Well, according to NativeJovian, it's a -4 size penalty for the pixie to use it. By contrast, you're going to take a -4 nonproficiency penalty for using a greatsword unless you multiclassed or otherwise gained proficiency (whereas a pixie IS proficient in the dagger, except that it's large). So yes, there is a difference in degrees of practicality in that respect.FrankTrollman wrote:I really don't see how you can construe the difference between taking a penalty and not taking a penalty as being a difference in degrees of practicality.Caedrus wrote:And you imagine this option is more practical for a 3.0 pixie rogue than a 3.5 one why, exactly?
-Username17
However, even if you gained proficiency through one means or another, it doesn't seem like a terribly practical action anyways except under the circumstances that you are low level and missing any weapons of your own.
But I'll cede that point since yes, technically there is a difference in degrees of practicality (depending on your build). One could also make the point when arguing for the old system that it perhaps makes more sense for a greatsword proficiency to apply to the use of an orc's dagger for the pixie, rather than a size penalty from a dagger proficiency.
Personally, if I was designing the game, I'd handle this issue more along the lines of my suggestions for making improvisation and improvised weapons more practical. In fact it fits the model pretty straight: You pickpocket the orc and stab him in the back with his own weapon. That's cool and I can totally see that happening. What I don't see is the pixie deciding to fight with that weapon all the time any more than Jason Bourne is going to fight with a book/towel/pen for more than a round, unless you actually want to give your game the flavor of using outlandish weapons like Cloud's buster swords or whatever. That's really a matter of personal preference, of course.