Wielding Siege Weapons (5e Variant Rule)
Wielding Siege Weapons[edit]
While siege weapons are meant to be mounted and manned by a crew, a monster of sufficient size could feasibly carry one into battle single-handedly, such as a mortar-wielding ogre or ballista-wielding hill giant. For the sake of this rule, a siege weapon is any piece of siege equipment that can be used to make attacks.
A creature may wield a siege weapon as a weapon if they are at least one size category larger than the siege weapon. Creatures may wield a siege weapon that is the same size category as them as a weapon as well, but have disadvantage on attack rolls with the weapon unless the creature has a feature, spell, or other effect that allows them to ignore the heavy property.
While being wielded as a weapon, a siege weapon has the two-handed property and counts as a martial melee weapon if it can make melee attacks, or as a martial ranged weapon if it can make ranged attacks, using the creature's attack bonus instead of the weapon's. If the siege weapon can make both melee and ranged attacks, each attack uses the relevant proficiency and ability. The creature does not have to spend actions to aim the weapon, and can add the relevant ability modifier to the weapon's damage rolls.
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