Weapons

***Ammunition***

 Crossbow bolts, a bundle of 20
 Sling bullets, a pouch of 20

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. The weapons table shows the kinds of weapons that exist on Frostmark, 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 1 m of you, whereas a ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.

*Weapon Proficiencies*

There are three categories of weapon proficiencies which are “simple”, “simple + 3 martial”, 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 this section). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.

*Finesse*

When attacking with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Brawn 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 m, and the second indicates the weapon’s long-range. When attacking a target beyond the 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 1 m 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 Brawn, but if you throw a dagger, you can use either your Brawn 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 4 m and a long range of 12 m.

*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 twenty 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 1 m of you. Also, a lance requires two hands to wield when you aren’t mounted.

*Fishing Net*

A Large or smaller creature hit by a fishing net is grappled until it is freed. A net does not affect formless creatures or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Brawn 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.

*Weighted Net*

A Large or smaller creature hit by a weighted net is restrained until it is freed. A net does not affect formless creatures or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 14 Brawn check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 10 slashing damage to the net (AC 12) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net.