Equipment - Weapon Properties

## Understanding the Tools of Warfare

Weapons are essential tools used by number of Characters to armed conflicts.

The Properties of Weapons represent sets of rules describing how certain Weapons may be used, and how they may interact with other rules in the game, such as the Weapon Techniques feat.

Weapons may share many, and in some cases all of the same Properties, and may only be distinguished by their description. For example, the properties of two forms of longsword such as a German Messer and a Japanese Katana might share identical Weapon Properties. Consequently we encourage GMs and Players to be exercise creative expression in how they describe their Weapons. For example, in the hands of a Brute, a dagger may more closely resemble a vicious looking machete, while in the hands of a Trickster a dagger may instead appear as a small, easily concealed pocket knife.

## Weapon Properties

### Advanced

* Advanced Weapons are a class of weapon which requires a Character has some significant experience in combat and has likely undergone formal training
* A Character may not add their Proficiency Bonus to Attacks they make with Advanced Weapons if they lack Proficiency with them. Many other features also require you are Proficient in a Weapon used as part of that feature.

### Ammunition

* All weapons with the Ammunition property require at least two hands to use effectively (one hand to hold them, and a free hand to draw and load Ammunition).
* Depending on the setting the Player may be required to track how much Ammunition this Weapon uses.
* In some cases, the Ammunition is inexpensive (e.g. arrows) and the GM may at their discretion rule that you do not need to track Ammunition as the additional book keeping required is unjustified.
* Where Ammunition is expensive (e.g. Firearms in Fantasy settings) we recommend Ammunition is tracked, as the expense of the Ammunition in those settings is generally there to help ensure a game's balance.

### Complex

* Complex Weapons are a class of weapon which requires a Character has some significant experience in combat and has likely undergone formal training.
* They also likely require frequent maintenance and a good technical understanding of how they work.
* A Character may not add their Proficiency Bonus to Attacks they make with Complex Weapons if they lack Proficiency with them. Many other features also require you are Proficient in a Weapon used as part of that feature.

### Damage Die and Type

* All Weapons indicate how much Damage they cause on a Successful Hit.
* This Damage is represented by a Damage Die (which in some cases consists of multiple Dice) and the Damage Type.
* Most Weapons deal either Bludgeoning, Piercing or Slashing Damage.
* When an Attack with a Weapon is a Critical Hit, the number of Damage Dice rolled to determine the Damage caused by the Weapon is doubled.
* In some cases a Weapon deals only 1 Damage on a Successful Hit. On a Critical Hit the Damage caused by this Weapon increases to two.
* In rare cases a Weapon deals no Damage on a Successful Hit. It's Damage Die is represented by a "-", representing that it does no Damage and it's Damage cannot be increased by any means.

### Finesse

* Finesse Weapons are Weapons which may use either Strength or Dexterity for their Attack and Damage Rolls.
* The Ability Score for the Attack and Damage rolls must always be the same.

### Heavy

* Heavy Weapons are Weapons which are heavier than most Weapons, but typically deal more damage.

* If a Small Sized Character uses a Heavy Weapon, they have Disadvantage on the Attack Roll.
* Some Small Characters can overcome this limitation with Ancestry features which grant the ability to wield Heavy Weapons, or may use features such as the Brute's Rage to overcome it.

### Improvised

* Improvised Weapons are objects (and sometimes Characters) which were not designed for use as Weapons, or they are Weapons being used in a manner against their original purpose.

* All Improvised Weapons have the Melee and Thrown properties, using a Character's Strength Ability Modifier for Attack and Damage Rolls. They deal 1d4 of Bludgeoning Damage and have a Short range of 20ft and a long range of 60ft.

* You must have the Martial Starter Feat Fighting Style: Improvised Weapons Specialism in order to add your Proficiency Bonus to Attacks made with Improvised Weapons, or another feature which specifically grants a Character Proficiency in Improvised Weapons.

* A Weapon being wielded as an Improvised Weapon loses it's current Weapon properties. For example, a Longbow wielded as an Improvised weapon would no longer qualify as either a Heavy or Ranged Weapon and it's Range and Damage Die would be replaced those described in the rules for Improvised Weapons.

* The exception to this rule are Weapons which have the Reach Property. Such Weapons retain the Reach property and their additional Range when wielded as Improvised Weapons.

* A GM may at their discretion grant an Improvised Weapon additional Properties depending on it's physical description. For Example, a light improvised weapon may have the Light and Finesse Properties, a long improvised weapon may have the Reach property, a heavy improvised weapon may have the heavy property and deal additional damage etc.

### Light

* Light Weapons are particularly light and agile weapons.

* When a Character wields two Light Melee Weapons at once and takes the Attack Action, they may once per Turn add the Damage die of the Light Weapon which was not used for the Attack to the Damage dealt by the Weapon which made the Attack. (i.e. they hit with the first weapon, and automatically add more damage using the second weapon). Do not add your Ability Modifier to the damage caused by the second light weapon.

### Loading

* Loading Weapons are weapons which require particular care to load ammunition into.

* Generally a Loading Weapons may only be fired once per Turn, no matter how many Attacks a Character may make on their Turn using their Action or Bonus Action.
* In some cases a special Loading Weapon may specify it can be used multiple times as part of a single Turn (e.g. some Firearms)
* A Character may overcome the limitation caused by Loading Weapons by learning the Loading Weapon: Quick Draw.

### Magic

* Magic Weapons represent Weapons with additional properties as a result of Magic that has been imbued into them.

### Melee

* Melee Weapons are weapons which may be used to attack Targets close to their wielder, typically within 5ft of them.

* Melee Weapons cannot be used to make Melee Attacks against Characters beyond their Reach.
* Note that all Melee Weapons have a defined "Reach", however this is not the same as a Weapon having the "Reach Property" (see Reach Property)
* A Character which is within the Reach of a Melee Weapon is Threatened while the wielder is considered a threat (see Threatened).
* Melee Weapon Attacks use a Characters Strength Modifier, unless they have the Finesse Property.
* Melee Weapons have Advantage to hit Characters which are Prone.
* Unarmed Strikes are considered Melee Weapons, with a Reach of 5ft.

### Ranged

Ranged Weapons are weapons which may be used to Attack Characters at a distance.

* All Ranged Weapons use Dexterity for their Ability Modifier, unless they have the Finesse Property (they may use Dexterity or Strength).
* Ranged Weapons each feature two ranged distances, their Short Range Distance and their Long Range Distance.
* A Ranged Weapon Attacks against Targets at a Distance greater than the Short Range but equal to or less than the Long Range of the Weapon have Disadvantage.
* Ranged Weapon Attacks also have Disadvantage if the Character is Threatened (i.e. they are within the Reach of a Hostile Character).
* Both of these effects can be overcome with the Ranged Weapon Expert feat.
* Attacks against Targets beyond the Ranged Weapon's Long Range automatically miss.

### Reach

* Reach Weapons are Melee Weapons which allow the Character to make the most of that Weapon's longer Reach.

* Most Reach weapons extend the range at which they can attack a target. For example, a Halberd may attack a Target which is upto 10ft away from the Wielder.
* In some cases, such as the Spear or Trident, the Weapon has the Reach Property but the effective range is not increased. Feats such as Reach Weapon: Pre-emptive Attack may be used with such weapons.

### Simple

* Simple Weapons are a class of weapon which do not require a Character to have experience in their use.
* All Characters are considered Proficient in Simple Weapons

### Special

* Special Weapons represent Weapons which feature additional rules concerning how they may be used.

### Thrown

* Thrown Weapons are Weapons which may be thrown at a distant enemy.

* When a Thrown Weapon is Thrown, it gains the Ranged Property and, if it has it, loses it's Melee Weapon Property (i.e. it may benefit from the Ranged Weapon Student and Expert Feats)
* Like Ranged Attacks, Thrown Weapons have a Short Range and a Long Range, and obeys the same rules as Ranged Weapons. (see Ranged Weapons)
* When a Thrown Weapon also has the Melee Weapon Property, it may be used for either Melee Weapon Attacks or Ranged Weapon Attacks.
* You use Strength Ability Modifier when making either Ranged or Melee Weapon Attacks with a Thrown Weapon, unless it also has the Finesse Property, in which case you may use Strength or Dexterity.

### Two-Handed

* Two-Handed Weapons are Weapons which must be held in two hands in order to be used.
* All other Weapons are assumed to require only one hand in order to make an Attack with them
* A Character may hold a Two-Handed Weapon with one hand at any time (even as part of a Reaction) to allow their other hand to use an Object, Grapple a Target or perform the Somatic Components of a Spell.

### Versatile

* Versatile Weapons are Weapons which may be wielded either in one hand or two hands.

* Versatile Weapons typically feature two different Damage Die, one representing the Damage caused when wielded in one hand and the other representing when it is wielded in two hands.
* A Character may hold a Versatile Weapon with one hand at any time (even as part of a Reaction) to allow their other hand to use an Object, Grapple a Target or perform the Somatic Components of a Spell.

## Copyright Notice

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

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This work includes material taken from "7e” by Peter Rees and materials taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Both "7e" and the "SRD5.1" are Licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode