Remove Scythe

[papilio]

Because it's useless and meaningless

Change Sigmund's weapon to the glaive artefact "Reaper's Scythe" or "Sigmund's Scythe"
and kick every other scythes from the game

[shping]

Yes.

A yiufcrawl player asked me to allow bearkins to wield scythes one handed. People are actually trying to wield these things because they look like real items. The scythe in question was branded and everything!

[Hellmonk]

To be honest, weapons in DCSS are a bit of a mess. There are too many weapon categories and far too many base types for the design space. At the very least, scythes and clubs should be eliminated for the reason in the op. Long-term, it would be good to cut down the number of weapon schools as well as the number of base weapon types. Axes and polearms are well-differentiated (I know that there are arguments that reaching is degenerate, but at the very least it changes your tactics), shortblades kind of are if you buy that it's important to restrict stabbing to one weapon category for some reason, and then you have room for one generic weapon school. Riposte doesn't do anything unique with your tactics, instead functioning as a roundabout way to get better single target damage than maces stapled to a bad cleave. I think that you could condense staves into maces and flails and merge shortblades into long blades (removing riposte and giving all blades stabbing bonus), trimming base types appropriately, with no loss of tactical depth and very little loss of strategic depth. It might be worth removing unarmed combat as well, but that is a bit more involved since you have to do something about transmutation form damage and trolls. Also, we really do not need four types of ranged weapons.

[mattlistener]

There need to be poor weapon choices so that the appearance of good choices is meaningful, yeah?

I mean, if everyone started the game next to a fully-stocked weapon rack, then yeah it would be pointless for clubs and scythes to be there. But it's a long long time before you have access to every type, and there are randarts, and monsters can certainly use poor weapon choices and drop them when they die.

I think it's interesting that I might have to think about whether a souped up randart scythe is better for my purposes vs. a vorpal trident. Or whether to use Sigmund's +0 scythe for poking Orc Warriors across a Conjured Flame vs. a +0 spear as my only other option.

[TonberryJam]

I don't think any weapon needs to be removed. In fact, variety is what keeps weapons interesting.

[luckless]

It might be worth removing unarmed combat as well, but that is a bit more involved since you have to do something about transmutation form damage and trolls. Also, we really do not need four types of ranged weapons.

I've been a big fan of this idea for a while but afaict nobody else is. It'd be so simple. Claws attack at a flat .7 delay but otherwise function as though you had unarmed skill equal to your XL. Transmutation forms do damage based on spellpower.

[Siegurt]

It might be worth removing unarmed combat as well, but that is a bit more involved since you have to do something about transmutation form damage and trolls. Also, we really do not need four types of ranged weapons.

I've been a big fan of this idea for a while but afaict nobody else is. It'd be so simple. Claws attack at a flat .7 delay but otherwise function as though you had unarmed skill equal to your XL. Transmutation forms do damage based on spellpower.

So you'd get one of the best attacks in the game with no XP investment? Confirmed, not a fan.

[luckless]

It might be worth removing unarmed combat as well, but that is a bit more involved since you have to do something about transmutation form damage and trolls. Also, we really do not need four types of ranged weapons.

I've been a big fan of this idea for a while but afaict nobody else is. It'd be so simple. Claws attack at a flat .7 delay but otherwise function as though you had unarmed skill equal to your XL. Transmutation forms do damage based on spellpower.

So you'd get one of the best attacks in the game with no XP investment? Confirmed, not a fan.

XL * n, then, where n < 1.

[Shtopit]

I think that scythes have no reason to stay in the game as they are. They can be turned into halberds or whtv and be given a flavour tile like that unique girl's shield. After all, monsters only have them in flavour vaults (and Siggy).