Yeah it's a poll, but not like a "put a dot here or there" poll, since I'm intrested in people's opinion, not in "yeah, why not" answers.
Also this thread is not in Features Request on purpose, because I think it would go against standard D&D rules and many would be against it.
But think about it. Why couldn't mages and sorcerers use swords? Long or short. I always liked playing casters in RPGs with a weapon that really is a weapon. Why is it a must for mages to use staffs? Sure, you can use daggers, darts and slings, but the staff is what most mages go with. Staff is a great tool for a mage IF you use it to cast spells, but in BG it is clearly not used in that way. Darts are like toys, daggers are for backstabbing, and a sling just looks plain silly in the hands of a mage (also it is really hard to learn how to use it properly!).
The usual reasoning is that mages spend so much time studying the rules of magic that they don't have the time to learn how use a sword. Well, guess what, I used to do fencing and it's not that big deal to learn the basics. The use of a sling is much harder to learn. And even if you say that to mages, what about sorcerers? They get their magic for granted, they have plenty of time to practice whatever they want. Swordsmanship for example.
So I think it's clear where I stand. What about you guys?
Also this thread is not in Features Request on purpose, because I think it would go against standard D&D rules and many would be against it.
But think about it. Why couldn't mages and sorcerers use swords? Long or short. I always liked playing casters in RPGs with a weapon that really is a weapon. Why is it a must for mages to use staffs? Sure, you can use daggers, darts and slings, but the staff is what most mages go with. Staff is a great tool for a mage IF you use it to cast spells, but in BG it is clearly not used in that way. Darts are like toys, daggers are for backstabbing, and a sling just looks plain silly in the hands of a mage (also it is really hard to learn how to use it properly!).
The usual reasoning is that mages spend so much time studying the rules of magic that they don't have the time to learn how use a sword. Well, guess what, I used to do fencing and it's not that big deal to learn the basics. The use of a sling is much harder to learn. And even if you say that to mages, what about sorcerers? They get their magic for granted, they have plenty of time to practice whatever they want. Swordsmanship for example.
So I think it's clear where I stand. What about you guys?