Weapon

A weapon is a tool designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, self-defense, and warfare.

**Weapon Proficiency.**  Anyone can swing a club or shoot an arrow. Only those proficient in the weapon's use know how to wield it effectively, however. Proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with that weapon.

## Weapon Types/Categories

Weapons are grouped into several interlocking sets of categories. These categories pertain to what training is needed, usefulness, relative encumbrance and size.

**SIMPLE weapon:** A simple weapon is a weapon that requires little to no training to wield. Most adventurers are capable of wielding such weapons.

**MARTIAL weapon:** A martial weapon is a weapon that requires martial training to wield. Combat oriented classes are often proficient with these weapons.

**FOCUS weapon:** A focus weapon is a special item designed to channel the power of spells. Magic oriented classed are often proficient with these weapons.

**EXOTIC weapon:** An exotic weapon is often strange or otherwise difficult to wield. Most adventurers are incapable of wielding such weapons without racial familiarity, class proficiency, or other forms of training.

## Weapon Sizes

In most campaigns, you can use or wear any equipment that you find on your adventures, within the bounds of common sense. A halfling couldn't wield an orcish battleaxe, and a human would be incredible strong to lift a fire giant’s dagger.

A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder.

* A one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder.
* A two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.

A cumulative penalty of -3 applies on attack rolls and -2 applies on attack damage, for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder.

## Weapon Properties

#### **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).

If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon. A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.

If you use an exotic ranged weapon, the ammunition is destroyed upon use.

#### **Burst**

When making a ranged attack with a burst weapon, you can expend a number of ammunition equal to burst value in parentheses. Upon a hit, the creature suffer damage corresponding to expended ammunitions.

If the ammunition in the weapon is lower than burst value, the weapon uses whatever is left.

#### **Charge**

The charges could be expended to activate the weapon properties. The number of charges a weapon has remaining is revealed when an Identify spell is cast on it, as well as when a creature attunes to it. Additionally, when a weapon regains charges, the creature attuned to it learns how many charges it regained.

#### **Crits (Critical Strike)**

On a critical hit, the weapon deals extra damage rolls as indicated by its critical multiplier (using all applicable modifiers)

* x3 : The attack deals extra two damage rolls on a critical hit.
* x4 : The attack deals extra three damage rolls on a critical hit.
* +1 : The critical strike range increased by 1. (which allows spell critical hit with focus weapon)
* +2 : The critical strike range increased by 2. (which allows spell critical hit with focus weapon)

#### **Distance**

This weapon provides a long range to spell that you cast. It doesn't increase spell range of self or spell area of effect. When casting spell beyond normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll or the target has advantage on saving throw.

* x1 : The long range equal to one time normal range.
* x2 : The long range equal to two times normal range.
* x3 : The long range equal to three times normal range.
* x4 : The long range equal to four times normal range.

#### **Explosive**

Upon a hit, everything within a sphere range in parentheses of the target must make a DEX saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + DEX modifier) or suffer damage. If the attack misses, it fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so. If an effected creature is within long range of the weapon, they suffer half damage on a hit.

#### **Finese**

When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your STR or DEX modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

#### **Fragile**

Whenever you make an attack roll equal or lower than the number in parentheses, the weapon becomes malfunction, or destroyed if already malfunction.

Attacks with the malfunctioned weapon are made at disadvantage. Spellcastings with the malfunctioned weapon have 50% chance of failure.

#### **Heavy**

Any creatures with STR lower than the number in parentheses appears with the property, have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon's size and bulk make it too large to be thrown (effectively).

#### **Light**

A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.

#### **Mana**

You can use this weapon to make a ranged attack only if you are able to use cantrip. You use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for spellcasting.

Otherwise, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon.

#### **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 feet, and the second indicates the weapon's long range. When attacking a target beyond 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 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for opportunity attacks with it. You have disadvantage when you use a reach weapon to attack a target within 5 feet of you. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property--the damage when the weapon is used to make a reach attack.

#### **Reload**

A limited number of ranged attacks can be made with this weapon if it has been loaded. An ammunition value in parentheses appears with the property--the max ammunition can be loaded into the weapon.

A bonus action can be used to load one piece of ammunition or an action to load up to a number of ammunition equal to 1 + your DEX modifier (minimum of 2). You need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon.

#### **Scatter**

An attack roll is made against each creature within a cone range in parentheses. If an effected creature is within long range of the weapon, they suffer half damage on a hit.

Because of its great recoil, only one ranged attack can be made with this weapon when you use an action, bonus action or reaction, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

**Smite**

You can use this weapon to make a melee attack only if you are able to use cantrip. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property--the damage when the weapon is used to make a melee attack. You use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for spellcasting.

Otherwise, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon.

#### **Special**

A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the weapon's description.

#### **Thrown**

If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. You use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for a melee attack with the weapon.

#### **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.

#### **Ward**

It allows you to use your reaction to reduce the incoming damage. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property--the damage is reduced from a single attack until the start of your next turn.

## 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 DM'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 DM 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 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.