If you are to fight an assassin mob, does it make a difference if you use axes/maces? Does this theory apply to other types of mobs e.g. orcs/staff?

Mobs ignore a lot of things PCs need to worry about, makes up for their lack of intelligence. Weight won't affect their dodging, equally good with any weapon or against any weapon, so on. What will matter with using axes/maces against that assassin mob is how much it hits you.

I'm sure it would definitely make things more interesting, require more intelligence/skill/attentiveness, and help newbies learn/experiment with tactics if things that actually worked on players worked on mobs. Not just racial vulns/immunities...

Then again, what percentage of mobs have weapons, or wear more than one piece of equipment? *shrug*

if things that actually worked on players worked on mobs.

While you're not wrong, this is something that has come up repeatedly over the years. Seeing as mobs are relatively very stupid compared to PCs, they need some kind of edge or everything would be silly easy. For example, if bash and trip could lag out mage mobs and prevent them from casting, then mage mobs would be easy as cake since they don't run away or word themselves.

I suppose we could always allow mage mobs to flee and cast teleport when hurt, but chasing them all over the world might suck. :P

Aarn?

On the other hand those spear specs by headhunters and flurries by those guards sure make leveling more dangerous and time consuming. I'll admit it makes it more interesting, but too much of a good thing. Things like dirt kick and disarm make a difference but I don't think I saw any difference to misdirection with anything else I'd try.

I'm just grumpy because I can't get beyond 42 and the only hero's not in my range are goodies as well. :D

>On the other hand those spear specs by headhunters and
>flurries by those guards sure make leveling more dangerous and
>time consuming.

NPCs that do things like that are worth more XP than an NPC of their level that doesn't. So more dangerous, yes, but my experience has generally been that a really sharp group can level a lot faster fighting opponents like that.

slave mines

The operative word there is group. Now if I can find one. Storm shaman, and elf spear spec.