Weapon Perks

Weapons are more than just objects that adventurers carry to stab, slice, or break enemies with. In the proper hands of a master, they can be powerful tools to gain the upper hand against an enemy. A weapon perk is a special skill or technique that can be used with a specific weapon. This allows each weapon to feel unique among all of the options the adventurers have, and hopefully gives them their own identity.

All the weapon perks are part of the weapons but require that the creature be proficient with the weapon In order to execute the weapons perk. If a perk requires a creature to make a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + proficiency bonus + Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Simple Melee Weapons	Simple Ranged Weapons	Martial Melee Weapons	Martial Ranged Weapons	Other
Club	Crossbow, Light	Battleaxe	Blowgun	Shield
Dagger	Sling	Flail	Crossbow, Hand	-
Greatclub	Dart	Glaive	Crossbow, Heavy	-
Handaxe	Shortbow	Greataxe	Longbow	-
Javelin	-	Greatsword	Net	-
Light Hammer	-	Lance	-	-
Mace	-	Longsword	-	-
Quarterstaff	-	Maul	-	-
Sickle	-	Morningstar	-	-
Spear	-	Pike	-	-
-	-	Scimitar	-	-
-	-	Shortsword	-	-
-	-	Trident	-	-
-	-	War Pick	-	-
-	-	Warhammer	-	-
-	-	Whip	-	-
-	-	Halberd	-	-
-	-	Rapier	-	-

Simple Melee Weapons

Club

Crippling Blow: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, you deal damage equal to your Strength modifier and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or their movement is reduced by half until the end of its next turn.

Dagger

Hidden Weapon: As a bonus action, you may make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to conceal up to two daggers on a success. As an action, you can make a single weapon attack with a hidden dagger against a creature that hasn’t taken a turn in combat yet. Your attack can score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Greatclub

Slam: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or the creature’s speed becomes 0 until the end of their turn. On a critical hit, they are knocked prone instead.

Handaxe

Brutal Strikes: When you miss one of your attacks for the first time in a turn, you gain advantage on an attack roll made with a different weapon in your other hand.

Javelin

Piercing Talon: When you successfully make a critical hit on a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you impose disadvantage on the creature’s next attack roll.

Light Hammer

Crippling Throw: When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, you deal damage equal to your Strength modifier and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or their movement is reduced by half until the end of its next turn.

Mace

Crushing Blow: You can use your action to make a crushing blow attack against your target. Make a melee weapon attack, on a hit the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is stunned until the start of its next turn.

Quarterstaff

Vault: You can use your quarterstaff to help you leap higher and farther. When you move at least 10 feet in a straight line, you can use your action to double the length and height of your jump. You can leap a number of feet up to twice your Strength score (as part of your movement). If you land within 5 feet of a creature at the end of the jump, you can make a single attack with your quarterstaff as part of this action.

Sickle

Cutting Parry: When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to catch their weapon in the hook of your sickle parrying their attack while the hook sinks into them. Make an attack roll with your sickle. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses, and you roll your normal weapon damage.

Spear

Trip Attack: You can use an action to make a melee weapon attack. On a hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

Simple Ranged Weapons

Crossbow, Light

Clinch Shot: Some enemies are so large, you find that keeping them in your sights becomes a cinch. When attacking a creature that is Large or larger, roll a 1d4 and add its results to your attack roll.

Sling

Giant Slayer: When you take the attack action, as a bonus action you may make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, you add your Wisdom modifier to your weapon's next damage roll.

Dart

Point Blank: Making a ranged weapon attack against a target within 5 feet of you doesn’t impose disadvantage on the attack.

Barrage: The small nature of these weapons makes it easy to throw multiples at once. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn to make a ranged weapon attack, you can make two additional ranged weapon attacks as a bonus action.

Shortbow

Stab & Shoot: When you take the attack action to make a ranged weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to make a melee attack with an arrow. The attack deals 1d4 + your strength or dexterity modifier piercing damage.

Aimed Shot: As a bonus action, you make a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check to take a moment extra to lead your opponent to ensure a precise hit. The next time you ready an action against a creature, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Martial Melee Weapons

Battleaxe

Reckless Charge: When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you can gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll. The next attack made against you has advantage.

Flail

Spinning Spikes: As an action, until the start of your next turn, you spin your flail overhead violently. Any creature that enters for the first time, or starts its turn within 5 feet of you takes 1d6 + strength modifier piercing damage. This effect ends early if you are hit by a weapon attack.

Glaive

Defensive Kata: Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage

Greataxe

Whirlwind Strike: You can use your action to make a melee attack against a creature, you can choose any number of additional creatures within 5 feet of you, using the same attack roll against every creature. If the original attack roll can hit it, the creatures take damage equal to your strength modifier.

Greatsword

Sweeping Slash: When a melee attack reduces an undamaged creature to 0 hit points, any excess damage from that attack might carry over to another creature nearby. You choose another creature within reach and, if the original attack roll can hit it, applies any remaining damage to it. If that creature was undamaged and is likewise reduced to 0 hit points, repeat this process, carrying over the remaining damage until there are no valid targets, or until the damage carried over fails to reduce an undamaged creature to 0 hit points

Lance

Jousting Charge: After moving more than 20 feet while mounted, you can take a bonus action to try to knock the creature prone. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone and your mount can immediately make one melee natural weapon attack. On a successful save, the creature isn't knocked prone.

Longsword

Pommel Pummel: When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the creature with the pommel of your weapon. The damage for this attack equals your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. On a critical hit you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have its spell countered.

Maul

Stunning Blow: You can use your action to make a special melee weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, the creature takes damage equal to your Strength modifier and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of 1). You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Morningstar

Shield Stagger: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, if the target is wielding a shield, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or lose the AC bonus granted by the shield until the end of its next turn.

Pike

Piercing Thrust: You can use your action to perform a powerful penetrating thrust attack. Each creature in a 5 by 10 ft. line must make a dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of 1). You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Scimitar

On Guard: When you take the dodge action, if an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack.

Shortsword

Puncture: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, the creature takes damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) and you give the creature a bleeding wound. At the start of each of its turns, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 6 (2d6) slashing damage. Any creature can end the effect by using their action to make a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check. Any amount of healing also ends the effect. Undead and Constructs are immune to this effect.

Trident

Redirecting Parry: When a creature hits you with a melee weapon attack, you may use your reaction to attempt to parry and redirect their blow. Make an attack roll with your trident. If the result of this roll equals or exceeds their attack roll, their attack misses. You may choose a new target for the attack within reach. If the attack roll would hit their armor class, they take the weapon's damage.

War Pick

Armor Piercer: When you miss with a melee weapon attack, if the creature is wearing heavy armor, roll a d4 and add that value to your attack roll.

Warhammer

Disorienting Blow: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, the creature takes damage equal to your Strength modifier and the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or they begin babbling and are incapable of normal speech or spellcasting until the end of their next turn.

Whip

Snaring Lash: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, as part of the action, you may snap your whip around a creature that is Large or smaller. The target must make a Strength saving throw, on a failure the target is restrained. A creature can use its action to make a Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. You cannot make attacks with this weapon while a creature is restrained

Halberd

Dismounting Hook: When you hit a mounted creature with an attack, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be dismounted.

Shifting Strike: If you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can disengage and move up to half your movement as part of the reaction.

Rapier

Percision Thrust: As a bonus action, you may make a Wisdom (Perception) check contested by the target’s insight. If you win the contest you spot a weak point of an opponent’s defenses and can use your action to make a single melee weapon attack against it. This hits with pinpoint accuracy, treating the target’s AC as 10 + Dexterity modifier.

Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the creature.

Martial Ranged Weapons

Blowgun

Sleep Dart: You can use an action to make a ranged weapon attack, on a hit roll 4d8; if the creature’s total hit points is less than the total rolled, it falls into an unconscious sleep for 1 minute, until the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest

Poison Dart: You can use an action to make a ranged weapon attack, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Crossbow, Hand

Point Blank: Making a ranged weapon attack against a target within 5 feet of you doesn’t impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Reflect Shot: You can make a ranged weapon attack as an opportunity attack.

Net

Safety Net: While you are wielding a net, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach. This attack must be made with the net.

Crossbow, Heavy

Concussive Shot: When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack. On a hit, you can forgo the normal weapon damage, if you do, you deal damage equal to your dexterity modifier and the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of their next turn or it takes damage. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Broad Side of a Barn: Some enemies are so large, you find their weak spots much easier to hit, increasing your weapon damage. When attacking a creature that is Huge or larger, roll a 1d4 and add its results to your damage roll.

Longbow

Hawk-eye: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack or take the disengage action and move up to half their movement speed

True Eye Shot: Your honed skills with the bow become so remarkable, there are some moments where you find yourself unable to miss. As a bonus action you call upon all your experience, your next ranged weapon attack hits a creature of your choice within range. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Other

Shield

Shield Slam: If an enemy misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an improvised weapon attack with the shield dealing 1d4 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.