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Weapons & Armor Reforged
\pagebreak ## Introduction The Weapon and Armor tables as they appear in the Player's Handbook are, to be perfectly blunt, incredibly lacking and filled with a lot of nonsensical design decisions. At least, in my opinion. And the opinion of quite a few others, given how many people revise, rework, or expand the tables to better fit their view of how they feel they should be. At their core, they aim to fix the biggest issue with the tables, particularly the weapon table: redundancy. By which I mean, why do the glaive and halberd have the exact same... Everything? Or the fact that the mace and greatclub *both* are made redundant by the quarterstaff? And those are just the two biggest offenders. Of the 28 melee weapons, you could eliminate 10, or just over a *third*, of them without losing anything mechanically. And then there's the nonsensical armor. Like, why is padded armor a thing? As it appears, it has *zero* reason to exist, because it's just inferior leather armor. I had one overarching goal with this revision: give everything a purpose and make sure the various weapons feel a little more unique. All while keeping new weapon properties to a minimum, as my main complaint with some of the other revisions out there is they always seem to add what feels like two dozen new properties. I wasn't as successful as I'd like, but I at least kept the new properties in the single digits, so I'll count it as a partial win. Where I had more success was injecting a bit more personality into weapons by introducing two new die types: the d3 and d5. The tiny difference between 1d6 and 2d3 can really change the feel of something. ## Design Notes While I go over everything I've changed from the PHB on a case by case basis at the end of the document, what I don't really go into are some of the more impactful changes: rearranging the weapon tables a bit, how I changed the light, heavy, and versatile properties, as well as a change to how medium armor functions that I think will prove somewhat controversial. #### Weapon Reorganization I'm a historical weapon nerd at heart and I have a view on the nature of Simple and Martial weapons that probably differs from most people. To me, Simple weapons aren't simple because they don't require as much training, but because they're the weapons of the common man; the kind of thing your average person might own. Meanwhile, Martial weapons are martial because, well, they're weapons of war and *often* (but not always) require more training to be effective with. There's a couple weapons that avoided this reorganization, but they're more the exception. \columnbreak #### Weight vs Bulk In the PHB, the Light and Heavy properties have, rather counterintuitively, *nothing* to do with an item's weight and everything to do with its perceived bulk. Which is why a 10lb greatclub isn't Heavy, while the 6lb greatsword is, despite them being of roughly similar dimensions. That and WotC probably didn't want Simple Weapons to be able to qualify for Great Weapon Master despite feats, ostensibly, being optional. I reworked the two properties to actually be tied to a weapon's weight, though by and large, Light weapons remained Light and Heavy weapons remained Heavy; the only two exceptions were the longbow, which at 2lbs really showed how arbitrary the classification was, and the scimitar, which became Medium to better differentiate it from the shortsword. On that note, Versatile was reworked into Medium; it works pretty much identically, but as it's now a weight classification, not everything benefits from being two-handed. I mean, you still *can*, but all it would do is prevent you from using a shield. #### Exotic Weapons Probably one of the most common bits of homebrew weaponry, the Exotic Weapon category... At least when they don't just shove them all into Martial, with maybe one or two here and there in Simple. I opted for the Exotic category so they can be added or ignored with ease, if so desired. Like Simple and Martial weapons, I view Exotic weapons perhaps a bit differently: rather than something made by a different species with different limb arrangements or an altogether different size, I view them as ones that aren't common to the general setting or, like the trident (which became an Exotic weapon), weren't really used as weapons outside very specific situation. #### Medium Armor One change that I feel will be fairly controversial is the change to how medium armor as a whole works. Medium armor is easily recognized by only allowing you to add a Dex modifier of up to +2 to your AC while wearing it. It's not terrible, but it's not great, either. And it needs a feat, Medium Armor Master, to actually *beat* light armor when it comes to max AC possible, which just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This revision increases it to a +3 Dex modifier, with Medium Armor Master just giving a flat +1 to AC while in medium armor. Why? Because medium armor is almost universally more expensive and heavier than light armor, but rarely offers better protection to compensate. Now, each set of medium armor is a slight upgrade to its comparable light armor counterpart, while heavy armor is about on par with its medium armor counterparts, but without the need for a secondary stat and with some nifty bonuses all round. \pagebreakNum
## 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). At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield. #### Bypass A weapon with this property ignores any bonuses to AC granted by a shield. #### Ensnaring When you hit with this weapon, you can use a bonus action to attempt to shove the target prone or pull it into a space within 5 feet of you. You can use your weapon attack bonus instead of your Strength (Athletics) bonus when you attempt this. #### Fatal This property includes a die size. On a critical hit, the weapon’s damage die increases to that die size instead of the normal die size, and the weapon adds one additional damage die of the listed size. If a weapon lists a second die size after a slash, you use that die when you score a critical hit while two-handing the weapon. #### Finesse When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls. If a weapon has a number in parentheses next to its Finesse property, you must have a Strength score equal to or greater than that number to use the property. #### Heavy A weapon with this property has a certain weight and bulk that makes wielding them in one hand impractical, as well as making it difficult for Small or Tiny creatures to wield them. These weapons always have the Two-Handed property and Small or Tiny creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls made with them unless they have a Strength score of 15 or greater. #### Keen A weapon with this property scores a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. #### Light A weapon with this property is lightweight, ideal for dual wielding, and often small enough to use while prone. If you are proficient with it, attacking with this weapon while prone does not impose disadvantage on the roll. #### 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. \columnbreak #### Medium A weapon with this property is easily wielded in one hand or two. When wielded in two hands, you use the damage value and gain any additional properties indicated in parentheses under the weapon's properties, if present. #### Momentum Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee Attack to build momentum with your weapon. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this action replaces one of them. When you have momentum, you use the damage value in the parentheses. You lose momentum after a successful attack, if you're knocked prone, or incapacitated. #### Parry If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you are wielding an item with this property that you are proficient with, you can use your reaction to add half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to your AC for that attack, potentially causing it to miss. If you are wielding two items with this property that you are proficient with, you instead add your full proficiency bonus. #### 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. #### Savage When you deal damage with this weapon, you roll the weapon's damage die twice and take the better result. #### Special Special weapons have entirely unique attributes, detailed after the weapon charts. #### Sunder When you hit a creature that has heavy or natural armor with this weapon, you deal extra damage equal to the weapon's damage die if you exceed the target's AC by 5 or more. #### Thrown If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. Drawing the weapon from an easily accessible location is part of the 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. #### Two-Handed This weapon requires two hands to use. This property is relevant only when you attack with the weapon, not when you simply hold it. #### Vicious When you score a critical hit with this weapon, the extra damage dice deal their maximum damage. \pagebreakNum
### Simple Melee Weapons | Name | Damage | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-------|:-----|:----------- | Club | 1d4
| 2lbs | 1 sp | Light, Fatal (d6), Vicious | Dagger | 1d4
| 1lb | 2 gp | Light, Finesse, Thrown (20/60) | Greatclub | 1d10
| 10lbs | 2sp | Heavy, Fatal (d12) | Handaxe | 1d6
| 2lbs | 1 gp | Light, Thrown (20/60) | Javelin | 1d6
| 2lbs | 1 gp | Light, Thrown (30/120) | Knife | 1d4
| 1lb | 1 gp | Light, Finesse, Savage | Light Hammer | 1d4
| 2lbs | 2 gp | Light, Sunder, Thrown (20/60) | Mace | 1d6
| 4lbs | 4 gp | Medium (1d8), Sunder | Pickaxe | 1d6
or
| 4lbs | 3 gp | Medium (2d3), Bypass | Peasant Flail | 1d8
| 6lbs | 5 gp | Heavy, Bypass, Fatal (d10) | Quarterstaff | 1d4
| 3lbs | 2 sp | Medium (2d4, Finesse), Special | Shortsword | 2d3
| 2lbs | 5 gp | Light, Finesse, Keen | Sickle | 1d4
| 1lb | 1 gp | Light, Ensnaring, Vicious | Spear | 1d8
| 4lbs | 1 gp | Medium (2d4, Finesse), Reach | Whip | 1d4
| 3lbs | 2 gp | Medium, Ensnaring, Finesse, Reach
### Simple Ranged Weapons | Name | Damage | Range | Strength | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-----:|:--------:|:-------|:-----|:---------- | Atlatl | 1d8
| 40/160 | — | 1lb | 5 sp | Ammunition, Finesse, Loading | Dart | 1d4
| 20/60 | — | ¼lb | 5 cp | Light, Finesse, Thrown | Shortbow | 2d3
| 80/320 | 9 | 2lbs | 2 gp | Ammunition, Two-Handed | Sling | 1d4
| 60/240 | — | N/A | 1 sp | Ammunition, Momentum (4d6) | Stonebow | 1d6
| 50/200 | — | 3lbs | 15 gp | Ammunition, Loading, Two-Handed
| Ammunition | Weight | Cost |:-----------|:-------|:---- | Atlatl Darts (20) | 2lbs | 2 gp | Arrows (20) | 1lb | 1 gp \columnbreak | Ammunition | Weight | Cost |:-----------|:-------|:---- | Crossbow Bolts (20) | 1 ½lb | 1 gp | Sling Bullets (20) | 1 ½lb | 4 cp
**Damage types are represented by icons:
for bludgeoning,
for piercing, and
for slashing damage.**
[Mark of Darkness Map 6 - Armory by Almanegra](https://www.deviantart.com/almanegra/art/Mark-of-darkness-MAP-6-armory-483548471)
\pagebreakNum
### Martial Melee Weapons | Name | Damage | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-------|:-----|:----------- | Battleaxe | 1d8
| 3lbs | 5 gp | Medium (1d10), Vicious | Broadsword | 2d3
| 3lbs | 10 gp | Medium (2d4), Finesse | Glaive | 2d5
| 6lbs | 10 gp | Heavy, Finesse (15), Reach | Greataxe | 1d12
| 8lbs | 20 gp | Heavy, Vicious | Greathammer | 2d6
| 12lbs | 10 gp | Heavy, Sunder | Greatsword | 2d6
| 6lbs | 50 gp | Heavy, Savage | Halberd | 1d10
| 8lbs | 15 gp | Heavy, Keen, Reach | Lance | 1d12
| 10lbs | 10 gp | Heavy, Reach, Special | Lucerne | 1d10
| 6lbs | 35 gp | Heavy, Reach, Sunder | Longsword | 2d4
| 3lbs | 15 gp | Medium (2d5), Finesse (11) | Morning Star | 1d4
+ 1d4
| 5lbs | 20 gp | Medium (1d5 + 1d5), Sunder | Rapier | 1d8
| 3lbs | 25 gp | Medium, Finesse, Parry | Saber | 2d4
| 3lbs | 25 gp | Medium, Finesse, Savage | War Flail | 1d6
| 4lbs | 10 gp | Medium, Ensnaring, Momentum (4d8) | War Hammer | 1d8
or
| 3lbs | 15 gp | Medium (1d10), Fatal (d10/d12), Sunder
### Martial Ranged Weapons | Name | Damage | Range | Strength | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-----:|:--------:|:-------|:-----|:---------- | Composite Bow | 2d4
| 120/480 | 11 | 3lbs | 20 gp | Ammunition, Two-Handed | Crossbow, Hand | 1d6
| 30/120 | — | 3lbs | 75 gp | Ammunition, Light, Loading | Crossbow, Heavy | 1d10
| 100/400 | — | 13lbs | 50 gp | Ammunition, Heavy, Loading | Crossbow, Light | 1d8
| 80/320 | — | 6lbs | 25 gp | Ammunition, Loading, Two-Handed | Longbow | 2d5
| 150/600 | 13 | 4lbs | 50 gp | Ammunition, Two-Handed
[Dungeons & Dragons: Weapon Rack by Leesha Hannigan](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/59gEA)
\pagebreakNum
### Exotic Melee Weapons | Name | Damage | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-------|:-----|:----------- | Guisarme | 2d4
or
| 4lbs | 2 gp | Medium, Bypass, Ensnaring, Two-Handed | Hook Sword | 1d6
| 2lbs | 3 gp | Light, Ensnaring, Special | Iklwa | 2d4
| 2lbs | 5 gp | Light, Keen, Thrown (20/60) | Jian | 1d4
+ 1d4
| 2lbs | 15 gp | Light, Finesse, Parry | Katana | 2d3
| 3lbs | 30 gp | Medium (2d5, Finesse), Fatal (d4/d6), Keen | Khopesh | 1d4
| 2lbs | 10 gp | Light, Finesse (13), Vicious | Kusarigama | 1d4
or
| 3lbs | 20 gp | Medium, Ensnaring, Momentum (4d6), Reach, Two-Handed | Macuahuitl | 1d4
+ 1d4
| 5lbs | 10 gp | Medium (1d6 + 1d6), Savage, Vicious | Nodachi | 3d4
| 7lbs | 65 gp | Heavy, Fatal (d8), Keen | Rope Dart | 1d6
| 1lb | 1 gp | Light, Ensnaring, Finesse, Reach, Two-Handed | Shotel | 2d3
| 2lbs | 20 gp | Light, Bypass, Ensnaring | Tinbei Rochin | 1d6
or
| 5lbs | 10 gp | Medium, Parry, Special, Two-Handed | Tonfa | 1d4
| 2lbs | 5 gp | Light, Finesse, Momentum (4d6), Parry | Trident | 1d6
| 5lbs | 30 gp | Medium (2d4), Savage, Thrown (15/45) | Wakizashi | 1d4
| 2lbs | 10 gp | Light, Fatal (d6), Finesse, Keen
### Exotic Ranged Weapons | Name | Damage | Range | Strength | Weight | Cost | Properties |:-----|:-------|:-----:|:--------:|:-------|:-----|:---------- | Boomerang | 1d4
| 40/120 | — | ¼lb | 15 sp | Light, Thrown, Special | Crossbow, Repeating | 1d5
| 30/120 | — | 10lbs | 100 gp | Ammunition, Heavy, Loading, Special | Crossobw, Repeating Hand | 1d3
| 20/80 | — | 5lbs | 130 gp | Ammunition, Loading, Special | Greatbow | 2d6
| 130/520 | 15 | 8lbs | 80 gp | Ammunition, Heavy, Special | Slingstaff | 1d6
| 90/360 | — | 4lbs | 2 gp | Ammunition, Finesse, Momentum (4d8), Special
| Ammunition | Weight | Cost |:-----------|:-------|:---- | Greatbow Arrows (20) | 5lbs | 10 gp \columnbreak | Ammunition | Weight | Cost |:-----------|:-------|:---- | Siege Bolts (20) | 5lbs | 20 gp
[Mouse Guard - Armory by Darek Zabrocki](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/OyA4ww)
\pagebreakNum
## Special Weapon Properties
#### Boomerang An unusually shaped throwing club designed to return to the wielder. When you make a ranged weapon attack with it, hit or miss, it returns to you, provided you have an empty hand to catch it. #### Crossbow, Repeating This unique, complicated weapon is fitted with a simple magazine system that gives it multiple fire options. It can fire single shots, as normal, in which case it can be fired five times before needing to be reloaded. It can also fire a spread burst that effects a 30-foot cone originating from you. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or take the weapon's normal damage. It can also fire a rapid burst at a single target within the weapon's normal range, firing up to five bolts at a time. Make a separate attack roll for each bolt. Regardless of the method you choose, you must use both a bonus action and your object interaction to reload it. #### Crossbow, Repeating Hand This complicated, yet compact weapon is fitted with a simple magazine system that gives it multiple fire options. It can fire single shots, as normal, in which case it can be fired three times before needing to be reloaded. It can also fire a rapid burst at a single target within the weapon's normal range, firing up to three bolts at a time. Make a separate attack roll for each bolt. Regardless of the method you choose, you must use both a bonus action and your object interaction to reload it. #### Greatbow An enormous bow with a massive draw weight, this bow uses your Strength score instead of your Dexterity score for attack and damage rolls. #### Hook Sword An unusually shaped sword with a point that curls into a hook, allowing it to excel at ensnaring things. If you are wielding two hook swords, you can use a bonus action to link them together by the hooks. While they are linked, the hook swords are treated as a single melee weapon that deals 2d5 slashing damage and has the Momentum (4d8) and Reach properties in place of its Ensnaring property. #### Lance A lance can only be used with one hand while mounted and you have disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a creature within 5 feet of you while using it with one hand. #### Quarterstaff A simple, straight length of wood, the quarterstaff is an incredibly versatile weapon. While wielding this weapon with two hands, you can use a bonus action to attack with the other end of the weapon. If you do so, you use the weapon's one-handed damage value for the damage roll. #### Slingstaff This weapon consists of a short staff with a sling attached to it, it can be used as a staff *or* a sling. You can also use this weapon to make a melee weapon attack, dealing bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your ability modifier on a hit. If you wield this weapon in two hands, the damage increases to 2d4. #### Tinbei Rochin Although consisting of two separate items, a small shield and a short spear, the tinbei rochin is considered a single weapon that effortlessly combines offense and defense, allowing its wielder to engage in two-weapon fighting with its two halves, despite not being a light weapon. The normal rules of two-weapon fighting apply to this weapon, except you add your ability modifier to the damage roll of the second attack.
[Thalia, Heretic Cathar by Magali Villeneuve](http://www.artofmtg.com/art/thalia-heretic-cathar/)
\pagebreakNum
### Light Armor | Name | Armor Class | Weight | Cost | Stealth | Strength | Properties | |:-----|:-----------:|-------:|-----:|:-------:|:---------|:-----------| | Aketon | 10 + Dex Modifier | 4lbs | 5 gp | — | — | Bludgeoning Resistance | | Leather | 11 + Dex Modifier | 6lbs | 15 gp | — | — | N/A | | Gambeson | 12 + Dex Modifier | 8lbs | 25 gp | — | — | Slashing Resistance | | Brigandine | 13 + Dex Modifier | 16lbs | 40 gp | — | — | N/A |
### Medium Armor | Name | Armor Class | Weight | Cost | Stealth | Strength | Properties | |:-----|:-----------:|-------:|-----:|:-------:|:---------|:-----------| | Cuirass | 13 + Dex Modifier (max 3) | 10lbs | 60 gp | — | — | N/A | | Jazerant | 14 + Dex Modifier (max 3) | 14lbs | 80 gp | — | — | N/A | | Lamellar | 15 + Dex Modifier (max 3) | 20lbs | 100 gp | Disadvantage | — | Piercing Resistance | | Half-Plate | 16 + Dex Modifier (max 3) | 30lbs | 450 gp | Disadvantage | — | Slashing Resistance |
### Heavy Armor | Name | Armor Class | Weight | Cost | Stealth | Strength | Properties | |:-----|:-----------:|-------:|-----:|:-------:|:---------|:-----------| | Laminar | 16 | 30lbs | 100 gp | Disadvantage | — | Bludgeoning Resistance | | Scale | 17 | 35lbs | 200 gp | Disadvantage | 13 | Piercing Resistance | | Chain Mail | 18 | 45lbs | 300 gp | Disadvantage | 15 | Slashing Resistance | | Full-Plate | 20 | 50lbs | 1,500 gp | Disadvantage | 17 | N/A |
### Shields | Name | Armor Class | Weight | Cost | Stealth | Strength | Properties | |:-----|:-----------:|-------:|-----:|:--------------------:|:---------|:-----------| | Buckler | Special | 1 ½lbs | 15 gp | — | — | Special | | Targe | +1 | 3lbs | 5 gp | — | — | Strapped | | Heater | +2 | 6lbs | 10 gp | — | 11 | Deflective | | Tower | +3 | 12lbs | 20 gp | Disadvantage | 13 | Bulwark |
[Armory by Lady-DreamArt](https://www.deviantart.com/lady-dreamart/art/Armory-528525616)
\pagebreakNum ## Armors ### Light Armor ___ - ***Aketon.*** A padded and quilted jacket that is intended to be worn under heavier armor to absorb impacts, it can serve as armor of its own in a pinch. It covers the torso, arms, and upper thighs. - ***Leather.*** Made of boiled and molded leather, this armor consists of a breastplate, spaulders that cover the shoulders, vambraces for the arms, and greaves for the legs, providing a modicum of protection with minimal interference to mobility. - ***Gambeson.*** A padded and quilted jacket like the aketon, the gambeson is significantly thicker and is intended to stand on its own. It covers the torso, arms, and upper thighs, but may also extend as far down as the upper shins. - ***Brigandine.*** Thin, overlapping metal plates riveted underneath a leather or canvas cover, it offers fairly significant protection of the torso without hindering mobility much, but not much else. ### Medium Armor ___ - ***Cuirass.*** Made of fitted metal, this armor consists of a breastplate and a backplate that offers strong protection of the vitals, but little else. - ***Jazerant.*** A shirt of chain mail sewn in between two layers of cloth or leather that dampen the noise of the rings; and is often filled with silk stuffing or fine strands of animal fur to further silence it. It covers much the same area as an aketon and often looks visually similar to passing observation. - ***Lamellar.*** This armor is made from a large number of small plates laced together in overlapping patterns, with the plates being made of metal or leather, but also bone or wood. It consists of a chest piece, spaulders, and faulds to protect the hips and upper thighs. It is worn over a padded underlayer. - ***Half-Plate.*** This armor consists of a cuirass, spaulders, vambraces, faulds, and greaves; it is worn over top a padded underlayer and may or may not include a helmet. ### Heavy Armor ___ - ***Laminar.*** This armor is made of wide, horizontal strips of metal arranged in rows up the torso. It features pauldrons, gauntlets, faulds, greaves, and a helmet, as well as a padded underlayer to offer some protection for the gaps. - ***Scale.*** This armor is made of thick, overlapping scales of metal sewn to a leather backing and consists of a jacket that covers the arms, torso, and thighs, as well as a helmet, gauntlets, and greaves, all overtop a padded underlayer. - ***Chain Mail.*** This armor is made from small, interlocking rings that are then riveted closed. It covers the wearer from neck to knee and includes chain mail mittens, leggings, and a coif for the head, all overtop a padded underlayer. - ***Full-Plate.*** This armor consists of a cuirass, pauldrons, gauntlets, greaves, faulds, and a helmet, as well as additional pieces for the upper arms, lower thighs, joints, and feet. It is worn over a padded underlayer with chain mail in the gaps. \columnbreak ## Shields ### Buckler The buckler is a small, dome shaped shield not much larger than an outstretched hand and is held in the fist rather than worn, and offers virtually nothing in the way of passive defense; it is instead meant to be used in an active fashion, much the way one would a weapon. ***Special.*** The buckler is considered a light weapon that you are proficient with, it deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a hit, and has the Parry property. ### Targe The targe is a small, flat shield worn on the forearm. Its diameter often isn't much larger than the length of the wearer's forearm and hand, but it is lightweight and its grip is often a simple strip of leather. ***Strapped.*** You can hold an item, such as a torch or arcane focus, load a weapon with the Loading property, or perform the somatic components of spells with the same hand you wear the targe on. ### Heater The heater is a medium sized, triangular shaped shield that offers solid coverage and defensive capabilities against most forms of attack. ***Deflective.*** When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to stagger it. If you do, until the start of its next turn, it is incapacitated, its movement speed drops to 0, and the first attack made against it is made with advantage. ### Tower The tower is a large, rectangular shield that covers a significant portion of the user's body, offering supreme protection, but its bulk and greater weight make it awkward to handle and carry. ***Bulwark.*** The tower shield reduces the movement speed of its user by 5 feet. As a reaction, you can attempt to hide behind your shield and gain the benefits of three-quarters cover. You can also use an action to doff the shield and plant it, providing half-cover to an upright creature, or total cover for a prone one.
> **Alternate AC Calculation** > > While wielding a shield, you can use your Strength modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier to calculate your Armor Class. \pagebreakNum
## Changes from PHB Weapon & Armor Tables
### Simple Melee Weapons #### Club As it existed, the club didn't really have much purpose; the only thing saving it from being strictly worse than a *table leg* is that it's easier to be proficient with the club... Somehow. To rectify that, and give it its own niche, I gave it the Fatal (d6) and Vicious properties, the former of which I've shamelessly stolen from Pathfinder 2e. #### Greatclub Like its smaller cousin, the greatclub didn't really have much purpose, though in this case, it's because it was invalidated by another. It was *slightly* unique, in that it had the Two-Handed property without *also* having the Heavy property, but it otherwise had nothing over the quarterstaff. It picked up the Heavy property (which now has Two-Handed baked in), had its damage boosted to 1d10, and gained the Fatal (d12) property. #### Light Hammer The light hammer had nothing *technically* wrong with it, but picked up the Sunder property so it wasn't equivalent to any random improvised weapon. #### Mace Continuing the trend set by the club and the greatclub, the mace didn't really have a purpose and, like the greatclub, it's because it was invalidated by another... Which just so happens to *also* be the quarterstaff. It picked up the Medium (1d8) and Sunder properties to really feel like the anti-armor weapon it is. #### Quarterstaff The most changed of the Simple Melee Weapons and I had trouble figuring out how to tweak it to my liking that kept the flavor of the staff, while also not *totally* overshadowing others like the PHB version. What I settled on a bludgeoning version of the Double-Bladed Scimitar from the Eberron books. #### Sickle The sickle, like others, didn't really have much purpose because of another weapon; this time, the handaxe. To fix that, it picked up the Ensnaring property, because Paulus Hector Mair wrote a fantastic treatise on using the sickle and it's positively chock *full* of grappling techniques, as well as the Vicious property, because if you get a solid enough hit, you're liable to take limbs off. #### Spear Spears were the predominant weapon of the battlefield known for their power and reach. In the PHB, it has the damage of a javelin and the reach of a **dagger**. Spears should have reach, so it gained the Reach property; its one-handed damage was increased to 1d8, while its two-handed damage was changed to 2d4 so that it more or less evens out, and it has Finesse in two hands because of how easy it is to manipulate that way. ### Simple Ranged Weapons #### Crossbow, Light I made it Martial instead of Simple for the reasons outlined in the introduction, but otherwise didn't change it. In its place is the (slightly weaker) Stonebow. #### Shortbow I changed its damage from 1d6 to 2d3 to reflect the consistency that comes from the greater training demanded of a bow over a crossbow and gave it a Strength requirement of 9 as a nod to reality, wherein bows do require a modest amount of strength to draw and hold drawn. #### Sling The sling was... Meh. It's only slightly better than a dart since it has a slightly longer normal range and you can easily carry a *lot* more sling bullets than darts, but if you don't track encumbrance, that doesn't really matter all that much. I wanted something that better reflected the terror of historical slings, so I doubled its short and long ranges and gave it the Momentum (4d6) property. ### Martial Melee Weapons #### Battleaxe Nothing wrong with the PHB battleaxe, but I gave it the Vicious property because I want the weapons to be more than *just* a numbers thing. #### Flail The flail was a slightly cheaper, and worse, war hammer in the PHB; it also didn't reflect either version of the flail: the long-chained sidearm or the short-chained staff. I went back and forth on how to handle this because a longer chain has a *drastic* difference on how the weapon is used, so I split it into two weapons, as I felt they were distinct enough to be worth it: the War Flail and the Peasant Flail, a Martial and Simple weapon, respectively. The Peasant Flail retained the PHB's 1d8 damage while gaining the Heavy, Bypass, and Fatal (d10) properties, as they were even *more* awkward to use one handed than a quarterstaff, but the flexible segment made getting around shields a breeze. The War Flail does 1d6 damage and gained the Ensnaring, Medium, and Momentum (4d8) properties, to really reflect how you could spin it to deliver devastating blows while *also* using the longer chain to entangle foes (or weapons). \pagebreakNum
## Changes from PHB Weapon & Armor Tables ### Martial Melee Weapons (Cont.)
#### Glaive The glaive is probably the weapon that inspired me to revise the weapon table in the first place a few years back. I love historical glaives and their variants, but the PHB glaive... It might as well not exist. It's identical in every way to the halberd and people often (incorrectly) use the two names interchangeably. I changed its damage to 2d5 to sell the "sword on a stick" aspect (while the halberd is more an axe on a stick) and gave it the Finesse (15) property, making it unique in being the only Heavy Finesse weapon; it becomes a niche weapon for Strength Rogues wanting Reach. #### Greataxe Similar to the battleaxe, it gained the Vicious property to avoid it being just a numbers thing. It'll be your best friend if you're after critical hits. #### Greatsword Continuing the trend, it gained the Savage property so it wasn't just a numbers thing; while the greataxe will help you kill a guy, the greatsword will help you bury them. #### Halberd Nothing wrong here, but it picked up the Keen property both so it wasn't inferior to the glaive *and* as a nod to the top spike on the weapon used for thrusting. #### Lance The PHB lance is just fakkin' weird, mate. It's a 1d12 piercing weapon with Reach, which is fantastic, but its Special property somehow makes it so wielding it in two hands, thereby *shortening* your reach, makes it harder to hit enemies closer to you. **Headdesk.** I inverted it, because just thinking about it made me angry. #### Longsword The longsword didn't have anything wrong with it, but it was identical to the battleaxe, so I changed its damage to 2d4, its Versatile (1d10) property was replaced with the Medium (2d5) property, and it picked up the Finesse (11) property so rogues can *finally* use their longsword proficiency. #### Maul I renamed it the Greathammer to be more expansive (a maul is a specific type of hammer) and gave it the Sunder property because, well, to continue the greataxe/greatsword analogy, the greathammer will break the guy's kneecaps so you can kill him easier. #### Morning Star A heavier, more expensive war pick. Yawn. An actual morning star is basically a spiked mace, so it'd combine bludgeoning and piercing damage. Now it does. It picked up the Medium (1d5 + 1d5) and Sunder properties because, in the end, it's a slightly better mace. \columnbreak #### Pike The pike has lower damage than the lance in exchange for not having its stupid Special property. The more I tried to fix it to my liking, the more dissatisfied I grew with it, so I just removed it. It also made *no sense*. A pike could be as short as 10 feet or as long as 20 feet, but the weight suggests it's on the longer end of the spectrum and there's *no way* you're using a 20 foot weapon in an enclosed space. #### Rapier The rapier had no problems; it picked up the Medium property because of how the property works and the Parry property as a nod to historical fencing. #### Scimitar The scimitar was a bit of an anomaly in the PHB. All weapons had generic catch-all names so they could serve as stand-ins for just about anything... Except the distinctly Middle Eastern scimitar. I changed it to the more generic broadsword to fit in line with the other Simple and Martial weapons, so any class feature, spell, or item that refers to the scimitar will refer to the broadsword instead. I changed its damage to 2d3 and to better differentiate it from the shortsword, I gave it the Medium (2d4) property. #### Shortsword I made it a Simple weapon instead of a Martial largely because the shortsword hasn't really been a proper weapon of war since about the Iron Age; after that, it was a tertiary weapon *at best* and often just outright replaced by the dagger. Plus, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really unbalance anything; it gives Artificers, Clerics, and Warlocks access to a Finesse option they didn't have before, but that's about it. I changed its damage to 2d3, because I think the slight increase in average damage from two dice vs one represents a nice reliability that swords typically have, and it picked up the Parry property, as shorter weapons tend to be more defensive by nature; at least, in my experience. #### Trident I made it Exotic instead of Martial because it's a fishing implement that saw combat use in exceedingly few cultures, the most famous of which were the Roman *retiarii* gladiators; even there, they're weren't really expected to perform as a weapon of war. I changed its Versatile (1d8) property to Medium (2d4) because, at the end of the day, it *is* still a polearm and lowered its thrown ranges, both short and long, because it's also *really* front heavy, comparatively. \pagebreakNum
## Changes from PHB
Weapon & Armor Tables
### Martial Melee Weapons (Cont.) #### War Hammer/Pick It took an *embarrassingly* long time to come to this conclusion. A war hammer, contrary to popular belief, is *not* some giant mallet shaped weapon; they are, in fact, quite small and asymmetrical. They have a hammer face on one side and a spike on the other, [much like this replica of a 15th century French piece](https://www.kultofathena.com/product/arms-and-armor-war-hammer/). A war pick, also called a horseman's pick, was just a war hammer with a particularly long, often curved, spike. That's it. That's the entire difference. Which is hardly worth being two separate weapons, so I combined them. It picked up the Fatal (d10) and Sunder properties because these things positively *ruined* armor. #### Whip I went back and forth on this one and ultimately ended up making it a Simple Melee Weapon because, at the end of the day, they're a tool that *can* be used as a weapon, rather than as a dedicated weapon. It also picked up the Ensnaring property, because it's a flexible weapon and the property was made with those in mind, and the Medium property because its weight qualifies it. ### Martial Ranged Weapons #### Blowgun I hate that the blowgun is even a weapon, much less a Martial weapon, because it's a barely passable hunting tool that relies solely on poisons to take down targets and there are a *staggeringly* large number of creatures that are just flat out immune to poison. So, I removed it and made it a piece of Adventuring Gear. #### Longbow Similar to the shortbow, and for similar reasons, I gave it a Strength 13 requirement and increased its damage to 2d5. #### Net Like the blowgun, I *hate* that this thing is a weapon, but I *especially* hate that it's a Martial weapon; and, to add insult to injury, it's a ranged weapon with a short range of 5 feet, so your attacks with it are *always* at disadvantage. Who the hell thought that was a good idea? Anyway, I removed it and made it a piece of Adventuring Gear, because at the end of the day, even the *retiarii* gladiators only used it as a tool to ensnare or distrct their opponent, rather than as a weapon, in and of itself.
[The Hopeful Knight by Manuel Castañón](https://www.deviantart.com/castaguer93/art/The-Hopeful-Knight-596404439)
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## Changes from PHB Weapon & Armor Tables
### Light Armor #### Padded I *hate* this stuff because of its asinine stealth disadvantage and I could write paragraphs about why it's stupid. But I won't (this time). I renamed it the aketon, a type of padded jacket generally intended to be worn under heavier armor to absorb impacts. As a result, it gained bludgeoning resistance, while its AC dropped to unarmored values. #### Studded Leather I *loathe* that this is a thing, because it only exists thanks to people misunderstanding what brigandine armor was. So, I just renamed it the brigandine and, to make it attractive over the gambeson that stole its spot, its AC increased to 13 + Dex. ### Medium Armor #### Hide Anyone else find hide kinda weird? You take a bunch of hides from animals that you, presumably, killed with an arrow or spear, and then sew them together into a jacket. Thing is, it didn't help the animal none, so why should it help you? I made it light armor and renamed it the gambeson, a type of thickly padded and quilted armor (some even had leather exteriors), commonly used the world over, but I otherwise left it alone. #### Chain Shirt I renamed this the jazerant, because that's the name for a shirt of chain sewn between two layers of cloth or leather, and I'm a pedantic fuckwit about these things. It swapped places with the breastplate in terms of AC simply because a jazerant, by virtue of having *sleeves* (and possibly extending down to your thighs), covers more of your body and should, therefore, offer more protection. #### Scale Mail I made it heavy armor, because a full suit of scale armor (which is what WotC describes) was actually pretty heavy; it offers solid protection, but is inflexible, so there's gaps. As a result, it gets a flat 17 AC and Piercing Resistance, because overlapping plates are pretty hard to penetrate. #### Breastplate I renamed it the cuirass, because "covers the vital organs" should include from the back, as well, and a *breast*plate, well, doesn't. A cuirass does, by virtue of including a backplate in its construction. Its base AC was lowered, but with the change to the medium armor Dex cap, it evens out to the same. #### Half Plate I increased its AC to 16 + Dex (max 3) and gave it slashing resistance so it's truly top of the line medium armor (and to offset that it's nearly 5 times the cost of the next lowest). \columnbreak ### Heavy Armor #### Ring Mail It's debatable if ring mail ever existed, but if it did, it would have been medium armor *at best* because of its design. So I renamed it the lamellar, which was far, *far* more ubiquitous, made it medium armor, changed its AC from a flat 14 to 15 + Dex (max 3), and gave it piercing resistance for the same reason as scale. #### Chain Mail Its AC got a boost from 16 to 18 and it picked up slashing resistance, because chain mail is fantastic armor that's really only held back by how much it cost and how long it took to make. Which is reflected in its price going from a mere 65 gp to 300 gp, or about 5 months of a skilled worker's time. #### Splint Splint armor only really exists as limb protection and was often worn with things like brigandines (the Visby armor is a good example). Its nearest cousin, though, is laminar, which is made up of *horizontal* bands of metal, and it can stand in for *lorica segmentata*, the iconic Roman armor, or even certain types of samurai armor, such as the *okegawa dou*. It picked up bludgeoning resistance and AC dropped to from 17 to 16 because, while they were protective, they also didn't cover a lot. #### Plate This one will be a controversial change, because having 20 AC *before* adding a shield messes with bounded accuracy a touch, but PHB plate just left a bad taste in my mouth, because a rogue in studded leather with a +5 Dex mod will have 17 AC *and* better saves against most AoEs. For 33 times the cost, worse Dex saves, and stealth disadvantage, you get... 1 extra point of AC. Sorry, think I'll just pass and go for half-plate and Medium Armor Master instead. So, they get a flat 20 AC, albeit at the cost of a slightly higher Strength requirement. ### Shields #### Shield Since I expanded shields to encompass heavy, light, medium, and special options, I couldn't very well leave it as "shield", now could I? So I named it the heater (shield), a popular type of mid-sized shield. I wanted shields to be *more* than just a static number, so it got a neat little Dark Souls-inspired deflect ability, but also a Strength 11 requirement to keep it from *totally* overshadowing the targe, which became the "standard" shield. \pagebreakNum
### Design Notes on New Weapons
#### Knife I created this one largely to fill the gap left by the scythe, but also because *unlike* the dagger & parrying dagger, I felt there were enough differences to warrant having a discrete knife. A kukri, karambit, or bowie knife will be used quite a bit differently than a bollock dagger, parrying dagger, or a rondel dagger, for instance. #### Pickaxe In keeping with my idea that Simple Weapons are weapons of the common folk or repurposed tools, the pickaxe felt like a natural addition to the table. It was originally a Heavy piercing weapon along the lines of the greatclub, but then I remembered that there are quite a few smaller variants, prominent among them the Roman *dolabra*, so I made it Medium and gave it a choice between piercing and slashing. #### Atlatl Spear throwers of all types show up all throughout history and in quite a few cultures; I went with atlatl for the name because it's, I believe, the most commonly recognized. It's also Simple instead of Martial because, while there *have* been cases of it being used in war, it had a relatively short range of about 65 feet that would be less than ideal in battle. It is, however, perfectly fine for hunting. #### Stonebow I moved the Light Crossbow from Simple to Martial because crossbows are *mostly* weapons of war, but I didn't want to leave its spot vacant, so I created a replacement; stonebows were essentially the precursor to the slingshot we know today in crossbow form. They weren't exactly high powered, but because their payload was quite light (lighter than an average (historical) crossbow bolt), they still packed a mean punch. #### Lucerne There was no Heavy Reach weapon that dealt bludgeoning damage, so while a Lucerne hammer/bec de corbin were capable of bludgeoning *and* piercing, I chose to simplify it to just bludgeoning the same way the halberd, capable of piercing and slashing, was limited to just slashing. #### Saber A weird omission in the chart, I guess they just expected you to refluff a scimitar, which *technically* works, but "saber" typically conjures to mind a cavalry saber with ornate hilt that's more comparable to a rapier. Hence this. #### Composite Bow I created this one to bridge the gap between the shortbow and the longbow, particularly with the latter's increased damage. And again when I decided to add a Strength requirement to the bows, as the requirements for the shortbow were a paltry 9, while the longbow's was a relatively beefy 13. \columnbreak #### Guisarme For a long time, I had a farming scythe as a Simple Melee Weapon, but basically everything about them renders them unsuitable for combat. Even Paulus Hector Mair's treatise on using it as a weapon show it to be awkward as all hell, so I decided to rename it to the Guisarme, a bladed polearm that had the same general shape with the addition of a spike jutting up from the spine for thrusting. It makes for a *weird* looking weapon, which is a large part of why it's exotic. #### Hook Sword A newer addition, I'm just surprised it took me so long to stat them because I've been a *huge* fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender ever since it first premiered on Nickolodean all those years ago. I mainly decided to create them because they filled an interesting design space where they were *kinda*, but not really, a transforming weapon. #### Iklwa Appearing under the name of yklwa in Tomb of Annihilation (and, to my knowledge, nowhere else), it was a simple melee weapon that was basically a better spear (unless you cared about throwing it, but then why weren't you using a javelin?). I've had a fondness for the short Zulu spear for years ever since I first came across the version produced by Cold Steel, so it was only natural that I bring it back in some form. #### Jian Another newer addition, I actually stat'ed this weapon ages ago while discussing a previous edition of this revision. The jian is a cut-and-thrust sword often likened to the rapier, so the easiest route to go was to give it (roughly) the same damage, but split between piercing and slashing, making it slightly unique. It's also Light as they were often used in pairs, with some sets being made to fit into a single sheath, where they appeared as a single sword. #### Katana Call me a weeb and I'll be forced to agree. What can I say? While I *greatly* dislike the cult that surrounds the katana, I still have a soft spot for it and I can find enough differences between it and the longsword from my time practicing both to justify having them as separate weapons. Because of how it's balanced and the design of its guard, the longsword is easier to wield nimbly in one hand than a katana, which can honestly just feel like dead weight one-handed unless it's *really* well made. #### Khopesh The khopesh is a Bronze Age axe-sword hybrid that I've always really liked and that is *way* smaller than most people assume, but its balance means it hits like a truck nonetheless. \pagebreakNum
### Design Notes on New Weapons
#### Kusarigama This one's gone through a few revisions to refine it that much more. I really like the concept of the kusarigama: entangle your opponent (and/or their weapon) with the chain and move in for the killing blow with the sickle... Or just skip that and bludgeon them to death with the weight. #### Macuahuitl Yet another newer addition, I created this to replace the kukri I had in an older edition that just ended up being pointlessly between a sickle and a handaxe in specs. Plus, this is another of those weapons that I really like that's also super underappreciated. Going by Spanish accounts, these things were *nasty* and felt right at home here. #### Nodachi Gonna be totally honest here, this one really only exists because I have a character that wields a nodachi and I felt that reflavoring a greatsword was too boring, especially considering the direction I ended up taking the katana allowed for more interesting differences. #### Rope Dart I created this because of, like 7 parts rule of cool and 3 parts (maybe a bit more) nostalgia, because my first introduction to a weapon like this was while watching Shanghai Noon as a kid back in the day; seeing Jackie Chan's character cobble one together out of rope and a horseshoe (though, technically, that makes it a meteor hammer rather than a rope dart, but to-may-to, to-mah-to) was just really cool to young me. Still is. #### Shotel Like the rope dart, though with more nostalgia, I owe this one being specifically a shotel (rather than, say, a falx) to Gundam Wing as a kid and Gundam Sandrock's heat shotels; particularly with the way Quatre would throw them at enemy mechs... It really sticks with you considering the depressing amount of stock footage they had to use. #### Tinbei Rochin An unusual weapon from Okinawa, it is, to my knowledge, one of the only examples of a genuinely paired weapon; that is, it is *always* used as a set of shield (tinbei) and a short weapon (rochin). The rochin was most commonly a short spear about the length of the practitioner's forearm, give or take, though short swords and machete-style blades have also been used. Aside from it being a personal favorite, it offers such an interesting design space that I couldn't help but replace the comparatively boring caestus I previously had with it. \columnbreak #### Tonfa The tonfa is given as an example of refluffing for the monk class, but calling a tonfa a club is like saying the sun is hot: it's *technically* true, but doesn't really encompass the entirety of it. They're super easy to deflect weapons with and their design allows for some pretty fantastic rotational energy if you know what you're doing that a club just doesn't have. #### Wakizashi Since I had the equivalent to the longsword/broadsword and greatsword, it stood to reason that I needed an equivalent to the shortsword, right? At least, that's what I tell myself. #### Boomerang I wanted a club analogue to the dagger/dart dichotomy and the boomerang is probably the most famous example of such a weapon... Though, oddly, when I think "throwing club", I actually picture a rungu, a type of African throwing club. #### Crossbow, Repeating This was *totally*, most *definitely* not created because I love and hate the repeating crossbow from Dark Souls 3, particularly when used by Slave Knight Gael. Yep, totally not the case. #### Crossbow, Repeating Hand I originally had a heavy siege crossbow that used a d14 for its damage die, but when I made the decision to step away from the d14 (as only the pike and the siege crossbow used it and, well, the pike ended up getting removed), it was knocked down to a d12. And the more I looked at it, the more boring it seemed, so I decided to go for a repeating hand crossbow to replace it. #### Greatbow Being 100% sincere, I didn't realize that Waterdeep: Dragon's Heist had an Oversized Longbow with these exact stats (well, mine's heavier) that *also* used Strength instead of Dexterity when I created this. I just wanted a greatbow like those damn Silver Knight Archers from Dark Souls. #### Slingstaff The last of the newest additions, I created it to replace the chakram, which I was dissatisfied with, and serves as the bigger brother of the sling. It can also be used as a sturdy stick to beat people with, making it a fairly unique ranged weapon. \pagebreakNum
Your Gear
In vanilla 5e, your choices in arms and armor is, largely, inconsequential. Your weapon is whatever has the biggest damage die you can wield, while your armor is whatever gives you the most AC. Which, to be fair, are important things. But it's also boring. The aim of this document is to spice things up a bit. And the main reason for touching this again after so long away (albeit it mainly amounts to fixing broken images) is due to the recent OneD&D playtest with Weapon Masteries. A good idea, but too limiting to my eyes, so hopefully this old homebrew will provide a decent alternative to those who want their choice in gear to matter more without being locked into a specific class or just one or two weapons. Cover - [Armory by Nadine Schakel](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/OrAJ6)
[WWW.GMBINDER.COM](https://www.gmbinder.com)
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> ##### Exotic Weapon Proficiency > At your DM's discretion, you may gain proficiency in exotic weapons through the (Revised) Weapon Master feat (below) or by finding a trainer, as detailed in the "Between Adventures" section of the Player's Handbook (Page 187). > > Also at your DM's discretion, the following weapons may be added to the following classes' lists of weapon proficiency: > > **Barbarian:** Exotic Melee Weapons > > **Druid:** Iklwa, Macuahuitl > > **Fighter:** Exotic Weapons > > **Monk:** Hook Sword, Rope Dart* > > **Ranger:** Shotel, Tinbei Rochin > > **Rogue:** Buckler, Saber > > *If added to the monk's weapon proficiencies, it's recommended to allow it to be classified as a standard monk weapon (i.e., doesn't require the Dedicated Weapon feature) despite the two-handed property. ### Weapon Master (Revised) *You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons. You gain the following benefits:* - You gain proficiency with all weapons. - You can draw and stow a weapon as part of the Attack action. If you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, you can do this as part of each attack. - You can use a bonus action to strike with a different part of your weapon, such as the butt of an axe, the edge of a spear, or the point of a sword. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a d4, and the attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage depending on the part of the weapon you chose to use. ### Momentum Master *Prerequisite: Strength or Dexterity 17 or higher* - While wielding a weapon with the Momentum property, you can use a bonus action on your turn to build Momentum with your weapon. - Weapons you wield with the Momentum property gain the Vicious property.