5e 2d8 weapon

Don't mention the M word

You say:

I know that they could have magical effects to them (as stated in the Magical Item sections in the DMG) but that's not the situation I'm talking about. I'm talking about the same (or equal, I mean a really well crafted sword could still be better than a badly crafted greataxe) weapon (non-magical), just a way "cooler" one.

I completely understand where you're coming from; not everything needs to be magic. That said, the rules broadly list everything that isn't the standard version of an item, as a magic item, and this gives us a good framework to use for balance.

Take a standard +1 magic weapon for example. This is an Uncommon magic item that doesn't require attunement, and as such the DMG suggests it is suitable/balanced for PCs of 1st level and up.

Now what if your PCs found a masterwork (nonmagical) weapon that was so finely honed that it was easier to swing (+1 to hit) and cut a little deeper (+1 to damage) than normal? In terms of game balance, this is exactly the same* as a magic +1 weapon; but you get to flavour it as high-quality instead of magic.

I would certainly suggest using existing magic item rarities as a guideline for the numerical balance, then designing your own "well-crafted sword" effects that are numerically similar.

Alternatively: embrace fluff

Or, you can go in a completely separate direction, and add features that don't affect rolls at all.

Maybe the sword was historically wielded by the ruler of the nation, and gives the wielder some political clout/claim (if your players like that angle). Maybe the sword makes an unnaturally pleasing sound when drawn. Maybe it makes the wielder feel closer to a particular god/nature spirit. Maybe it just has a good history associated with it, and the player gets to continue that history (e.g. it has always been used in time of Dire Need to defend against attacking giants, in a campaign against giants).

A lot of these things are just "cool", and as a player I'd happily exchange my misc. starting weapon for something that feels cool and more meaningful; even if it doesn't give any numerical bonuses. For many players, D&D is primarily a story-telling device after all.

Or, somewhere between the two

Finally you could pitch your tent between the two options above, and offer concrete effects that don't directly affect attacks. For example:

• The weapons sheds light that can be turned on and off at will
• The weapon makes the hero's cape and hair flow magnificently when they pose
• The weapon plays a theme tune when drawn rapidly (which may or may not give a small bonus to the party such as a bonus to wisdom saves)
• The weapon does double damage to items (OK, it's a damage bonus, but not one that really comes up in combat)
• The weapon slows your falls, as if Feather Fall were always cast on you
• etc.

Most of these would be seen as a direct upgrade to a basic weapon (a greataxe that does 1d12 damage, or a greataxe that does 1d12 damage and makes my eyes glow red?), and you can likely have a great deal of fun coming up with options that would appear to your players' (or their characters') individual quirks.

Now arguably many of these would appear to be somewhat magic due to producing explicit effects. For me, the default high-magic setting of D&D means that a high-quality crafted item would likely have a little sub-cantrip-level enchantment/glamour in it. If that isn't to your tastes however, you can likely flavour these as purely mundane (e.g. the light comes from a glowing core at the base of the shaft, which can be covered or revealed by an opaque sheath; the music comes from violin-like strings inside the scabbard which are plucked by special notches on the blade...)

*as I've written it, there would still be the difference that it wouldn't pierce resistance/immunity to non-magical weapons. Depending on how you want things to play out, either you can say it's made of something like adamantium and so does pierce that immunity anyway; or you can leave it be, and use monsters with this feature when you wish to challenge these players in a particular way.

answered Aug 3 at 11:46

Your class grants proficiency in certain weapons, reflecting both the class’s focus and the tools you are most likely to use. Whether you favor a longsword or a longbow, your weapon and your ability to wield it effectively can mean the difference between life and death while adventuring.

The Weapons table shows the most common weapons used in the fantasy gaming worlds, their price and weight, the damage they deal when they hit, and any special properties they possess. Every weapon is classified as either melee or ranged. A melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, whereas a ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.

Weapon Proficiency

Your race, class, and feats can grant you proficiency with certain weapons or categories of weapons. The two categories are simple and martial. Most people can use simple weapons with proficiency. These weapons include clubs, maces, and other weapons often found in the hands of commoners. Martial weapons, including swords, axes, and polearms, require more specialized training to use effectively. Most warriors use martial weapons because these weapons put their fighting style and training to best use.

Proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with that weapon. If you make an attack roll using a weapon with which you lack proficiency, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.

Weapon Properties

Many weapons have special properties related to their use, as shown in the Weapons table.

Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield.

If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in the section). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.

Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a Small creature to use effectively.

Light. A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.

Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

Range. A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range in parentheses after the ammunition or thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s long range. When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.

Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for opportunity attacks with it.

Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the weapon’s description (see “Special Weapons” later in this section).

Thrown. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for a melee attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a handaxe, you use your Strength, but if you throw a dagger, you can use either your Strength or your Dexterity, since the dagger has the finesse property.

Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.

Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property—the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.

Improvised Weapons

Sometimes characters don’t have their weapons and have to attack with whatever is at hand. An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin.

Often, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is akin to a club. At the GM’s option, a character proficient with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.

An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the GM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.

Silvered Weapons

Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons, so cautious adventurers invest extra coin to plate their weapons with silver. You can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.

Special Weapons

Weapons with special rules are described here.

Lance. You have disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a target within 5 feet of you. Also, a lance requires two hands to wield when you aren’t mounted.

Net. A Large or smaller creature hit by a net is restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net.

When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to attack with a net, you can make only one attack regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

Weapons

DM DavePosted in Player Options

This is one that I’ve gotten requests for a few times in comments and direct messaging on Instagram. I thought it’d be a pretty quick build since I got the idea on what I need to do to create it while I was driving to pick DM Jack up from school today.

What is a buster weapon?

Supposedly, buster weapons–specifically the buster sword–got its origins from Final Fantasy VII. It’s the big ass broadsword that Cloud Strife used in the game. Its appeared in every Final Fantasy game since and become something of a staple in anime.

A buster weapon can be any larger-than-normal weapon. However, in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, the available weapons are either Medium or Small. And there’s no scaling up. Yet.

Playtest Content

The material here is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by
final game design and editing. They aren’t officially part of the game.

Constructive feedback is welcome and appreciated in either comments or social media. If you can give me a valid reason with examples why something is off, 9/10 I’m likely to make changes to the content and credit you for doing so. Otherwise, feedback without anything to back it up gets ignored (or at most a smile emoji like this 🙂 ) Thanks!

Design Notes

Here are my notes for this build.

Before the Build

In order to create these weapons, they need to be able to be big. Big usually means more damage. The problem with more damage, of course, is that more damage breaks the game, especially in the first tier.

The weapons in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition are typically balanced by the fact that they are Heavy (meaning little dudes can’t use ’em effectively) or require two-hands.

Of course, we know larger weapons exist. The ogre greatclub deals 2d8 damage instead of the normal 1d8 damage for the weapon. Half-ogre battleaxes can deal 2d8 damage or 2d10 if wielded with two hands. The oni glaive deals 2d10 slashing damage when it is in its Large form. Another interesting entry is the fire giant’s greatsword. It deals 6d6 damage, four more dice than the regular greatsword. That tells me that the damage increases by a factor of two for each size category that it goes up.

Now, I don’t want to cheapen the rules. We want the buster sword to accomplish a few things here:

• The buster sword should be modeled after a greatsword. Go big or go home.
• It should be able to deal 4d6 damage in one swing. If it adds a +3 Strength modifier to the attack, that’s an average of 17 damage and a maximum of 27 with a lucky hit (or double that with a crit). If a great weapon fighting fighter wields it, that average damage goes up even more.
• It has to be in line with what a 1st-level character is capable of doing. For example, a Barbarian with 16 Strength swinging a greatsword deals 10 damage on average and a maximum of 15. However, if the barbarian takes the Great Weapon Master feat, it can reduce its attack roll by -5 to add +10 to its damage bonus. So now we’re getting closer. That would make the average damage 20 and the maximum 25. Now it’s suddenly better than the 4d6 greatsword on average. So I think we can probably find something in the middle there using math.

According to Mike Mearls, a character has, on average, a 60% chance of hitting a monster with an attack, or a 40% chance to miss. With advantage, that turns into an 84% chance to hit and 16% chance to miss. And with disadvantage, it’s only a 36% chance to hit or 64% chance to miss.

If we multiply those numbers by 20 (the d20), we can determine that the virtual bonus and penalty for each is as follows:

• Advantage gives a virtual 4.8 bonus on attack rolls.
• Disadvantage gives a virtual 4.8 penalty on attack rolls.

Now, what you’ll notice right away is that those numbers are pretty darn close to the -5 penalty that Great Weapon Fighter gives in exchange for +10 in damage. So I think that if we give the user of a buster weapon a permanent disadvantage on their attacks using the feat, that will help balance out the weapon.

Let’s compare the two weapons’ damage output. I’ve multiplied the average damage of the weapon by the hit probability.

• Greatsword (2d6 + 3) with no disadvantage deals an average of 6 damage per turn (10 x 0.60).
• Buster sword (4d6 + 3) with disadvantage deals an average of 6.12 damage per turn (17 x 0.36).

Boom, pretty close!

After the Build

Looking at the heavy weapon property, it pretty much knocks it out of the park in terms of what I need buster weapons to do. Basically, a buster weapon gives a constant disadvantage to the attack. That means I don’t need to offer a feat for a creature to gain proficiency in it. They can just learn it as a martial weapon. The weapon property will supply the disadvantage.

For weight and cost of the weapons, I multiplied everything by 4. I’m not totally sure that’s right (some physics major will surely correct me), but if it’s good enough for barding, it’s good enough for me.

So then I just used the feat to reverse the method of the Great Weapon Mastery feat: you give up damage output the weapon normally does in order to not have disadvantage when making an attack with the weapon. Plus, it gives you a bonus against shields.

Optional Weapon Rules

At your GM’s discretion, your campaign may use the following optional rules and weapons.

New Weapon Property: Buster Weapon

Small creatures cannot use buster weapons. And Medium creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with buster weapons. A buster weapon’s size and bulk makes it too large for a Medium creature to use effectively.

New Weapons

New Feat: Buster Weapon Master

Prerequisite: Strength 16 or higher

You have practiced extensively with extremely large weapons, gaining the following benefits:

• You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with a buster weapon against any Medium or smaller target using a shield. Your large weapon easily overcomes the defense provided by shields.
• Before you make a melee attack with a buster weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to make the attack without the normal disadvantage imposed for handling a buster weapon. If the attack hits, you take a -10 penalty to the damage roll (minimum of 1 + your Strength modifier).

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The weapon die or dice (abbreviated [W]) of a weapon determines the damage of attacks using that weapon.

For example, a longsword's damage die is 1d8, meaning you roll one 8-sided die for attacks that deal 1[W] damage, or three 8-sided dice (3d8) for attacks that deal 3[W] damage.

Weapons with multiple dice are multiplied in a similar way. For example, a falchion's damage dice are 2d4, so roll 6d4 for attacks that deal 3[W].

The weapon dice are intended to be used for weapons used by small or normal characters. Large, Huge and Gargantuan creatures need to use weapons specially sized for them, with the larger weapons having their dice increased by one step each time.

If it is necessary to adjust the weapon die due to size or for other reasons, it is adjusted as below:

• One-handed: 1d4 -> 1d6 -> 1d8 -> 1d10 -> 1d12 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10
• Two-handed: 1d8 -> 2d4 -> 1d10 -> 1d12 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10