“MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS: Those with bonuses of +1, +2 or +3 gain a bonus of equal merit on damage scored, except as noted below” (Monsters & Treasure, 31).
Like most of us, I have read the above line maybe a hundred times. Every time, I have interpreted “of equal merit” to mean equal to the hit bonus. Reading it today, though, I see no obvious reason to believe that to be the case. “Of equal merit” might refer rather to the aforementioned “bonuses of +1, +2 or +3.” The text “noted below” does not further elucidate the issue. Meaning that the magic bonus of miscellaneous weapons (except magic bows and arrows) is applied only to damage, not to the attack roll.
Am I missing something? I’m sure I’m missing something. What are your interpretations or other clarifying text in OD&D?
Seems like you are overthinking it. Your initial reading was correct. The bonus to damage is always equal to the “to hit” bonus, except where stated otherwise.
For example, it says that the +1 Magic Bow only applies to hit, not to damage.
So a “miscellaneous” +2 spear would have +2 to hit and +2 to damage.
It’s clear that the magic bow bonus applies to hit not damage. But where does it say, without ambiguity, that miscellaneous weapons get an attack bonus?
I’ll have to dig out my OD&D booklets, but it’s implied by the words “a bonus of equal merit on damage scored.”
Of equal merit, meaning equal to the attack bonus.
It makes even more sense when read with the Magic Swords entry. Magic Swords ONLY get a to hit bonus (except those with a bonus agains specific creatures, i.e. lycanthropes). Unlike Magic Swords, Magic Axes, Hammers by default get said “bonus of equal merit” to damage as well.
“Swords, Damage Bonuses: The swords all receive bonuses as far as the probability of hitting an opponent is concerned, but some also gain a damage bonus when they do hit. These swords are those with a +2 or +3 against specific creatures, but not those with a general bonus of +2 or +3.
[…]
Miscellaneous Weapons
Those with bonuses of +1, +2 or +3 gain a bonus of equal merit on damage scored, except as noted below.”
It says axes and hammers get a damage bonus. It says bows get a hit bonus, and it’s explicit that bows do not get a damage bonus. It says arrows get both. But for other miscellaneous weapons, “of equal merit” could refer to “+1, +2 or +3” in the sentence just as well as it might refer to the hit bonus of swords two paragraphs previous. Otherwise, there is no reason, apart from having played it that way for decades, to assume “of equal merit” refers to a hit bonus.
I’m not saying that it says miscellaneous don’t get the attack bonus. I’m saying it’s ambiguous: It doesn’t say they do get the attack bonus either. I’m looking for more explicit text and, so far, not finding it.
Thanks for participating, DM Perky.