User:Guy/Weapon Types

Weapons are replaced with weapon types. The weapon types are unarmed, handy, hefty, polearm, dire, fling, string, and trigger. You can start with practically any weapon you can imagine if it can fit into one of these eight types.

Minutae

• Every player-character can use all standard weapon types proficiently. If you aren't "proficient with all martial weapons," you decrease the damage die of your weapons by one step (d8 becomes d6 for example).
• Except where otherwise specified, each weapon type below can be used for a melee attack; that is, attacking a target adjacent to you.
• Normally, you add Strength to melee attack rolls and Dexterity to ranged weapon attack rolls. For weapon types that let you choose Str or Dex for damage, you can also choose Str or Dex for the attack roll.
• If it matters, a weapon deals one type of damage from bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing. You normally choose which damage type if you buy, create, or start with the weapon—otherwise the narrator decides. Exceptions are string and trigger weapons which both typically deal piercing damage, and unarmed strikes which normally deal bludgeoning damage.
• If it matters, every standard weapon has a value of 10 gold pieces. Non-special fling weapons cost 1 gp and are "light". Being light means 10 of them count as 1 item for your carry limit (or they just weigh a half-pound or whatever).
• Hindrance. You always add your proficiency bonus to attack rolls with weapons, unless your attack roll has hindrance. A few different circumstances can impose hindrance as noted below. If you ever have hindrance more than once on an attack roll, the attack automatically misses if you attempt it regardless of the d20 roll. You can't make an attack as a reaction if the attack roll has hindrance.

Weapon types

Name	Damage	Properties	Examples
Unarmed	d4 + Str bludgeoning	Shove, trip, grab	You can make an unarmed attack without using your hands; punch, kick, headbutt, knee smash, gauntlet, claws, boot, cestus, brass knuckle
Handy	d6 + Str or Dex	Combo, thrown (10/30 ft)	Dagger, tomahawk, club, cutlass, saber, sickle
Hefty	d8 + Str or Dex	Dueling, versatile (d10 + Str)	Sword, hammer, staff, rapier, axe, morningstar, war pick, trident, flail, mattock, machete, swordcane, mace, katana, estoc, nunchaku, shovel, bat
Polearm	d10 + Str	Intercept, lunge, two-handed (hindrance)	Pike, glaive, halberd, lance, scythe, longspear, lucerne hammer, naginata, meteor hammer
Dire	d12 + Str	Cleave, wallop, two-handed (hindrance)	Greataxe, greatsword, maul, claymore, sledgehammer, zweihander
Fling	d6 + Str or Dex	Thrown only (20/60 ft)	Plumbata, chakram, boomerang, stone
String	d8 + Dex piercing	Ammo, ranged only (50/300 ft), two-handed (required)	Bow, slingshot, sling
Trigger	d10 + Dex piercing	Ammo, ranged only (50/300 ft), slow, two-handed (hindrance)	Crossbow, blowgun, atlatl, staff sling

Weapon properties

 Ammo. You must carry a quiver, bag, or other separate item that stores ammunition to make attacks with an ammo weapon—which counts against your carry limit as one separate item. You need not track individual pieces of ammunition.
 Cleave. Once on each of your turns, if you use an action to Attack with a cleave weapon and reduce a creature's hit points to 0, you can use an extra action to Attack a different target adjacent to the first one using the same weapon.
 Combo. Once on each of your turns, if you use an action to Attack with a combo weapon, you can use an extra action to Attack with a different combo weapon you are wielding. Don't add your attribute or any bonus to the damage roll of this extra Attack, unless the attribute is negative.
 Dueling. If you are wielding both a dueling weapon and a combo weapon but no shield, add 1 to your Guard.
 Explosive. On a hit, any creature adjacent to the hit target must make a mark 15 Dex save. A creature takes half the attack's damage on a failed save, or no damage on a success.
 Grab. If you hit a creature with an attack roll using this weapon, instead of dealing damage or imposing another effect, you can [grab] the target. The escape mark for this grab equals 8 + your rank + your Might. If you use the grabbing hand or weapon for anything else, the grab ends abruptly.
 Misfire. If you roll a 1 on the d20 for your attack roll when using this weapon, you hit yourself with the attack instead.
 Shove. If you hit a creature with an attack roll using this weapon, instead of dealing damage or imposing another effect, you can push the target 5 feet in any direction. You can't shove a creature more than one size category larger than you.
 Slow. After you attack with any slow weapon, you can't attack with it or another slow weapon until the start of your next turn. You can still attack with other weapons as normal.
 Ranged only. This weapon can only be used to make ranged attacks. The numbers in parenthesis represent the weapons' attack range. If you attack a target beyond the short distance, your attack roll has hindrance. You can't attack a target beyond the long distance.
 Thrown. You can throw this weapon to attack. Two numbers depict the weapon's short range and long range. If you attack a target beyond the short distance, your attack roll has hindrance. You can't attack a target beyond the long distance.
 Thrown only. As the thrown property, but this weapon can't be used for effective melee attacks. Attempting to use one for this is practically an unarmed attack.
 Trip. If you hit a creature with an attack roll using this weapon, instead of dealing damage or imposing another effect, you can knock the target prone. You can't trip a creature with no legs, nor a creature more than one size category larger than you.
 Two-handed. You must use two hands to make effective attacks with this weapon. As specified in parenthesis, attempting to attack with one hand is either outright impossible, or imposes hindrance on your attack roll.
 Wallop. Immediately before you attack with this weapon, you can take hindrance on the attack roll. (You can't have hindrance multiple times on an attack roll.) If you do, on a hit add double your rank to your damage roll.
 Versatile. If you hold this weapon in two hands when you attack with it, you use the damage roll in parenthesis instead of the normal damage dice.

Special weapons

Your narrator can of course add more weapon types, or decide that special weapons have unique properties. The following special weapons are commonly available in most campaigns.

• Bolas. This is a fling weapon with the trip property. If used for damage instead of a trip, it deals bludgeoning damage.
• Bomb. This is a fling weapon with the explosive and misfire properties. A hit deals thunder damage.
• Bug-catching net. This is a hefty weapon with the grab property that can only be used to grab Tiny creatures. If it grabs such a creature, the target is also restrained for as long as it is grabbed. If used for damage instead of a grab, this weapon deals only [1 + Str bludgeoning] damage.
• Bullwhip. This is a polearm weapon, but it lacks the two-handed property. A hit with it only deals [d6 + Dex slashing] damage. You can only use Dexterity for attack rolls with it.
• Casting net. This is a fling weapon with the grab property and half the normal range. An attack with it can only grab, not deal damage. If after a hit you don't move adjacent to the creature to sustain the grab, the creature automatically succeeds on any escape attempt to break free of this grab (but must still use an action to escape as normal).
• Firebottle. This is a fling weapon with the misfire property. On a hit, the target takes fire damage and is ignited.
• Javelin. This is a fling weapon with double the normal range, but you can only use Strength for attack and damage rolls. On a hit it deals piercing damage.
• Harpoon. There is a 30-foot rope securely fastened to this fling weapon. Due to its bulk, you can only use Strength for attack and damage rolls with it. If during your turn your Attack with this weapon hits a Large or larger creature, the weapon embeds securely into the creature's body and you can grab hold of the rope. While you're grabbing the rope if the creature attempts to move you can use your reaction make a Strength check contested by their Strength save, and on a successful save you are dragged along behind them unless you let go of the rope; on a failed save their speed becomes 0 until the end of the turn. While you're grabbing the rope you can use an action to drag the target 10 feet closer to you by succeeding on a Strength check contested by the creature's Strength save. The rope falls from your grip if you use your hands for anything else. A harpooned creature, or a creature adjacent to it, can use an action to remove the harpoon if it has hands.
• Stealth. This is a handy weapon that can't be used for effective melee attacks, but you have advantage on any check to conceal or hide it. If used as part of an unarmed strike, you can deal piercing or slashing damage (depending on the weapon) instead of bludgeoning damage. Examples include a dart, shuriken, throwing knife, or kunai.

Improvised weapon

An improvised weapon can be any object that seems like it could be wielded effectively as a weapon in one or two hands but isn't well-suited to be a weapon. Possibilities include a heavy stick, a glass bottle with a broken-off end, a dead goblin, or countless other possibilities. Generally the narrator assigns the weapon to the most appropriate weapon type; a heavy stick seems like a hefty weapon, a glass bottle is probably a handy weapon, and a dead goblin might be a dire weapon. The weapon functions within its weapon type but because it isn't well-suited to be a weapon your attack rolls with it have hindrance.

If the object is so well suited to be a weapon that your attack rolls with it don't deserve hindrance, like a lead pipe perhaps, then it simply is the weapon type it resembles and isn't considered an improvised weapon.

Firearms

Not all campaigns feature guns. For those that do, a typical fantasy firearm is a trigger weapon. Your narrator might introduce special weapons or weapon types to cater to more nuanced firearm mechanics, like magazines or a need to stay dry.