Weapon Properties

Note! This is Sebai legacy content for Dungeons and Dragons 5e and is no longer applicable to our Pathfinder 2e game. I simply keep it around in case I ever run 5e again. Refer to Archives of Nethys for relevant weapon trait stats.

In order to offer greater variety for martial fighters, I've created new weapon properties which tie to different weapons. Below includes all these new weapon traits in addition to the old ones. I've also include every weapon along with their damage dice and properties.

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Agile

This weapon is quick and easy to use. Once per turn, you can use a free action to make a single attack with this weapon. This attack is made at disadvantage and does not included your damage bonus if it hits.

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. If you use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a melee Attack, you treat the weapon as an Improvised Weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in the section). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.

Attached

An attached weapon must be combined with another piece of gear to be used. The trait lists what type of item the weapon must be attached to. You must be wielding or wearing the item the weapon is attached to in order to attack with it.

Backstabber

When you have advantage on an attack, this weapon deals an additional 1d4 damage. This damage die goes up to a 1d6 for +1 weapons, 1d8 for +2 weapons, and 1d10 for +3 weapons. This extra damage only applies once per turn.

Backswing

You can use the momentum from a missed attack with this weapon to lead into your next attack. After missing with this weapon on your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to your next attack with this weapon before the end of your turn.

Climbing

The hand holding this weapon is freely available to Climb.

Combination

Combination weapons are a unique blend of both a melee and ranged weapon. The damage dice and traits associated with the weapon are separate and often different between its melee and ranged counterparts. Switching between the melee weapon usage and the ranged weapon usage requires you use your bonus action.

Concealable

This weapon is designed to be inconspicuous or easily concealed. You gain advantage to Stealth or Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon with this trait.

Concussive

This weapon hits targets with devastating force that causes them to reel back. After taking damage from this weapon, the target has a -3 on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. This ability does not stack with multiple hits.

Consumed

Once this weapon has been used once, it can no longer be used again. This trait is used exclusively in tandem with the Explosive property. If the weapon misses, roll a d6. On a 1-3, the weapon does not exploded and can be picked up to use later. On a 4-6, the weapon still triggers and is consumed, triggering the Explosive property at a point the DM determines it would land.

Deadly

You deal a critical hit when you roll a 19 or 20 to hit with this weapon. If you are attacking a surprised enemy, you deal a critical hit from 18-20. This trait stacks with the Champion subclass.

Disarm

You can use the Attack action with this weapon in an attempt to disarm a target. The target makes a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your weapon attack roll. On a failure, you knock the target's weapon to the ground. Attempting to pick up a weapon while within melee range of an enemy provokes an opportunity attack.

Double Barrel

This weapon has two barrels that are each loaded separately. When you make an attack with this weapon, you can choose to only fire one barrel, or you can fire both at the same time. If you fire both at once, you only make one attack roll, but double the damage.

Explosive

Upon a hit, everything within 5 ft of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus) or suffer 2d6 fire damage. If the weapon misses, the ammunition fails to detonate, or bounces away harmlessly before doing so.

Fatal

The fatal trait includes a die size. On a 18-20, if the attack hits, the weapon's damage die increases to that die size instead of the normal die size.

Fatal Aim

It’s possible to hold the stock of this weapon under one arm so you can fire it with a single hand. When you do, you lose the weapon's fatal trait and make attack rolls at disadvantage.

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.

Forceful

This weapon becomes more dangerous as you build momentum. For every attack you make after your first, you gain a -1 to hit. However, you also gain a +1 to damage. (For example, if your first attack is +7 to hit and 1d6+4 damage, your second attack would be +6 to hit and 1d6+5 damage, your third would be +5 to hit and 1d6+6 damage, etc.).

Free-Hand

This weapon doesn't take up your hand. A free-hand weapon can't be Disarmed. You can use the hand covered by your free-hand weapon to wield other items, perform grapple actions, and so on. You can't attack with a free-hand weapon if you're wielding anything in that hand or otherwise using that hand. When you're not wielding anything and not otherwise using the hand, you can use abilities that require you to have a hand free as well as those that require you to be wielding a weapon in that hand (such as the Paladin's "Smite" spells). Each of your hands can have only one free-hand weapon on it.

Grapple

You can use this weapon to grapple even if you don't have a free hand. The grapple uses the weapon's reach and is made with the weapon's attack bonus instead of your Athletics skill bonus.

Heavy

Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a small creature to use effectively.

Injection

This weapon can be filled with a liquid (typically poison). Immediately after a successful attack with the weapon, you can use your bonus action to inject the target with the loaded poison. Refilling the weapon uses your action and requires you have both hands free to do so.

Light

A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.

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.

Misfire

Whenever you make an attack roll with a firearm, and the dice roll is equal to or lower than the weapon’s Misfire score, the weapon misfires. The attack misses, and the weapon cannot be used again until you spend an action to try and repair it. To repair your firearm, you must make a successful Tinker’s Tools check (DC equal to 8 + misfire score). If your check fails, the weapon is broken and must be mended out of combat at a quarter of the cost of the firearm. Creatures who use a firearm without being proficient increase the weapon’s misfire score by 1.

Monk

This weapon can be used as an extension of one's ki. While this weapon is not exclusive to monks, it counts as a monk weapon for purposes of determining whether it applies to the monk's "Martial Arts" ability or not. If the character using this weapon is a monk and this weapon also has the Fatal property, ignore the upgraded die and instead add an extra Martial Arts die to the damage. (For example, the "Tri-Bladed Katar" has the Monk and Fatal property. For non-monk classes using this weapon, the Monk trait means nothing and the Fatal trait increases the damage to a D8. For a monk, however, you would simply double your damage dice upon triggering the Fatal property. So, if your Martial Arts die was currently at a D6, you would deal 2d6 damage on a fatal hit.)

Nonlethal

Attacks with this weapon are nonlethal, and are used to knock creatures unconscious instead of kill them. You can use a nonlethal weapon to make a lethal attack with a -2 attack roll penalty.

Parry

This weapon can be used defensively to block attacks. While wielding this weapon, you can use your bonus action to gain a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.

Ranged

A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range listed. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s long 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. Ranged weapons use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength.

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.

Reload

The weapon can be fired a number of times equal to its Reload score before you must spend either your action, bonus action, or one of your Attacks to reload. You must have one free hand to reload a firearm.

Scatter

This weapon fires a cluster of pellets in a wide spray. Scatter always has an area listed with it, indicating the radius of the spray. On a hit, the primary target of attacks with a scatter weapon takes the listed damage, and the target and all other creatures within the listed radius around it take 1d4 points of splash damage. Scatter weapons only have a normal range and no long range.

Set-Up

This weapon is a heavy firearm capable of devastating force. Due to its size, however, it is unable to be shot while held. This trait will always have a number next to it. This number determines the amount of actions it takes to set the weapon up before you use it. It requires the same amount of actions to take it down, as well. These actions can be shared across multiple creatures. Set-up weapons often have unique text about their set-up that can be found in its description.

Shove

You can use the Attack action with this weapon in an attempt to shove a target. The target makes a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your weapon attack roll. On a failure, you shove the target back 5 feet. If the target fails the check by 10 or more, they are shoved back 10 feet.

Special

A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the weapon’s description.

Sweep

This weapon makes wide sweeping or spinning attacks, making it easier to attack multiple enemies. When you attack with this weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to your attack roll and damage bonus if you already attempted to attack a different target this turn using this weapon. This trait only takes effect if you do not move between attacks. Otherwise, each attack is made normally.

Tethered

This weapon is attached to a length of rope or chain that allows you to retrieve it after it has left your hand. If you have a free hand while wielding this weapon, you can use either your action, bonus action, or one of your attack actions to pull the weapon back into your grasp after you have thrown it as a ranged attack (unless it is being held by another creature).

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. For example, if you throw a hand-axe, you use your Strength, but if you throw a Dagger, you can use either your Strength or your Dexterity, since the Dagger has the Finesse property.

Trip

You can use the Attack action with this weapon in an attempt to trip a target. The target makes a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your weapon attack roll. On a failure, the target is knocked prone.

Twin

These weapons are used as a pair, complementing each other. When you attack with a twin weapon, you gain a +1 to the weapon's damage bonus if you have previously attacked with a different weapon of the same type this turn. This ability does not stack with each attack like the Forceful trait. (Every attack after the first only gains a +1 to damage).

Two-Handed

This weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.

Underwater

This weapon can be used underwater without imposing disadvantage on the attack.

Versatile

This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property—this is the damage die used when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.

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Critical Specialization Effects

When you score a critical hit with a weapon, you inflict an additional effect on your target. This effect is determined by your weapons Group Type which can be found on the Weapon page. You can choose not to inflict this effect if you don't want to.

Axe

Choose one creature adjacent to the initial target and within reach. If its AC is lower than your attack roll result for the critical hit, you deal damage to that creature equal to the result of the weapon damage die you rolled. This amount isn't doubled, and no bonuses or other additional dice apply to this damage.

Bow

If the target of the critical hit is adjacent to a surface, it gets stuck to that surface by the missile. The target is considered grappled by the arrow and must spend an action to attempt a Athletics check with a DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus to pull the missile free; it can't move from its space until it succeeds. The creature doesn't become stuck if it is incorporeal, is liquid (like a water elemental or ghost), or could otherwise escape without effort.

Brawling

The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw with a DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus or fall under the effects of the "Slow" spell until the end of their next turn.

Club

You knock the target away from you up to 15 feet (you choose the distance).

Dart/Knife

The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw with a DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus or begin taking 1d6 bleed damage.

Firearm/Sling

The target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw with a DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus or become stunned until the end of their next turn.

Flail/Hammer

The target is knocked prone.

Pick

The weapon viciously pierces the target, who takes additional damage equal to half your character level (rounded up).

Polearm

The weapon viciously swipes across the target, crippling them. The target's speed is reduced to zero until the end of their next turn.

Shield

You knock the target back from you 5 feet.

Spear

The weapon pierces the target, weakening its attacks. The target has a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of their next turn.

Sword

The target is made off-balance, opening it up to more attacks. Attacks made against the target have a +2 bonus until the end of their next turn.