Here we go.
Keep in mind, all of these changes are listed with the intention of making all weapons viable and situational, and the difference between the 'optimal' and 'suboptimal' weapons meager enough to allow people to use weapons they like and fit their characters without losing off too much on damage.
So here goes.
SIMPLE WEAPONS:
Starting with Simple weapons. We've toned down some simple weapons to make sure that none of them are on par with martial ones. This will absolutely force anyone who is interested in playing a warrior of any kind to make sure he has the Martial weapon proficiency feat.
This will stop a number of builds from having almost equal melee DPS without bothering with martial proficiency.
MARTIAL WEAPONS:
Next up, we're moving on to Martial weapons. These are the core weapons for most characters, and are divided into two archtypes. The first is the 19-20/x2, and the second is the 20/x3.
The base damage on one-handed weapons is 1d8 and the base damage on two-handed weapons is 2d6. The exceptions to this are weapons that can be dual wielded, have multiple damage types to circumvent damage immunity, and any other advantage.
Now, starting off with the biggest balancing issue. Scimitars and Rapiers outclass nearly all other weapons significantly, as shown below.
This is fixed by increasing their base-damage to 1d8, but reducing their threat to 19-20, making them identical to longswords. After this is done, we are left with the two archtypes, 19-20/x2 and 20/x3 that are compared below.
As you can see, archtype #1 is slightly more efficient against low-ac targets since it will crit more, while archtype #2 is slightly better against high AC target, since the stray crit will deal more damage, as well as better at getting through Damage Reduction.
The difference, however, is small enough that no heart-ache would be suffered at foregoing longsword to use a warhammer on your paladin.
Now moving on to two-handed weapons, equally showing the two archtypes, considering the adjustment to x3 weapon base damage.
EXOTIC WEAPONS:
The idea behind exotic weapons is that they cost a feat, and give an additional bonus compared to their Martial counterparts. Those are noted below, but I'll get to the 'special' cases. Those that demand more attention. Let's go.
Scythes:
First of all, have been slightly reduced in damage so that they remain superior to martial two-handed weapons(You do need a feat to use them), But not too much, since they still have a double damage-type to help bypass damage immunities. Damage comparison seen below.
Kukris:
These weapons remain the only 18-20 crit-range weapon, as they are both 1d4 base and exotic weapons that require a feat to use. Another thing to consider is that they are tiny weapons, which makes them very easily disarmed. All these reasons justify a superior DPS, demonstrated below.
Two sided weapons:
Mechanically, they are sort of an allowance to dual wield two medium weapons without the added penalty. Additionally, they get +2 AB compared to dual-wielding. It's already been discussed that these weapons will provide focus-feats for their 1-handed counterparts. I'd just advise that if this happens, Dire Mace should give focuses for Light Flail or Warhammer. Making it give focuses to Mace would make it vastly inferior to the other two.
If this change doesn't happen, it is likely that more attention should be given to balancing these weapons.
Whips:
We like the idea of whips as low-damage utility weapons. The issue is that disarm, without it's counterpart, improved disarm, isn't really usable. It's also dependant on weapon size, and whips are small weapons, making it even worse.
So we suggest that whips are given improved disarm as a bonus feat, instead or in addition to normal disarm, and that the unarmed disarm script is applied to whips, so that they always count as the same weapon size as the weapon they are disarming when attempting to disarm.
DISCLAIMER: All graphs were made with stats off a full BAB Weapon Master, using a Keen Masterly Damask weapon with a permenant and temporary essence and 14 Strength modifier. There was no consideration of enemy stats other than AC.
Removing the WM levels and the Keen in the calculations only draws the graphs closer, as shown below.
Next is all the changes on weapons, condensed into a short list.
Simple Weapons:
Club - No changes
Dagger - Change weapon damage to 1d6, change critical threat range to 20 from 19-20.
Mace - No changes.
Sickle - No changes.
Spear - No changes.
Morningstar - Change weapon damage to 1d6.
Quarterstaff - No changes.
Martial Weapons:
Battleaxe - No changes.
Greataxe - Change weapon damage to 2d6, equal to Greatsword.
Greatsword - No changes.
Halberd - No changes. Slightly lower damage because of double damage-types.
Handaxe - No changes. Slight loss of damage and a small weapon because it can be dual-wielded and also benefits from Weapon Finesse.
Heavy flail - Change weapon damage to 2d6.
Light flail - Change weapon crit threat to 19-20. (Like heavy flail)
Light hammer - Change weapon damage to 1d6 and crit multiplier to x3. Similar to handaxe, slightly inferior DPS for dual-wieldable finessable weapon.
Longsword - No changes.
Rapier - Base damage changed to 1d8 and critical threat range changed to 19-20.
Scimitar - Base damage changed to 1d8 and critical threat range changed to 19-20.
Shortsword - No changes. Slightly lower DPS because it is dual-wieldable and finessable.
Trident - No changes.
Warhammer - No changes.
Exotic Weapons:
Bastard sword - No changes. A slight increase of damage and ability to use -twohand for the Exotic feat.
Dire mace - Change critical multiplier to x3 to bring in line with double axe. (See: Two sided weapons)
Dwarven waraxe - Allow usage of -twohand to bring in-line with Bastard Sword, or change weapon damage to 1d12.
Double axe - No changes.
Kama - No changes, benefits from Monk UBAB
Katana - No changes. A slight increase of damage and the ability to dual-wield and/or finesse at the cost of feats.
Kukri - No changes. These weapons will have the greatest 1-handed DPS at the cost of Exotic prof, low base-damage, and being Tiny Weapons, which makes them VERY susceptible to disarming.
Scythe - Change Weapon Damage to 1d6.
Whip - Add improved disarm to the feats given by wielding a whip. Apply unarmed disarming bonus.
Two-bladed sword - No changes.
P.S.
We did not consider the Special Weapons in these calculations. Some adjustments to them might be necessary if this goes through, although the Gnome hammer is the only one that look immediately overpowered. And you have to be a gnome with a hammer to use it, so...
