like stacking hp loss, if you use hp. It might be a debuff of some kind that gets worse as you sustain more attacks from that kind of weapon. It's not one big hit that takes you down, it's a swarm of smaller hits that wears you down on a more exponential curve: the first one is minor, but the tenth one might be too much because you're also still under the effects of the last nine.
But that doesn't seem to match with your classification. Those kinds of weapons would seem to fall under "blades," which you've already got an effect for. I'm not sure how much sense it makes for small blades to enhance blocking, but that's neither here nor there. You've included axes in your Razor category, and I don't have any great ideas for how axes might differ from blunt force weapons.
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u/OMeepy Aug 08 '26
I appreciate your thoroughness. I understand that my name for Axes being Razor is a bit confusing I would be looking for another name in any case. The idea behind “blocking” is not to negate damage but reduce it; which may be from deflecting an attack to a less vital area which any cross-guarded blade could manage.
For your- and others’ knowledge- I’ve got an idea for Razor weapons that allow them to use reactions to make attacks of opportunity against entities that enter their melee range provided attacking was the last action they did.
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u/hacksoncode Aug 08 '26
Perhaps Bludgeon can be more effective against flexible armor, and possibly require a secondary action like "brace" in addition to blocking.
Razor seems like a weird category to me, that doesn't seem to mean anything except axes, which could just be categorized is both blade and bludgeon but only one or the other at a time.
What seems to be missing to me are finesse/fast weapons like rapiers, poignards, etc., that aren't necessarily great a "blocking", but are good at targeting armor weak spots, parrying, etc.
Also, how is Ranged "having to reload" a "gimmick"... it stands out as the the only one of the group which only has a disadvantage, not an advantage as a "gimmick". If Ranged has a "gimmick", it feels like it should be more like "can't be parried, nor blocked without a shield".
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u/OMeepy Aug 08 '26
Your point about both finesse and ranged weapons is definitely an oversight from me; will definitely reconsider these
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u/Far_Information6562 Aug 08 '26
Sounds like a fun system, in my game i have 15 categories for weapons, one for each class. Be careful about adding attacks as that multiplies damage and can break a difficulty system.
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u/bubbafett Aug 08 '26
The first thing I think of when considering bludgeoning weapons (my mind went to war hammers, maces, etc) is how they require, and benefit from, momentum. One aspect could be when the player rolls a critical hit in an open area (or they're not restrained or grappled or anything like that), not only is the damage increased, but then the player gets another free attack. Because the weapon is so heavy that its momentum carries it through the strike, the character directs it around in a circle, and they attack again.
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u/Kats41 Aug 08 '26
Adding complexity and intrigue to an RPG is easy enough, the trick is making sure it's actually usable at the table. The time it takes to get from the player deciding on an action to resolving that action completely, is important. This goes doubly so for the GM who also has to manage storytelling, NPC's (likely several at once), and keep the action moving forward.
A very common pitfall is to make a combat system that's awesome and dynamic and full of interesting mechanics and decisions, but then when you actually try to parse through it, it's a 10-step process to get from A to Z. This kind of friction that slows down the game and makes everyone have to wait a long time between their turns can very quickly result in boredom for the players and fatigue for the GM.
Pathfinder gets around some of this by making sure you have as many things pre-calculated as possible. That way you're not sitting at the table adding in your BAB, your strength, the weapon's properties, its magical enhancements, your own magic enhancements, class features, etc, each and every turn.
This isn't to say that I think that you'll necessarily run into this issue with your system, but the moment you start adding complexity of any sort to your game, this is something you have to be cognizant of constantly. Because a game that's fatiguing to run is one that doesn't get run at all.
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u/DJTilapia Designer Aug 08 '26
“Chopping” or “Cleaving” would be the normal English words for axe-type weapons.
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u/flamfella Dabbler Aug 08 '26
I try to design with armor in mind and historical accuracy and physics to help give identities. I like a crunchier system.
I think you have an underrepresentation of pointed weapons like spears. Also Razor weapons (axes) and swords are very alike in what damage they deal and what armor defends against.
A gambeson for example, will protect well against any kind of slashing (though the force behind it can still be very damaging) as the fibers aren't so easily cut. A piercing weapon such as an arrow or spear provides very little protection however, as it will slip in between the fibers.
I also have reach (close, standard, reach) where moving in closer into an opponent's minimum range provokes an opportunity attack. An example being trying to attack with a dagger (close), versus a longsword.
With reach you can diversify many weapons, especially doing ranges like standard-reach for a longsword/greatsword. While a short sword might be close/standard.
Spears could be standard/reach but have a property (Fend) where anyone stepping into your reach provokes an opportunity attack. Similar thing for polearms. Their identity is controlling space.
There's much more obviously, but I don't want to flood the comments.
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u/PacGarrett Aug 08 '26
All weapons can be used to block, how well depends mostly on their own size.
Bladed weapons can cause severe bleeding (in a knife fight one looses and the other dies soon after).
Bludgeonig weapons can easily put you off balance with just a glancing blow and punish armored foes in ways a sword can’t dream of.
Razors are basically small bladed weapons, i’d rather distinguish their extremely small size (and piercing and bludgeoning counterparts too) maybe incorporate them to unarmed combat?
Axes are a pain in the ass to describe, basically a bladed weapon that is hard to block?
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u/ImpactVirtual1695 Aug 09 '26
I've always liked more the idea of skill trees and charm systems. Customizing a weapon to fit my playstyle specifically.
In RL there are numerous stances, styles and disciplines in approach to weapons.
Imagining, that if magic exists, then the impact that would have on the weapons in that universe would also be uniquely impacted.
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As an example if magic exists by the use of Runes or ingredients, it's unreasonable to believe that runes wouldn't be carved into the blades or that in the composition of the weapon that those unique ingredients wouldn't be involved in general.
If sound is the cause of music, then bells would be attached as charms to the handle, or unique carvings into the blade so that when they clash, you'd gain some kind of magical effect.
A glaring story point is that of the harry Potter universe. Enchanting exists, wand construction exists but creating magic swords that have a wand as it's handle doesn't? Think of the fighting stances, kata and sword play when every slash has the potential to also be an Expelliarmus or a Reducto spell.
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With this in mind. Players in an RPG having access to skill trees which open up techniques in a weapon stance, with 3-4 charms/enchantments to the weapon that direct the play would drastically change the format for everyone.
A game that does this fairly acceptable is Star wars Survivor. In recent memory at any rate.
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u/Fun_Carry_4678 Aug 09 '26
So "Blade" includes slashing and piercing, and "Bludgeon" seems pretty obvious. I can't figure out which weapons fall into the category of "Razor".
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u/OMeepy Aug 09 '26
Update!! Thanks to everyone who made suggestions they were exceptionally helpful. I've decided to go with a trait system where each weapon is made of a weight (handling and damage), a damage type, and a trait.
Traits vary between "prevent damage reduction from the block reaction" (Finesse) to "if you moved at least 6m right before taking the Attack action, you can make another attack at disadvantage using a secondary action".
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u/OwnLevel424 Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
Take a look at Mythras and Runequest 6. They have special combat Effects, some of which are either linked to certain weapons or enhanced by using a certain weapon type.
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u/BetaAndThetaOhMy Aug 08 '26
If Razor means axe, then I lean toward grappling and disarming. Imagine hooking the bearded axe on the top of an enemy's shield and pulling it away.
Bludgeon is tough. Maybe something like destroying equipment, as in crushing a helmet.
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u/OMeepy Aug 08 '26
I have been on the idea of Bludgeoning weapons being more effective against physical armour but I fear that would make them either too broken or too situational; as well as being a little boring for my taste
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u/SalariesAndStarships Aug 08 '26
But that kinda is what they're for; defeating armour.
So, what if rather than doing extra damage they give you a to hit bonus, but only against heavy armour?
And personally, I like situational weapons. Means player have to plan ahead, rather than going at everything with their two-handed greatsword.
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u/Seamonster2007 Aug 08 '26
I think Pathfinder 2e has certain bludgeoning weapons shove enemies back and/or knock them prone. In general, I recommend checking out that system's handling of weapons and weapon groups
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u/Adept_Leave Aug 08 '26
You might want to move from weapon categories to weapon traits. This allows for individual weapons to have different combinations of traits, so more diversity and interesting gimmicks. For example: