Weapon Properties
Unlike armor, most weapons have special properties. The following list includes both standard and new properties, some of which are only available through the masterwork weapons rules.
Many of the properties here include descriptions of the weapon shapes that best utilize them. These descriptions interact with the masterwork weapon rules, as described at the end of this chapter. Accurate. Accurate weapons are typified by precise sighting points or aerodynamic features.
This weapon, when used to make ranged attacks, reduces by 1 point the Armor Class benefit an opponent derives from half cover or three-quarter cover. Aerodynamic. This weapon has features that improve its ability to fly (or project its ammunition) over long distances.
A weapon with the ammunition property adds +10/40 to its range increments. A weapon with the ballistic property adds +10/30 while a weapon with the thrown property adds +5/15. Alternate (B), (P), or (S). Alternate weapons have multiple effective striking surfaces.
When you wish, you can employ the listed alternate damage type with no change to the weapon’s damage dice. Doing so does not reduce the weapon’s efficiency or convert it into an improvised weapon. 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.
Weapons with this property have two ranges shown in parentheses. The first is the normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s maximum 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.
If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in this chapter). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way. Ballistic. You can use a firearm that has the ballistic property to make a ranged attack only if it is loaded with ammunition. Each time you attack with the firearm, you expend one piece of ammunition. This means a combination of a load (a ball or a weight of shot pellets) and a charge (a measured weight of gunpowder). Alternately, a cartridge of any kind constitutes a piece of ammunition.
A firearm without the magazine weapon property can load only a single piece of ammunition in each of its barrels. If you run out of ammunition, you cannot make additional attacks with the weapon, even if you have a feature that allows you to make additional attacks with that action, bonus action, or reaction. You must reload the firearm before you can use it again.
Weapons with this property require two hands to reload. Reloading a piece of ammunition (powder from a horn and a bullet), requires an action. Barrel-loaded firearms with multiple barrels require each to be reloaded separately. The addition of the magazine property can quicken this process, as described below.
Weapons with this property have two ranges shown in parentheses. 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 on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
If you use a weapon that has the ballistic property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in this chapter). Blast. This property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. These attacks are made with advantage, increasing the weapon’s reliability against close targets and offsetting the disadvantage applied to long-range targets.
Attacking a target within the weapon’s long range increment (beyond its normal range), lets you designate a secondary target within 5 feet of the primary target and apply your attack and damage roll to both. Choose both targets before rolling to hit.
Attacks with this ammunition do not apply your ability modifier to damage unless the modifier is negative. Nor are these attacks subtle or precise enough to apply a rogue’s Sneak Attack damage. Breach. Melee breach weapons have long, narrow piercing points while ranged breach attacks are propelled with exceptional force.
If this property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, it applies only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. Breach allows attacks to ignore up to 1 point of a target’s protection from armor. The attack recalculates accordingly the target’s armor benefit (AC points derived from armor, natural armor, and shields). This does not affect AC bonuses derived from other sources like Dexterity modifiers, class features, or magical enhancements.
If this property is noted with a number (as in the case of some firearms), the breach effect ignores up to the stated number of points of the target’s protection from armor. Cruel. Cruel weapons have malicious barbs or are built to shatter or splinter in the wound in such a way that a survivor of the attack will suffer additional pains and have difficulty recovering. Such tools are the hallmark of evil creatures and are usually eschewed by goodly and noble societies.
If this property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, it applies only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. Each successful attack with a cruel weapon leaves a piece (or the entirety) of the weapon or ammunition in the wound. Removing the object requires an action and a successful DC 8 Wisdom (Medicine) check, with each failure inflicting 1 additional point of damage.
For each piece of cruel ammunition currently in a target, temporarily reduce its maximum hit points by 1 and increase the DC of any Wisdom (Medicine) checks to stabilize it by 1.
Cruel ammunition is always destroyed when used; you cannot recover any intact pieces after a battle as you might with normal ammunition. Deadly. Deadly weapons often have high-quality blades that hold keen, razor-sharp edges.
With any successful attack, you can reroll up to one of the weapon’s damage dice if it rolls a 1. You cannot reroll any die that has already been rerolled with another effect (such as the Great Weapon Fighting class feature or the Savage Attacker feat) and vice versa. Defensive. Defensive weapons are typified by prominent parrying surfaces or protrusions that prevent an enemy’s weapon from sliding down onto the wielder’s hand during a clash.
If you are wielding a weapon with this property and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add a +1 bonus to your Armor Class for that attack only, potentially causing the attack to miss you. If you are wielding two weapons with this property, the bonus is instead +2. This bonus to Armor Class is not compatible with the bonus from a shield nor does it combine with the benefits of the Defensive Duelist feat. Disarming. A disarming weapon has one or more entangling sections or small hooked protrusions designed to snag a weapon and pull it from the enemy’s grasp.
When wielding this weapon, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls to disarm. Increase this bonus to +3 if the weapon is two-handed or is versatile and used in two hands, or if you are wielding two single-handed weapons that each have this property. (These benefits do not apply to a Disarming Attack Combat Maneuver, which uses unrelated techniques to both disarm and inflict damage with the same strike.) Even without this weapon property, you can use a weapon attack to knock a weapon or another item from a target’s grasp. To do this, make an attack roll contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. You have disadvantage on the attack roll if the target is holding the item with two or more hands. The target has advantage on its ability check if it is larger than you, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If you win the contest, the attack causes no damage or other ill effect, but the defender drops the item. (This disarming system is presented as an optional rule in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 271.) Ersatz. If the d20 for your attack roll with this weapon produces a 1, the weapon suffers significant damage; in addition to the attack automatically missing, the weapon suffers a permanent and cumulative –1 penalty to damage rolls. If the penalty gets to –5, the weapon is destroyed.
A crafter using the applicable artisan’s tools can repair this weapon if it has not yet been destroyed. Each –1 penalty applied is repaired at a cost of 5% of the weapon’s normal value.
Attacks made using ammunition with the ersatz property have a –1 penalty to damage. Whether it hits or misses, such ammunition is destroyed when used; none of it can be collected after the battle. Fine. This weapon is produced from high-quality materials using exceptional techniques. Such items are hard to destroy.
Double the weapon’s object hardness (if any) and its hit points. Finesse. Finesse weapons are lightweight, designed for fast, precise attacks.
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. Gargantuan. These weapons are designed for Gargantuan creatures. They are normally unusable by Huge or smaller creatures. Handgun. Handguns are single-handed weapons easily wielded in close combat. Any firearm with this weapon property does not suffer disadvantage for its use when a hostile creature is within 5 feet.
Light weapons with the handgun property allow you to employ the rules for two-weapon fighting. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a light weapon that you’re holding in your other hand if it has the handgun weapon property. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless it is negative. Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. High-Critical. These weapons are the type that make deep wounds; the injuries inflicted are more likely to reach vital organs.
If the d20 roll for an attack with this weapon is a 20, your critical hit inflicts significant damage. Any damage dice rolled for the attack that come up as 1s are instead treated as 2s. This benefit does not apply to critical hits scored on d20 rolls other than 20, such as might occur with the Improved Critical class feature or similar effects. Huge. These weapons are designed for Huge creatures. They are normally unusable by Large or smaller creatures. Large. These weapons are designed for Large creatures. They are normally unusable by Medium or smaller creatures. Light. A light weapon is both lightweight and short, suitable for use in the off-hand.
Light weapons allow you to employ the rules for two-weapon fighting. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in your other hand. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless it is negative. If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon instead of making a melee attack with it. Loading. You can fire only one piece of ammunition from this weapon when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make. Magazine. A firearm with this property can hold up to the number of rounds listed parenthetically after this weapon property. Without this property, a firearm can load only one round at a time per barrel.
As an action, you can load a number of cartridges, shotshells, or slugs equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1) into the magazine of a firearm you are holding. As a bonus action, you can load a single cartridge, shotshell, or slug into the magazine of a firearm you are holding, regardless of Dexterity or other factors. Misfire. If the d20 for your attack roll produces a 1, the barrel of a weapon with this property is fouled; in addition to the attack automatically missing, the barrel is rendered inoperable and the ammunition is destroyed. A fouled barrel must be cleaned and recharged before it can be used again. This cleaning takes 15 minutes and requires tinker’s tools.
Each loaded barrel of a firearm from the Firearms 1 or 2 limited lists (weapons not using sealed metal cartridges) is also fouled if submerged, even if the weapon lacks the misfire property.
Some firearms list a number parenthetically after the misfire property. If the d20 for your attack roll is equal to or lower than the number indicated, prior to any modifiers, the weapon’s barrel is fouled. When a natural 1 is not rolled, it is possible for such an attack to hit its target and still result in a fouled barrel.
If you have a class feature that increases a weapon’s misfire rating, and the firearm lacks this property, add the misfire property with a rating equal to what the increase would have been. Natatorial. The Underwater Combat rules do not impose disadvantage on attack rolls with this weapon. All other restrictions apply as normal. See page 198 of the Player’s Handbook.
Note: This is not a new weapon property. The Player’s Handbook already applies this benefit to crossbows, daggers, javelins, nets, shortswords, spears, and tridents, and to weapons that are thrown. This just simply plucks this effect from its obscure corner of the standard rules and drops it into the equipment descriptions. Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it. Some weapons add more distance, as provided in their individual descriptions. Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use. Those rules are detailed in the item’s individual description. 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.
Weapons with this property have two ranges in parentheses. 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 on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
Creatures do not have disadvantage on ranged attacks with thrown weapons while using the Underwater Combat rules. See page 198 of the Player’s Handbook. Tiny. These weapons are designed for Tiny creatures. Wielders of all sizes can use such weapons without penalty.
A Tiny creature cannot normally wield a weapon that lacks this property. Tripping. This weapon is well suited to hook or wrap around your target’s supporting limbs, causing it to fall.
While wielding this weapon, you gain a +2 bonus on your Strength (Athletics) checks for shoving a creature if you are attempting to knock it prone (see the Player’s Handbook, page 195). Increase this bonus to +3 if the weapon is two-handed (or is versatile and used in two hands), or if you are wielding two single-handed weapons that each have this property.
These benefits do not apply to a Trip Attack Combat Maneuver, which uses unrelated techniques to both trip and inflict damage with the same strike. Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands to attack with. Unarmed (B), (P), or (S). A device with this property affixes to the knuckles, fingers, or the back of the hand. It often takes the form of a glove. Sometimes it is a set of finger rings (connected or unconnected) that are quite heavy or bear sharp protrusions.
This device can modify the wearer’s unarmed attacks. If this weapon property is noted (P) or (S), unarmed strikes using the device may inflict piercing or slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage. This device doesn’t restrict the user’s unarmed attacks, which can be made with other body parts.
Devices with the unarmed property are not gripped in the hand so do not prevent the wearer from holding something else or otherwise using the affected hand. A device with this property requires an action to put on or remove, a task that requires both hands. It cannot be disarmed.
Unarmed devices can be made magical as weapons can. They can also be silvered or otherwise constructed of exotic materials, increasing the efficacy and versatility of your unarmed strikes. Versatile. Versatile weapons have longer handles than needed, or extra handles positioned at critical points on the weapon.
You can attack with a versatile weapon using one or two hands. The parenthetical damage value that appears following this property applies when the weapon is used to make a melee attack with two hands. Wounding. The sharp portions of a wounding weapon leave viciously-shaped injuries that are prone to bleeding.
If a target takes damage from one or more wounding attacks, it suffers 1 point of damage from blood loss at the end of its next turn. Any healing that occurs between the injury and the end of the creature’s turn prevents the damage. Binding the wound likewise prevents the damage, requiring an action and either a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check against a DC of 10 or spending one use of a healer’s kit.
Creatures without a circulatory system are immune to this property.
Many of the properties here include descriptions of the weapon shapes that best utilize them. These descriptions interact with the masterwork weapon rules, as described at the end of this chapter. Accurate. Accurate weapons are typified by precise sighting points or aerodynamic features.
This weapon, when used to make ranged attacks, reduces by 1 point the Armor Class benefit an opponent derives from half cover or three-quarter cover. Aerodynamic. This weapon has features that improve its ability to fly (or project its ammunition) over long distances.
A weapon with the ammunition property adds +10/40 to its range increments. A weapon with the ballistic property adds +10/30 while a weapon with the thrown property adds +5/15. Alternate (B), (P), or (S). Alternate weapons have multiple effective striking surfaces.
When you wish, you can employ the listed alternate damage type with no change to the weapon’s damage dice. Doing so does not reduce the weapon’s efficiency or convert it into an improvised weapon. 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.
Weapons with this property have two ranges shown in parentheses. The first is the normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s maximum 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.
If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in this chapter). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way. Ballistic. You can use a firearm that has the ballistic property to make a ranged attack only if it is loaded with ammunition. Each time you attack with the firearm, you expend one piece of ammunition. This means a combination of a load (a ball or a weight of shot pellets) and a charge (a measured weight of gunpowder). Alternately, a cartridge of any kind constitutes a piece of ammunition.
A firearm without the magazine weapon property can load only a single piece of ammunition in each of its barrels. If you run out of ammunition, you cannot make additional attacks with the weapon, even if you have a feature that allows you to make additional attacks with that action, bonus action, or reaction. You must reload the firearm before you can use it again.
Weapons with this property require two hands to reload. Reloading a piece of ammunition (powder from a horn and a bullet), requires an action. Barrel-loaded firearms with multiple barrels require each to be reloaded separately. The addition of the magazine property can quicken this process, as described below.
Weapons with this property have two ranges shown in parentheses. 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 on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
If you use a weapon that has the ballistic property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in this chapter). Blast. This property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. These attacks are made with advantage, increasing the weapon’s reliability against close targets and offsetting the disadvantage applied to long-range targets.
Attacking a target within the weapon’s long range increment (beyond its normal range), lets you designate a secondary target within 5 feet of the primary target and apply your attack and damage roll to both. Choose both targets before rolling to hit.
Attacks with this ammunition do not apply your ability modifier to damage unless the modifier is negative. Nor are these attacks subtle or precise enough to apply a rogue’s Sneak Attack damage. Breach. Melee breach weapons have long, narrow piercing points while ranged breach attacks are propelled with exceptional force.
If this property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, it applies only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. Breach allows attacks to ignore up to 1 point of a target’s protection from armor. The attack recalculates accordingly the target’s armor benefit (AC points derived from armor, natural armor, and shields). This does not affect AC bonuses derived from other sources like Dexterity modifiers, class features, or magical enhancements.
If this property is noted with a number (as in the case of some firearms), the breach effect ignores up to the stated number of points of the target’s protection from armor. Cruel. Cruel weapons have malicious barbs or are built to shatter or splinter in the wound in such a way that a survivor of the attack will suffer additional pains and have difficulty recovering. Such tools are the hallmark of evil creatures and are usually eschewed by goodly and noble societies.
If this property is applied to a weapon by its ammunition, it applies only for the attacks that make use of such ammunition. Each successful attack with a cruel weapon leaves a piece (or the entirety) of the weapon or ammunition in the wound. Removing the object requires an action and a successful DC 8 Wisdom (Medicine) check, with each failure inflicting 1 additional point of damage.
For each piece of cruel ammunition currently in a target, temporarily reduce its maximum hit points by 1 and increase the DC of any Wisdom (Medicine) checks to stabilize it by 1.
Cruel ammunition is always destroyed when used; you cannot recover any intact pieces after a battle as you might with normal ammunition. Deadly. Deadly weapons often have high-quality blades that hold keen, razor-sharp edges.
With any successful attack, you can reroll up to one of the weapon’s damage dice if it rolls a 1. You cannot reroll any die that has already been rerolled with another effect (such as the Great Weapon Fighting class feature or the Savage Attacker feat) and vice versa. Defensive. Defensive weapons are typified by prominent parrying surfaces or protrusions that prevent an enemy’s weapon from sliding down onto the wielder’s hand during a clash.
If you are wielding a weapon with this property and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add a +1 bonus to your Armor Class for that attack only, potentially causing the attack to miss you. If you are wielding two weapons with this property, the bonus is instead +2. This bonus to Armor Class is not compatible with the bonus from a shield nor does it combine with the benefits of the Defensive Duelist feat. Disarming. A disarming weapon has one or more entangling sections or small hooked protrusions designed to snag a weapon and pull it from the enemy’s grasp.
When wielding this weapon, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls to disarm. Increase this bonus to +3 if the weapon is two-handed or is versatile and used in two hands, or if you are wielding two single-handed weapons that each have this property. (These benefits do not apply to a Disarming Attack Combat Maneuver, which uses unrelated techniques to both disarm and inflict damage with the same strike.) Even without this weapon property, you can use a weapon attack to knock a weapon or another item from a target’s grasp. To do this, make an attack roll contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. You have disadvantage on the attack roll if the target is holding the item with two or more hands. The target has advantage on its ability check if it is larger than you, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If you win the contest, the attack causes no damage or other ill effect, but the defender drops the item. (This disarming system is presented as an optional rule in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 271.) Ersatz. If the d20 for your attack roll with this weapon produces a 1, the weapon suffers significant damage; in addition to the attack automatically missing, the weapon suffers a permanent and cumulative –1 penalty to damage rolls. If the penalty gets to –5, the weapon is destroyed.
A crafter using the applicable artisan’s tools can repair this weapon if it has not yet been destroyed. Each –1 penalty applied is repaired at a cost of 5% of the weapon’s normal value.
Attacks made using ammunition with the ersatz property have a –1 penalty to damage. Whether it hits or misses, such ammunition is destroyed when used; none of it can be collected after the battle. Fine. This weapon is produced from high-quality materials using exceptional techniques. Such items are hard to destroy.
Double the weapon’s object hardness (if any) and its hit points. Finesse. Finesse weapons are lightweight, designed for fast, precise attacks.
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. Gargantuan. These weapons are designed for Gargantuan creatures. They are normally unusable by Huge or smaller creatures. Handgun. Handguns are single-handed weapons easily wielded in close combat. Any firearm with this weapon property does not suffer disadvantage for its use when a hostile creature is within 5 feet.
Light weapons with the handgun property allow you to employ the rules for two-weapon fighting. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a light weapon that you’re holding in your other hand if it has the handgun weapon property. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless it is negative. Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. High-Critical. These weapons are the type that make deep wounds; the injuries inflicted are more likely to reach vital organs.
If the d20 roll for an attack with this weapon is a 20, your critical hit inflicts significant damage. Any damage dice rolled for the attack that come up as 1s are instead treated as 2s. This benefit does not apply to critical hits scored on d20 rolls other than 20, such as might occur with the Improved Critical class feature or similar effects. Huge. These weapons are designed for Huge creatures. They are normally unusable by Large or smaller creatures. Large. These weapons are designed for Large creatures. They are normally unusable by Medium or smaller creatures. Light. A light weapon is both lightweight and short, suitable for use in the off-hand.
Light weapons allow you to employ the rules for two-weapon fighting. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in your other hand. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless it is negative. If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon instead of making a melee attack with it. Loading. You can fire only one piece of ammunition from this weapon when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make. Magazine. A firearm with this property can hold up to the number of rounds listed parenthetically after this weapon property. Without this property, a firearm can load only one round at a time per barrel.
As an action, you can load a number of cartridges, shotshells, or slugs equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1) into the magazine of a firearm you are holding. As a bonus action, you can load a single cartridge, shotshell, or slug into the magazine of a firearm you are holding, regardless of Dexterity or other factors. Misfire. If the d20 for your attack roll produces a 1, the barrel of a weapon with this property is fouled; in addition to the attack automatically missing, the barrel is rendered inoperable and the ammunition is destroyed. A fouled barrel must be cleaned and recharged before it can be used again. This cleaning takes 15 minutes and requires tinker’s tools.
Each loaded barrel of a firearm from the Firearms 1 or 2 limited lists (weapons not using sealed metal cartridges) is also fouled if submerged, even if the weapon lacks the misfire property.
Some firearms list a number parenthetically after the misfire property. If the d20 for your attack roll is equal to or lower than the number indicated, prior to any modifiers, the weapon’s barrel is fouled. When a natural 1 is not rolled, it is possible for such an attack to hit its target and still result in a fouled barrel.
If you have a class feature that increases a weapon’s misfire rating, and the firearm lacks this property, add the misfire property with a rating equal to what the increase would have been. Natatorial. The Underwater Combat rules do not impose disadvantage on attack rolls with this weapon. All other restrictions apply as normal. See page 198 of the Player’s Handbook.
Note: This is not a new weapon property. The Player’s Handbook already applies this benefit to crossbows, daggers, javelins, nets, shortswords, spears, and tridents, and to weapons that are thrown. This just simply plucks this effect from its obscure corner of the standard rules and drops it into the equipment descriptions. Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it. Some weapons add more distance, as provided in their individual descriptions. Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use. Those rules are detailed in the item’s individual description. 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.
Weapons with this property have two ranges in parentheses. 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 on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
Creatures do not have disadvantage on ranged attacks with thrown weapons while using the Underwater Combat rules. See page 198 of the Player’s Handbook. Tiny. These weapons are designed for Tiny creatures. Wielders of all sizes can use such weapons without penalty.
A Tiny creature cannot normally wield a weapon that lacks this property. Tripping. This weapon is well suited to hook or wrap around your target’s supporting limbs, causing it to fall.
While wielding this weapon, you gain a +2 bonus on your Strength (Athletics) checks for shoving a creature if you are attempting to knock it prone (see the Player’s Handbook, page 195). Increase this bonus to +3 if the weapon is two-handed (or is versatile and used in two hands), or if you are wielding two single-handed weapons that each have this property.
These benefits do not apply to a Trip Attack Combat Maneuver, which uses unrelated techniques to both trip and inflict damage with the same strike. Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands to attack with. Unarmed (B), (P), or (S). A device with this property affixes to the knuckles, fingers, or the back of the hand. It often takes the form of a glove. Sometimes it is a set of finger rings (connected or unconnected) that are quite heavy or bear sharp protrusions.
This device can modify the wearer’s unarmed attacks. If this weapon property is noted (P) or (S), unarmed strikes using the device may inflict piercing or slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage. This device doesn’t restrict the user’s unarmed attacks, which can be made with other body parts.
Devices with the unarmed property are not gripped in the hand so do not prevent the wearer from holding something else or otherwise using the affected hand. A device with this property requires an action to put on or remove, a task that requires both hands. It cannot be disarmed.
Unarmed devices can be made magical as weapons can. They can also be silvered or otherwise constructed of exotic materials, increasing the efficacy and versatility of your unarmed strikes. Versatile. Versatile weapons have longer handles than needed, or extra handles positioned at critical points on the weapon.
You can attack with a versatile weapon using one or two hands. The parenthetical damage value that appears following this property applies when the weapon is used to make a melee attack with two hands. Wounding. The sharp portions of a wounding weapon leave viciously-shaped injuries that are prone to bleeding.
If a target takes damage from one or more wounding attacks, it suffers 1 point of damage from blood loss at the end of its next turn. Any healing that occurs between the injury and the end of the creature’s turn prevents the damage. Binding the wound likewise prevents the damage, requiring an action and either a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check against a DC of 10 or spending one use of a healer’s kit.
Creatures without a circulatory system are immune to this property.
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