Weapons
*******
Your class grants proficiency in certain weapons,
reflecting both the class’s focus and the tools you are
most likely to use. 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 while adventuring.
The Weapons table shows the most common weapons
used in the worlds of D&D, 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 5 feet of you, whereas a ranged
weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.
Weapon Proficiency
------------------
Your race, class, and feats can grant you proficiency
with certain weapons or categories of weapons. The two
categories are simple 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. 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
the section). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage
when used in this way.
**Finesse.** When making an attack with a finesse
weapon, you use your choice of your Strength 0r
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 weapons 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.
See the rules for two-weapon fighting in chapter 9.
**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 shown 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 maximum range.
When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have
disadvantage 0n 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.
**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 Strength
but if you throw a dagger, you can use either your
Strength or your Dexterity, since the dagger has the
finesse property.
**Two-Handed.** This weapon requires two hands to use
**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 close 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.
In many cases, 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 ld4 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 als
deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has
normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
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 ten 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 5 feet of you. Also, a lance
requires two hands to wield when you aren’t mounted.
**Net.** A Large or smaller creature hit by a net is
restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on
creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge
or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10
Strength 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.
When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction
to attack with a net, you can make only one attack
regardless of the number of attacks you can
normally make.
Weapons Tables
--------------
Simple Melee Weapons
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.. csv-table::
:header: "Name", "Cost", "Damage", "Weight", "Properties"
:widths: 20 10 25 15 30
"Club", "1 sp", "1d4 bludgeoning", "2 lb.", "Light"
"Dagger", "2 gp", "1d4 piercing", "1 lb.", "Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)"
"Greatclub", "2 sp", "1d8 bludgeoning", "10 lb.", "Two-handed"
"Handaxe", "5 gp", "1d6 slashing", "2 lb.", "Light, thrown (range 20/60)"
"Javelin", "5 sp", "1d6 piercing", "2 lb.", "Thrown (range 30/120)"
"Light hammer", "2 gp", "1d4 bludgeoning", "2 lb.", "Light, thrown (range 20/60)"
"Mace", "5 gp", "1d6 bludgeoning", "4 lb.", ""
"Quarterstaff", "2 sp", "1d6 bludgeoning", "4 lb.", "Versatile (1d8)"
"Sickle", "1 gp", "1d4 slashing", "2 lb.", "Light"
"Spear", "1 gp", "1d6 piercing", "3 lb.", "Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)"
"Unarmed strike", "", "1 bludgeoning", "", ""
Simple Ranged Weapons
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.. csv-table::
:header: "Name", "Cost", "Damage", "Weight", "Properties"
:widths: 20 10 25 15 30
"Crossbow, light", "25 gp", "1d8 piercing", "5 lb.", "Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed"
"Dart", "5 cp", "1d4 piercing", "1/4 lb.", "Finesse, thrown (range 20/60)"
"Shortbow", "25 gp", "1d6 piercing", "2 lb.", "Ammunition (range 80/320), two—handed"
"Sling", "1 sp", "1d4 bludgeoning", "", "Ammunition (range 30/120)"
Martial Melee Weapons
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.. csv-table::
:header: "Name", "Cost", "Damage", "Weight", "Properties"
:widths: 20 10 25 15 30
"Battleaxe", "10 gp", "1d8 slashing", "4 lb.", "Versatile (1d10)"
"Flail", "10 gp", "1d8 bludgeoning", "2 lb.", ""
"Glaive", "20 gp", "1d10 slashing", "6 lb.", "Heavy, reach, two-handed"
"Greataxe", "30 gp", "1d12 slashing", "7 lb.", "Heavy, two-handed"
"Greatsword", "50 gp", "2d6 slashing", "6 lb.", "Heavy, two-handed"
"Halberd", "20 gp", "1d10 slashing", "6 lb.", "Heavy, reach, two-handed"
"Lance", "10 gp", "1d12 piercing", "6 lb.", "Reach, special"
"Longsword", "15 gp", "1d8 slashing", "3 lb.", "Versatile (1d10)"
"Maul", "10 gp", "2d6 bludgeoning", "10 lb.", "Heavy, two-handed"
"Morningstar", "15 gp", "1d8 piercing", "4 lb.", ""
"Pike", "10 gp", "1d1O piercing", "18 lb.", "Heavy, reach, two-handed"
"Rapier", "25 gp", "1d8 piercing", "2 lb.", "Finesse"
"Scimitar", "25 gp", "1d6 slashing", "3 lb.", "Finesse, light"
"Shortsword", "10 gp", "1d6 piercing", "2 lb.", "Finesse, light"
"Trident", "5 gp", "1d6 piercing", "4 lb.", "Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)"
"War pick", "5 gp", "1d8 piercing", "2 lb.", ""
"Warhammer", "15 gp", "1d8 bludgeoning", "2 lb.", "Versatile (1d10)"
"Whip", "2 gp", "1d4 slashing", "3 lb.", "Finesse, reach"
Martial Ranged Weapons
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.. csv-table::
:header: "Name", "Cost", "Damage", "Weight", "Properties"
:widths: 20 10 25 15 30
"Blowgun", "10 gp", "1 piercing", "1 lb.", "Ammunition (range 25/100), loading"
"Crossbow, hand", "75 gp", "1d6 piercing", "3 lb.", "Ammunition (range 30/120), light, loading"
"Crossbow, heavy", "50 gp", "1d10 piercing", "18 lb.", "Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, loading, two-handed"
"Longbow", "50 gp", "1d8 piercing", "2 lb.", "Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed"
"Net", "1 gp", "", "3 lb.", "Special, thrown (range 5/15)"