Drict's Weapon Upgrades v3

by TheTranMan

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Upgrading Weapons

Progress on upgrading weapons follows a branching path system, with available options splitting into multiple tiers. At first, a weapon can only be upgraded with a limited selection of 1st tier properties depending on its type, each of which "unlocks" one or more options from the next tier. The following additional rules apply when upgrading a weapon with a new property.

  • Prerequisites. All Prerequisite conditions must be satisfied to apply a new Property, as shown in the Weapon Upgrades table.
  • 1st-Tier. 1st-Tier Upgrades can be applied by anyone proficient with the appropriate Tools and materials required for it (Smith's Tools for Metal Weapons, Carpenter's or Woodcarver's Tools for Bows or Crossbows, etc.)
  • 2nd-Tier. 2nd-Tier Upgrades can be applied by a Trained Crafter proficient with the weapon and the appropriate Tools and materials required for it.
  • 3rd-Tier. 3rd-Tier Upgrades can be applied by a Master Artisan who has expertise and proficiency with the appropriate Tools and materials required for it.
  • Downtime. Typically it takes a Crafter a full day of work (minimum 8 hours) to upgrade a weapon with a new Property.
  • Permanent. Once added, a Property can't be removed from a weapon.

Weapon Upgrade Cost

Upgrading a weapon has a base cost associated with each tier, with subsequent upgrades of that tier costing twice the previous amount for that tier. For example, the Fighter decides to pay a visit to a local blacksmith in order to have a customized pommel attached to his dagger—adding the masterwork tag—for the Tier 1 Base Cost of 100gp. Later, he returns to have the blade honed—adding the sharpened tag—this time costing 200gp, with the next 1st Tier upgrade costing 400gp, and so on.

Upgrades are grouped by tier for the purposes of this cost scaling: continuing with the above example, if the Fighter then wishes to have the blade of his dagger partially serrated in order to improve its effectiveness when slicing and cutting—adding the saw toothed tag—it would cast 1,000gp (the 2nd tier base cost) provided that the dagger doesn't already possess any other 2nd tier tags.

No one upgrade can be applied to a weapon more than once, unless they explicitly

Some of the following Upgrades use the Critical Hit Range Ruleset.

Medieval Era Weapon Upgrades

1st-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 100gp

Magical Upgrades

Runic Mold


  • Upgrade Type: Enchantment Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Medieval-Era Weapon

This Weapon can have one Runestone installed. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, using the same rules for the Weapon Upgrade Cost, to have one additional Runestone installation slot each time you purchase the upgrade.

Masterwork Upgrade

Masterwork


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Medieval-Era Weapon

A Masterwork weapon is a finely crafted version of a normal weapon. You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.

Critical Improvement Upgrades

Sharpened Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Attack Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons that deal Piercing or Slashing
  • damage

When you attack with this weapon, your Critical Hit range made with this weapon lowers by 1.

Sight Pin


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Attack Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Bows and Crossbows

When you attack with this weapon, your Critical Hit range made with this weapon lowers by 1.

Damage Improvement Upgrades

Additional Balls


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Flails

Attacks with this weapon deal an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage.

Keen Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Medieval-Era Melee Weapon

You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to damage rolls made with this weapon.

Oiled String


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Bows and Crossbows

You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to damage rolls made with this weapon.

Saw-Toothed Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Weapon

Attacks with this weapon deal an additional 1d4 slashing damage. It doesn't deal this additional damage against constructs however.

Spike Attachments


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons that deal Bludgeoning damage

Attacks with this weapon deal an additional 1d4 piercing damage.

Misc. Upgrades

Greater Reach


  • Upgrade Type: Reach Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons with the Reach Property

Your reach with this weapon increases by 5 more feet.

Hooked Polearm


  • Upgrade Type: Battlefield Control Improvement
  • Prerequisite: The Glaive, Halberd, or Pike Weapons

When you attack with this weapon and hit a creature equal to your size, you can choose to either pull it 5 feet closer to you, or grapple it with the hook (escape DC equals 8 + your Strength modifier).

Improved Strap


  • Upgrade Type: Wielding Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Weapons with the Strapped Property

The articulation of the strap allows for more manipulation with your hand. You can wield or hold another item in this hand, unless it is one that also has the Strapped Property.

Loading Chamber


  • Upgrade Type: Ammunition Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Crossbows

This Weapon replaces the Loading property with the Reload (10) property, which means you can fire it 10 times before requiring an action or bonus action to reload it.

Pushing Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Battlefield Control Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Heavy Weapons that deal Bludgeoning damage

When you attack with this weapon and hit a creature of your size or larger, you can choose to push it 5 feet away in a direction of your choice.

Superior Hilt Guard


  • Upgrade Type: Defensive Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons that lack the Two-Handed Property,
  • or ones that deal Bludgeoning damage

While wielding this weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to AC against Melee Weapon Attacks.

Medieval Era Weapon Upgrades

2nd-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 1000gp

Brute Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons that lack the Finesse Property

When you roll for this weapon's damage, you deal one extra die of its damage and add it to the total resulting damage of the attack.

Flanged Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: A Weapon with the Spiked Upgrade or a Mace or
  • Maul

When you hit a creature wearing nonmagical medium or heavy armor, you sunder its armor, inflicting a noncumulative -1 penalty to its Armor Class until the armor is repaired.


If the weapon is magical, it can inflict this property onto magical medium or heavy armor.

Lethal Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Weapon

On a critical hit, the weapon deals one extra die of its damage and adds it to the total resulting damage of the attack.

Ogrecutter Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Melee Weapons that deal Slashing damage

When you roll for this weapon's damage against a creature of a size Large or larger, you roll one extra die of its damage and add it to the total resulting damage of the attack.

Powerful Bowstring


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: A Ranged Weapon with the Oiled String Upgrade.
  • Can only be applied to weapons with one damage die

The damage dice of this weapon increases by one size (For example, 1d6 becomes 1d8, and 1d10 becomes 1d12) to a maximum of 1d12. If the Weapon has the Draw Weight property, it increases the Strength requirement by 2 (example: Str 13 becomes Str 15). If it doesn't have that property, it gains it with a Strength requirement of 11.

Ruthless Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Weapon

When you attack with this weapon and roll the maximum result for the weapon's damage dice (8 on a d8, 6 on a d6), you can add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage roll, and add it to the total resulting damage of the weapon's attack.

Superior Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: A Melee Weapon with the Masterwork or Keen
  • Upgrade. Can only be applied to weapons with one damage die

The damage dice of this weapon increases by one size (For example, 1d6 becomes 1d8, and 1d10 becomes 1d12) to a maximum of 1d12.

Medieval Era Weapon Upgrades

3rd-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 10,000gp

Mastercraft Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Weapon

You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Industrial Era Weapon Upgrades

1st-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 500gp

Magical Upgrades

Runic Mold


  • Upgrade Type: Enchantment Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Weapon

This Weapon can have one Runestone installed. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, using the same rules for the Weapon Upgrade Cost, to have one additional Runestone installation slot each time you purchase the upgrade.

Masterwork Upgrade

Masterwork Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Weapon

A Masterwork weapon is a finely crafted version of a normal weapon. You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.

Critical Improvement Upgrades

Aiming Scope


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Attack Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial Era Firearm

When you attack with this weapon, your Critical Hit range made with this weapon lowers by 1. In addition, anything viewed through the scope can be magnified up to 5x their size.

Sharpened


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Attack Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Industrial-Era Melee Weapons that deal Piercing or
  • Slashing

When you attack with this weapon, your Critical Hit range made with this weapon lowers by 1.

Damage Improvement Upgrades

Fine Barrel


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearm

You gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls made with this weapon.

Greased Sawblade


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Industrial-Era Melee Weapons with the Sawblade
  • Property

Each added 1d4 Damage the Sawblade deals adds a +1 Bonus to its damage rolls.

Misc. Firearm Upgrades

Calculated Spray


  • Upgrade Type: Reach Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearms with the Burst Fire
  • Property

When a creature saves vs. the effects of Burst Fire from this Weapon, they take half as much damage instead of no damage.

Gun Mount


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Addition
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Longarm except for the Shotgun

This weapon gains the Gun Mount Property.

Longer Barrel


  • Upgrade Type: Range Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearm

You double the normal range and long range of this weapon.

Shock Absorber


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearm with the Recoil Property

You lower the Strength Requirement for the Recoil trait by 2 (ex. 13 becomes 11, 11 becomes 9, etc.).

Silencer


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Addition
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearm

Whenever you make an attack with this weapon, it doesn't make an audible sound.

Industrial Era Weapon Upgrades

2nd-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 5000gp

Binary Trigger


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearms with the Automatic
  • Property

Whenever you make one attack with this weapon, you fire it twice, making two attack rolls with it, which must be made at the same target.

Hardclap Hammer


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Sidearms and Longarms

On a Critical hit, the weapon deals one extra die of its damage and adds it to the total resulting damage of the attack.

Liquefier Rifling


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Industrial-Era Firearms with the Fine Barrel
  • Upgrade

When you Attack with this Weapon and roll the Maximum Result for the Weapon's Damage Dice (10 on d10, 6 on d6), you can add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the Damage again, and add it to the total resulting damage of the Weapon Attack.

Multi-Rocket


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: The Rocket Launcher

This Weapon replaces the Loading Property with the Reload (2-9, your choice of amount when you purchase this upgrade) Property, which means you can fire it 4 times before requiring an Action or Bonus action to reload it. As a Special Attack, you can fire all rockets, which adds one more die of it's damage to the Explosive Ammunition Property, instead of making an attack with each rocket.

Industrial Era Weapon Upgrades

3rd-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 50,000gp

Mastercraft Weapon


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Weapon

You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Futuristic Era Weapon Upgrades

1st-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 1,000gp

Magical Upgrades

Runic Mold


  • Upgrade Type: Enchantment Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

This Weapon can have one Runestone installed. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, using the same rules for the Weapon Upgrade Cost, to have one additional Runestone installation slot each time you purchase the upgrade.

Masterwork Upgrade

Masterwork Manufacture


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

A Masterwork weapon is a finely crafted version of a normal weapon. You gain a +1 nonmagical bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.

Critical Improvement Upgrades

Laser Sight + Scope


  • Upgrade Type: Critical Attack Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Firearm

When you attack with this weapon, your Critical Hit range made with this weapon lowers by 1. In addition, anything viewed through the scope can be magnified up to 5x their size.

General Upgrades

Charge Preserver


  • Upgrade Type: Ammunition Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon with the Overheat
  • Property

You double the amount of shots the weapon can make from its Reload Property.

Coolant Cells


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon with the Overheat
  • Property

This weapon's Heat Charges decrease by half the weapon's Overheat maximum, instead of 1, at the start of each of your turns.

Hyperlens


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Type Addition
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

Whenever you make an attack with this weapon, you can change the damage type to be Radiant damage instead.

Power Refractor


  • Upgrade Type: Range Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

You quintuple (x5) the Normal and Long Range of your Futuristic Firearm.

Powerful Lens


  • Upgrade Type: Damage Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

You gain a +3 Bonus to Damage rolls made with this weapon.

Super Charge


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon with the Overheat
  • Property

When you use the Charge Shot Attack, you can generate more heat charges to deal more damage as followed:

  • 2 Heat Charges to deal one extra die of damage (as normal).
  • 3 Heat Charges to deal two extra die of damage.
  • 4 Heat Charges to deal three extra die of damage.
  • 5 Heat Charges to deal four extra die of damage.

Futuristic Era Weapon Upgrades

2st-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 10,000gp

Disintegrator Coupling


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Addition
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon

This weapon gains the Disintegrate property:


Disintegrate. When you drop a creature to 0 hit points with this weapon, they disintegrate into a pile of fine ash, leaving behind any magical items on their person. A creature reduced to dust can be restored to life only by a true resurrection or wish spell.


You also automatically disintegrate any nonmagical objects hit with this weapon, but if it is a Huge or larger object or creation, this weapon only disintegrates a 10-foot-cube portion of which you hit.

Shutdown Prevention Oscillators


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon with the EC Ammunition
  • property

Whenever this weapon is targeted by effects that electronically disable it, such as an EMP or similar feature, when it begins to fail due to short circuiting or requiring to restart it, you may instead reload this weapon with a new EC Ammunition to automatically get the weapon to function again.

Voltage Capacitors


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Property Upgrade
  • Prerequisite: Any Futuristic-Era Weapon with the Powerful Lens
  • Upgrade

When you attack with this weapon and roll the Maximum Result for the Weapon's Damage Dice (8 on d8, 6 on d6), you can add your Strength or Dexterity Modifier to the Damage again, and add it to the total resulting damage of the Weapon's Attack.

Futuristic Era Weapon Upgrades

3rd-Tier Upgrades — Base Cost: 100,000gp

Mastercraft


  • Upgrade Type: Weapon Improvement
  • Prerequisite: Masterwork Manufacture Weapon

You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

 

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