Archaic and Improvised Weapons for 5e
Standard and Archaic Weapons and Armor
Sometimes characters come across cultures that are at very different technology levels from them or tombs that are from a different age. If the difference is large enough choose a negative property from below to make that difference felt. Magic items might transcend the technology level of their crafting. If the technology level is very far apart you might choose two adverse properties.
Improvised Weapons
Modifies Improvised Weapons
Sometimes when you grab an improvised weapon and it can work much like a real weapon. For example, using a table leg as a club is a pretty direct comparison. However often there is a reason that these items and tools are not often used as weapons. When an improvised weapon is chosen use the stats for the weapon that is closest to it and add a property from the list below. Considering proficiency as normal. For example if you choose a bottle you can use the stats for the club and add the Brittle Adverse Property to model how the bottle breaks if it’s hit too hard.
Adverse Armor Properties
Armor properties can be taken more than once.
Burdening ~ If the armor doesn’t have a strength requirement, it now has a strength requirement of 13. If it already has a strength requirement it increases by 2.
Cumbersome ~ This armor is especially inhibiting and reduces the speed of the wearer by 10 ft. This can only be taken once.
Noisy ~ Armor without disadvantage on stealth checks only. This armor has parts that bump or scrap into each other. The wearer of this armor has disadvantage on stealth checks. This can only be taken once.
Soft ~ The AC of this armor is reduced by 1.
Uncomfortable ~ Light or Medium Armor only. The maximum Dexterity bonus for this armor is reduced by 1 to +1 for Medium armor and +4 for Light armor. The maximum Dexterity bonus cannot be reduced past zero.
Adverse Weapon Properties
Brittle ~ When this weapon breaks when it rolls the maximum damage on it’s weapon damage dice.
Clumsy ~ A clumsy weapon is difficult to use, all attack rolls with this weapon have disadvantage.
Dangerous ~ When you roll a 1 when attacking with this weapon you make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw taking damage equal to the weapon’s damage on a failure
Fragile ~ This weapon breaks when you roll a 1 on an attack roll. This might make the weapon unusable or change the stats of the weapon.
Slow ~ You cannot use this weapon for reactions.
Soft ~ You have a -2 to attack rolls when attacking a creature with natural armor or wearing armor.
Breaking Weapons
In combat weapons break and when using archaic or improvised weapons this happens more often. A broom, (used as a quarterstaff with the Brittle property) might break against a shield and become a club (or two), a bottle (used as a club with the Fragile property) might break against the wall into a bottle (used as a dagger), or a bone sword (with the Brittle property) might snap off with a good strike and become a broken sword (used as a dagger).
Materials
Common Armor Properties
Common Weapon Properties
Bone
Noisy, Soft II
Brittle, Fragile
Bronze
Cumbersome, Soft
Soft
Copper
Soft II
Soft
Iron
Burdening
Brittle
Stone
~
Brittle, Soft
Standard and Archaic Weapons and Armor
Sometimes characters come across cultures that are at very different technology levels from them or tombs that are from a different age. If the difference is large enough choose a negative property from below to make that difference felt. Magic items might transcend the technology level of their crafting. If the technology level is very far apart you might choose two adverse properties.
Improvised Weapons
Modifies Improvised Weapons
Sometimes when you grab an improvised weapon and it can work much like a real weapon. For example, using a table leg as a club is a pretty direct comparison. However often there is a reason that these items and tools are not often used as weapons. When an improvised weapon is chosen use the stats for the weapon that is closest to it and add a property from the list below. Considering proficiency as normal. For example if you choose a bottle you can use the stats for the club and add the Brittle Adverse Property to model how the bottle breaks if it’s hit too hard.
Adverse Armor Properties
Armor properties can be taken more than once.
Burdening ~ If the armor doesn’t have a strength requirement, it now has a strength requirement of 13. If it already has a strength requirement it increases by 2.
Cumbersome ~ This armor is especially inhibiting and reduces the speed of the wearer by 10 ft. This can only be taken once.
Noisy ~ Armor without disadvantage on stealth checks only. This armor has parts that bump or scrap into each other. The wearer of this armor has disadvantage on stealth checks. This can only be taken once.
Soft ~ The AC of this armor is reduced by 1.
Uncomfortable ~ Light or Medium Armor only. The maximum Dexterity bonus for this armor is reduced by 1 to +1 for Medium armor and +4 for Light armor. The maximum Dexterity bonus cannot be reduced past zero.
Adverse Weapon Properties
Brittle ~ When this weapon breaks when it rolls the maximum damage on it’s weapon damage dice.
Clumsy ~ A clumsy weapon is difficult to use, all attack rolls with this weapon have disadvantage.
Dangerous ~ When you roll a 1 when attacking with this weapon you make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw taking damage equal to the weapon’s damage on a failure
Fragile ~ This weapon breaks when you roll a 1 on an attack roll. This might make the weapon unusable or change the stats of the weapon.
Slow ~ You cannot use this weapon for reactions.
Soft ~ You have a -2 to attack rolls when attacking a creature with natural armor or wearing armor.
Breaking Weapons
In combat weapons break and when using archaic or improvised weapons this happens more often. A broom, (used as a quarterstaff with the Brittle property) might break against a shield and become a club (or two), a bottle (used as a club with the Fragile property) might break against the wall into a bottle (used as a dagger), or a bone sword (with the Brittle property) might snap off with a good strike and become a broken sword (used as a dagger).
Materials
| Common Armor Properties | Common Weapon Properties | |
| Bone | Noisy, Soft II | Brittle, Fragile |
| Bronze | Cumbersome, Soft | Soft |
| Copper | Soft II | Soft |
| Iron | Burdening | Brittle |
| Stone | ~ | Brittle, Soft |
Homebrew by SamuraiHealer
Brawl at the Yawning Portal Tavern by Scott Murphy
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