Weapon Modifications (5e Variant Rule)

Weapon Modifications

A new, shiny weapon is nice and all, but sometimes an adventurer without access to magical weapons needs a better blade. In these circumstances, a skilled blacksmith is a handy friend to have. Despite being undoubtedly expensive and requiring great skill to craft, and often wield, they offer an edge to any skilled combatant.

Weapons may possibly be bought with any modification, but generally, pcs should have to seek out an appropriate artisan in order to have them modify their weapons.

Want your own special armor? Check out the original, Armor Modifications.

Rules Clarification

Prerequisite: What kinds of weapons this modification works for
Artisan Requirement: What type of artisan is required to make this modification (usually a blacksmith)
Cost: The cost of the modification itself per weapon or 10 pieces of ammunition when you provide the weapon
Downsides: Any downsides added to this weapon due to the modification

Adamantine Weapon

Prerequisite:
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 500 gp
Downsides: —
Adamantine is an ultrahard metal found in meteorites and extraordinary mineral veins. In addition to being used to craft adamantine armor, the metal is also used for weapons. Melee weapons and ammunition made of or coated with adamantine are unusually effective when used to break objects. Whenever an adamantine weapon or piece of ammunition hits an object, the hit is a critical hit.

Broadened/Honed/Puncturing Weapon

Prerequisite:
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 50 gp
Downsides:
Your weapon is modified to change in what way it damages a foe. Its damage type becomes your choice of slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage. You may spend an additional 50 gold to allow you to switch between your weapon's original and one of the listed damage types as a bonus action.

Duelist's Weapon

Prerequisite: Weapon with the light property
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 50 gp
Downsides: The weapon's damage die is decreased by 1
Your weapon is reduced and decreased in numerous ways to make it more of a dueling tool rather than an out-right weapon. As a bonus action or reaction, you gain +1 AC and you can not attack with this weapon until the beginning of your next turn.

Heavy Weapon

Prerequisite:
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 100 gp
Downsides: The weapon's weight is doubled
Your weapon has become heavier, making it far deadlier, but less wield-able.

• If the weapon has the Light or Finesse property, it loses it.
• If the weapon has the Thrown or is ammunition property, its ranges are halved.
• If the weapon doesn't have the Light or Finesse property, it gains the Heavy property.
• The weapon deals an additional +2 bludgeoning damage.

Mithral Weapon

Prerequisite:
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 250 gp
Downsides: —

• The weapon's weight is halved.
• If the weapon has the Heavy property, it loses it.
• If the weapon doesn't have the Heavy property, it gains the Light property.
• If the weapon has the Light property, it gains the Finesse property.
• If the weapon has the Finesse and Light property, it gains the Thrown (30/60) property.
• If the weapon has the Thrown property, its ranges increase by 30 ft.
• If the weapon has the Two-Handed property, it gains the Versatile (one dice size lower) property.

Serrated Blade

Prerequisite: Weapon that deals slashing damage
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 100 gp
Downsides: Your weapon's hp is halved and it takes an amount of damage equal to the additional damage it deals. The edges of your blade have been adorned with teeth or a wave-like structure. When you succeed on an attack, you deal an additional amount of damage equal to the number your attack roll surpassed their AC, to a maximum of half your proficiency bonus. If you have a feature (but not a spell) that allows you to replace your attack roll with a saving throw, it is instead the difference between your DC and their saving throw.

Sharpened Blade

Prerequisite: Weapon that deals slashing or piercing damage
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 20 gp
Downsides: Weapon loses this modification after attacking 5 times, 7 days, or the weapon is intentionally dulled as an action
Your blade has been honed to an edge, for a time. The weapon's damage roll gains a +1 bonus.

Silvered Weapon

Prerequisite: Weapon made of metal
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 100 gp
Downsides: —
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.

Alchemical Silvered Weapon

Prerequisite: Weapon made of metal
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 50 gp
Downsides: —
Devised as a way to reduce the amount of required silver and increase the ease of application, though at the cost of effectiveness. When you attack a creature that has immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons, you deal 1 additional point of damage that ignores the immunity or resistance, but the weapon does not count as being silvered.

Cold Iron Weapon

Prerequisite: Weapon made of metal
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: 250 gp
Downsides: —
The metal weapon is reinforced with cold iron, mined from deep underground and forged at low temperatures. When you hit a creature that is a fey, giant, or ooze with this weapon, it counts as magical for the sake of overcoming resistances and it deals 1 additional point of damage.

Darkwood Weapon

Prerequisite: —
Artisan Requirement: Druid
Cost: 400 gp
Downsides: For every instance of this modification after the first, damage rolls with the weapon gain a -1 penalty
The weapon is reinforced with veins of darkwood, greatly reducing its weight. This modification may be applied multiple times.

• If the weapon has the Heavy property, it loses it.
• If the weapon does not have the Heavy property, it gains the Finesse property.
• If the weapon has the Finesse property and not the Heavy property, it gains the light property.
• If the weapon has the Thrown property or is ammunition, its ranges are increased by half their totals. This benefit may only be granted once.

Deep Crystal Weapon

Prerequisite: —
Artisan Requirement: Jeweler
Cost: 175 gp
Downsides: Weapon weighs 1 lbs more, AC is decreased by 1
The weapon is encrusted with a thin layer of deep crystal, mined from only the largest of crystal veins. On a hit, this weapon deals an additional 1d4 psychic damage.

Increased Draw

Prerequisite: Bow or Crossbow
Artisan Requirement: Bowyer
Cost: 75 gp
Downsides: Requires a Strength score of 15 to use.
The draw of the weapon has been increased through strengthened limbs and a tenser string. The weapon's normal range increases by 15 ft., and its maximum range increases by 60 ft. This can be added multiple times, increasing the required Strength score by +2.

Modern Modifications

The following modifications can only be added to modern weapons. Many are meant to fit alongside the firearms variant rules. You may only have 1 modification per firearm part. Muzzle and Upper Rail attachments can be added and removed to a weapon as an action.

Diamond Blade

Prerequisite: Saw
Artisan Requirement: Blacksmith
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The buzzsaw or chainsaw's cutting edge, including both the chain and the teeth, have been fitted with industrial strength diamond for cutting through harder materials such as solid steel or stone. The weapon gains the armor piercing (-3) property, and it deals double damage against objects and structures.

Extended Barrel

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Barrel
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel has been dramatically extended. The weapon's normal range increases by 10 ft., its maximum range increases by 30 ft., and the range your attacks have disadvantage due to being too close increases by 5 ft. This modification can be taken multiple times.

Reduced Barrel

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Barrel
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel has been dramatically shortened. The weapon's normal range decreases by 10 ft., its maximum range decreases by 30 ft., and the range your attacks have disadvantage due to being too close decreases by 5 ft. This modification can be taken multiple times.

Integral Suppressor

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Barrel
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's entire barrel has been transformed into a monolithic suppressor. Your attack rolls with the weapon have a -1 bonus, and the weapon is supressed.

Match Grade Barrel

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Barrel
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel has been refitted to much tighter specifications and tolerance than normal. This modification does nothing on its own, but allows it to benefit from using match grade bullets.

Automatic Conversion

Prerequisite: Non-revolver firearm that does not already have the short burst property
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Internal mechanisms
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The firearm's bolt and feeding system have been modified to allow fire in 2 or 3-round bursts. The firearm gains the short burst (2) property. This modification can be taken a second time to grant the short burst (3) property instead.

Fully Automatic Conversion

Prerequisite: Non-revolver firearm that does not already have the burst fire property
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Internal mechanisms
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The firearm's bolt and feeding system have been modified to allow fire in full automatic. The firearm gains the burst fire property. Unlike normal, this modification can be combined with the automatic conversion modification.

Rechambering

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Internal mechanisms
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The firearm's internal mechanisms have been rechambered to accept higher caliber ammunition. Each damage die of the firearm is increased one step in size (1 → 1d4 → 1d6 → 1d8 → 1d10 → 1d12 → 2d8)

Extended Magazine

Prerequisite: Non-revolver firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Magazine
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's magazine has had its capacity increased. The weapon's reload property increases by 1/4 its total shots, rounded down. This modification can be taken multiple times.

Breacher Device

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's muzzle has been outfitted with a sharp edge meant for piercing physical barriers or soft targets. You may use this weapon to make a melee attack against a target within 5ft. of you, dealing 1d4 piercing damage. This uses your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls made with this attack, and counts as a simple weapon for the sake of determining proficiency.

Flash Guard

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's muzzle is outfitted with a device meant for subduing muzzle flash and allowing for more accurate target tracking. Any attack rolls with the weapon after your first on each turn have a +1 bonus.

Muzzle Brake

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel is outfitted with a device that redistributes barrel gasses to reduce barrel destabilization. Your first attack roll with the weapon each round has a +1 bonus.

Compensator

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel is outfitted with a device that redistributes barrel gasses upwards to negate recoil. Your attack rolls with the weapon have a +1 bonus.

Tactical Suppressor

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel is outfitted with a device that reduces visual muzzle flash and sound at a minor cost of bullet velocity. Your damage rolls with the weapon have a -1 penalty, and the weapon is supressed.

Lightweight Suppressor

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel is outfitted with a device that reduces visual muzzle flash and sound. Your weapon's effective range is decreased by by 10 ft., and its maximum range decreases by 30 ft., and the weapon is supressed.

Monolithic Suppressor

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Muzzle
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's barrel is outfitted with a device that reduces visual muzzle flash and sound at a minor cost of weapon weight. Your attack rolls with the weapon have a -1 penalty, and the weapon is supressed.

1mW Laser

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower, left, or right rail
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's rail has been outfitted with a laser light device that's low wattage makes it almost invisible to anyone except yourself. Your attack rolls with the weapon have a +1 bonus.

5mW Laser

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower, left, or right rail
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's rail has been outfitted with a laser light device that makes target alignment far easier at the cost of stealth. Your attack rolls with the weapon have a +2 bonus, but creatures with a passive perception of 12 or higher can see a 30 ft. line of light emanating from the end of your barrel.

Flashlight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower, left, or right rail
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's rail has been outfitted with a small flashlight. You shed bright light in a 30 ft. cone, and dim light for another 30 ft.

Low-Profile Foregrip

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a slanted grip to increase accuracy and maneuverability. Your attack and damage rolls with the weapon have a +1 bonus.

Upright Foregrip

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a vertical grip to increase accuracy and maneuverability. Your attack and damage rolls with the weapon have a +2 bonus.

Underbarrel Grenade Launcher

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a thick, tubular grenade launcher. You may launch properly fashioned grenades as an action up to 50 ft. away after readying your grenade launcher as a bonus action. The grenade launcher has the Reload (1 shot) property.

Underbarrel Shotgun

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a small, pump-action shotgun. You may ready or unready the shotgun as a bonus action. It has the Ammunition (range 30/90) and reload (4 shots) properties, and deals 2d8 piercing damage on a hit. Reloading must be done individually as an action, bonus action, or reaction.

Bayonet

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a knife. You may use this weapon to make a melee attack against a target within 5ft. of you, dealing 1d6 piercing damage. This uses your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls made with this attack, and counts as a simple weapon for the sake of determining proficiency.

Bipod

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Lower rail
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's lower rail has been outfitted with a small retractable bipod. Your attacks do not have disadvantage while prone, and if you have not moved since the start of your previous turn, your attacks have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Reflex Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Upper rail
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's upper rail has been outfitted with a small lens with a holographic dot. If you have not moved since the end of your last turn, you may look down this sight as a bonus action, reducing your speed and increasing your weapon's normal range by 5 ft., and its maximum range by 15 ft. You may end this effect as a bonus action.

Holographic Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Upper rail
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's upper rail has been outfitted with a larger lens with a holographic dot, enabling greater magnification. If you have not moved since the end of your last turn, you may look down this sight as a bonus action, reducing your speed and increasing your weapon's normal range by 10 ft., and its maximum range by 30 ft. You may end this effect as a bonus action.

ACOG Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Upper rail
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's upper rail has been outfitted with a tube-like lens. If you have not moved since the end of your last turn, you may look down this sight as a bonus action, reducing your speed and increasing your weapon's normal range by 15 ft., and its maximum range by 45 ft. You may end this effect as a bonus action.

Sniper Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Upper rail
Cost: Very Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's upper rail has been outfitted with a large scope. Your weapon gains the scope property with a range of the weapon's maximum range.

Hybrid Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Sight
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's sight has been modified have its own upper rail. You may attach a second sight to the weapon. This second sight can not have a sight modification.

Thermal Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Sight
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's sight has been modified to see heat. While looking down your sight, you can see in darkness as if it were dim light for 900 ft. However, the creature can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Night Vision Sight

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Sight
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's sight has been modified to illuminate what it sees with green light. While looking down your sight, you can see in darkness as if it were bright light. However, the creature can't discern color in darkness, only shades of green. If you see bright light through this sight, you are blinded until the beginning of your next turn.

Stockless

Prerequisite: Rifle
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Stock
Cost: Common
Downsides: —
The weapon's stock has been removed to massively increase maneuverability. Your weapon's normal range decreases by 15 ft., and its attack rolls gain a +3 bonus.

Light Stock

Prerequisite: Rifle
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Stock
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's stock has had its material cut down to make the weapon more maneuverable at the cost of accuracy. Your weapon's normal range decreases by 5 ft., and its attack rolls gain a +1 bonus.

Cushioned Stock

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Stock
Cost: Uncommon
Downsides: —
The weapon's has had a comfortable stock attached to its rear that reduces maneuverability. Your weapon's normal range increases by 15 ft., and its attack rolls gain a -1 penalty.

Sniper Stock

Prerequisite: Firearm
Artisan Requirement: Gunsmith
Part: Stock
Cost: Rare
Downsides: —
The weapon's has had a comfortable stock attached to its rear that reduces maneuverability. Your weapon's normal, long, and scope ranges increase by 30 ft., and its attack rolls gain a -3 penalty.

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