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Not to disappoint on my reputation of being a pedant, I have questions about differences and similarities, and what is and isn't permissible; specifically, a question about weaponry, although I hope this thread can be used for any pedantry which isn't trolling or nonsense.

For this post, my question is: could I rename a kukri to be a kopis, sica, or any other similarly functioning and similarly shaped weapons, and still retain the spirit of weapon feats selected for the kukri in an "RPly" sense? Obviously, from a purely mechanical stance, I would, but I want to know how the DMs would feel about this on a more IC stance.

The reason I thought it good to ask is because they are different weapons - but (without being a weapon nerd and knowing all the particulars about each) they appear to be used in largely similar ways (slashing and chopping) and the primary difference (besides what culture they belonged to, etc) seems to be variability in size, which can also be found in the kukri.

The NWN model of kukri is enormous, even though they're a size Tiny weapon, which is what initially got me thinking about having some of my character's weapons being a set of kopis or sica (thanks, Deadliest Warrior!) Would something like this be allowable; to have a kukri renamed to a similar weapon and expect it still function with all the feats associated with a chosen weapon?

Spend/waste a mythal and rename it. Simple.

or use 3 DC to have a custom name/description added (if approved) via the requests section

I'm not asking how to rename them; I'm asking if it's acceptable by the DM to rename them and still have them be treated as a kukri for the purposes of weapon feats.

Kukri and kopis are practically the same thing but the sica might differ a bit more.

I can't imagine why it wouldn't be acceptable. Call your kukri an Ancient Netherese Recumbent Slapawacky, if you like. Why should it make a difference, as long as it's IC?

Lizzie wrote:

Call your kukri an Ancient Netherese Recumbent Slapawacky, if you like. Why should it make a difference, as long as it's IC?

It's not about the character calling the weapon something, like giving it the name "Slashy Bobson". It's about renaming the weapon to represent that it is that weapon; that it is a falcata instead a kukri, or a Chessentan kopis as opposed to a (???) kukri. They are very similar weapons, but different enough in that they come from different places with different history, fabrication, etc, and may be considered different weapons.

Since the character in question is a Weapon Master who focuses on a specific type of weapon, I figure it more important to get permission about it because of the whole Weapon of Choice thing. Personally, I think that it would be more about a "class" of weapon, in general, but that may not be the way the DMs see it, hence the want for clarification.

I get what you're saying - I'm mainly wanting to assure I don't step over some invisible boundary because they seem to crop up in unexpected places over things that would otherwise never raise a fuss. I'm cover my glutes, but I'm also curious as to what the attitude is on this. Does scimitar weapon master also have the falchion in their specialization - and I don't mean a one or the other, I mean both, or all depending on how many types of that kind of curved sword there are.

I guess I see what you mean... I think you're overthinking it, though.

I think the categories that weapons fall into are broad enough that they already encompass the sort of variation you're referring to. I'm thinking of, for example, the in-game description of the basic longsword, which says something like "there are many variations in the blade, but all are between 3 to 4 feet long," (or something like that; I'm pulling this from memory). If a narrow 3-foot blade and a broad 4-foot blade can both be called a "longsword," I imagine that a broad forward-curving blade 2 feet long feet long and a narrower, slightly longer forward-curving blade could both be adequately contained within the "kukri" item available in-game.

But hey, I'm not a DM, what the heck do I know?

Overthinking it is a trademark of pedantry!

(There's actually a rather amusing blog about that, too.)

And yeah, I agree with you. It's just one of those things - it's not already laid out by the game, so it seems the safer bet to make sure before I go assuming everyone else is on the same page as me (/us).

It's fine. Scimitars and longswords are khopeshes, bastard swords are elven courtblades, daggers are punching daggers, and kukris are now sicas, it seems.

For all I know or care, you're free to call your weapon your grandma's lost spirit when it is, in fact, a dagger.

Uncle-Opustus wrote:

For all I know or care, you're free to call your weapon your grandma's lost spirit when it is, in fact, a dagger.

LetumLux wrote:

Lizzie wrote:

Call your kukri an Ancient Netherese Recumbent Slapawacky, if you like. Why should it make a difference, as long as it's IC?

It's not about the character calling the weapon something, like giving it the name "Slashy Bobson". It's about renaming the weapon to represent that it is that weapon; that it is a falcata instead a kukri, or a Chessentan kopis as opposed to a (???) kukri.

Read! Silly Opustus.

I understood the original question and my answer applies to it:

For all I know or care, you're free to call your weapon [weapon] when it is, in fact, [weapon].

I'd understand if someone played a greatsword as a falcion even though, to my knowledge, there isn't a model to represent it properly.

Gorthod called his crossbow Leon for the longest time. Or was it Lila... I forget.

Silent2001 wrote:

Gorthod called his crossbow Leon for the longest time. Or was it Lila... I forget.

Always liked winding Lila up, then loading her with your sharpened pointy thing, and firing it at people?

I agree with Tormak. I had a character that had Halberd feats once upon a time, but I always played that she fought with a glaive, which is basically the same thing as a halberd but with a long slightly curved blade at the end, rather than something akin to an axe head. Both weapons are used in the same manner, though, and are considered to be in the same category.

As long as it remains in the same category, I would say it was fine. You can't, of course, have mechanical feats for a longsword and RP as using a double headed axe, or something silly like that.

A good question to ask when you do it though, I'd say -- at least for anything not already stated here. I recently was going to use a weapon to represent a similar weapon that doesn't exist on NWN and was told I couldn't do that. So if you like being very sure, like apparently Letum and myself are, ask first! I'm glad I asked, or my character build would have been totally useless!

My thought is that if something is of the right damage category (d4, d6, etc) and type (axe, sword, etc), then it can be RP'd as any weapon of that category.

Ex:
Ninja-to = Shortsword mechanically speaking. As the blades are mechanically the same. (Though one of the supplimentals gives a Ninja-to user a skill bonus to climb checks)

In any case NWN is sadly limited in this regard with exception of the Katana and Bastard Sword which the designers decided they would do two separate models. If you look up Katana in the DMG, all it is in DnD is a masterwork Bastard Sword.

Scimitar = Sabre.
Makes people think less cheese of you

The only time I could see it being an issue is when a DM gives over a plot item, say a dagger, he would have to specify that it is infact still a dagger which means rply in a sense if your using a different "Style" of weapon said item wouldnt then be wieldable to its full RP effect despite being mechanically the same, and which the odds of such event im sure border on the astronomical it might still be an issue with saying a rapier is an epee or a bastard sword is an elven courtblade etc.

For me, a plot item is what it is described to be. It's not just a copy-paste of something in the loot bin, it's its own thing.

Thanks for the replies, DMs!

rly tormak, i would have envisioned a sickle to represent a khopesh better but maybe only in looks as i dont recall their stats offhand. and ive RPed a scimitar as a Sica as it is a curved blade just reverse.
to OP, there is a list in the Arms and Equipments Guide book that lists several comparisons between DND weapons and RL weapons through the ages and culture. Like it gives the entry for quarterstaff and lists its name as Bo in japan and such things, basically the same weapon but in some cases there is variation. In DnD PnP of course there are few weapons actually unrepresented... and as for a ninja to giving climb check bonus... wtf? a ninja to is just a straight wakazashi used for stealth as it doesnt make as much noise and the sheathes often had open ends for blowing powder or some such ninja nonsense. afaik.
so just RP whatever you want and until someone says, "hey... that shortsword is definitely not a three section staff " then i think your good. just make sense IC and all is well, as with most things. id suggest taking a look at the A&EG list tho for ideas

Actually, from what I've been reading, the kopesh is "related" to the kukri by way of the kopis. They're like, third cousins or something.

Question of semantics

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