Weapons

Your class grants proficiency with certain weapons, representing the weapons you have been trained to use. Different weapons deal different amounts of damage, have different properties, and can be used to attack from different ranges. Melee weapons are held or thrown, while ranged weapons propel ammunition great distances. When making an attack with a weapon, you add either your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the roll, depending on the weapon’s type, as well as your proficiency bonus, if applicable. 

Simple Weapons. All NPC humanoids are proficient with simple weapons, and adventurers are able to wield most of them (if not all). The list of simple melee weapons include the club, dagger, handaxe, greatclub, mace, quarterstaff, sickle, and spear, and simple ranged weapons include the blowgun, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and sling.In addition to being noted in its properties, a simple weapon is also marked with S.

Martial Weapons. Martial weapons are more complicated to use and require training to be proficient with. You must be proficient with a weapon to gain your proficiency bonus on attack rolls made with it. Unless noted otherwise, the weapons in this chapter are considered martial weapons.

Rare Weapons. Unless a trait or feature grants it, you can only gain proficiency with a rare weapon by training during downtime. Depending on the campaign setting and at the Narrator’s discretion, some rare weapons may be considered martial weapons or they may not exist at all.

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Weapon Attacks

All creatures are proficient with their natural weapons and unarmed strikes. Unless otherwise noted, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + Strength modifier. Attacks made with natural weapons and unarmed strikes are considered to be melee weapon attacks, and a thrown weapon is considered to be a ranged weapon attack. Creatures have a reach of 5 feet with their melee weapon attacks, though larger creatures may have greater reach.

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Melee Weapons

Adventurers use a wide variety of weapons in hand-to-hand combat. The table below indicates some of the most common melee weaponry, though different cultures name weapons differently, and some weapons are completely unique (see Cultural Weapons). If you want to use a weapon not listed here, see the Customizing Armaments section later in this chapter. A melee weapon uses your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. Unless otherwise noted, melee weapon attacks have a reach of 5 feet. Creatures larger than Medium size may have greater reach.

Table: Melee Weapon

Damage Die	Cost	Weight	Properties	Damage Type
1d4
Brass knuckles	4 gp	½ lb.	Dual-wielding, hand-mounted	Bludgeoning
ClubS	1 sp	2 lbs.	Simple	Bludgeoning
DaggerS	2 gp	1 lb.	Dual-wielding, finesse, simple	Piercing
Dueling dagger	6 gp	1 lb.	Dual-wielding, finesse, parrying	Piercing
Light hammer	2 gp	2 lbs.	Dual-wielding, thrown (20/60)
Punching dagger	4 gp	1 lb.	Dual-wielding, hand-mounted	Piercing
SickleS	1 gp	2 lbs.	Dual-wielding, simple	Slashing
Throwing dagger	3 gp	½ lb.	Dual-wielding, finesse, thrown (30/80)	Piercing
Whip	2 gp	3 lbs.	Finesse, parrying immunity, reach (15), trip	Slashing
1d6
HandaxeS	5 gp	2 lbs.	Breaker (wood), defensive (light), dual-wielding, simple, thrown (20/60)	Slashing
Javelin	5 sp	2 lbs.	Thrown (30/120)	Piercing
MaceS	5 gp	4 lbs.	Defensive (medium), simple	Bludgeoning
QuarterstaffS	2 sp	4 lbs.	Parrying, simple, two-handed	Bludgeoning
Scimitar	20 gp	3 lbs.	Defensive (light), dual-wielding, finesse	Slashing
Shortsword	10 gp	2 lbs.	Defensive (medium), finesse, parrying	Slashing
SpearS	1 gp	3 lbs.	Defensive (heavy), simple, thrown (20/60), versatile (1d8)	Piercing
Trident	10 gp	3 lbs.	Thrown (20/60), versatile (1d8), mounted	Piercing
1d8
Bastard sword	35 gp	5 lbs.	Parrying, versatile (1d10)	Slashing
Battleaxe	10 gp	6 lbs.	Breaker (wood), versatile (1d10)	Slashing
Flail	20 gp	3 lbs.	Parrying immunity, trip	Bludgeoning
GreatclubS	5 sp	10 lbs.	Simple, versatile (1d10)	Bludgeoning
Longsword	20 gp	3 lbs.	Defensive (medium)	Slashing
Morningstar	15 gp	4 lbs.	Defensive (medium)	Bludgeoning
Rapier	25 gp	2 lbs.	Defensive (light), finesse	Piercing
Saber	30 gp	3 lbs.	Defensive (light), finesse, mounted (1d10)	Slashing
Warhammer	15 gp	3 lbs.	Breaker, versatile (1d10)	Bludgeoning
Warpick	5 gp	2 lbs.	Breaker (stone)	Piercing
1d10
Glaive	12 gp	5 lbs.	Reach, two-handed	Slashing
Halberd	25 gp	7 lbs.	Heavy, reach, trip, two-handed	Piercing or slashing
Pike	5 gp	13 lbs.	Defensive (heavy), heavy, reach*	Piercing
Scythe	1 gp	12 lbs.	Heavy, parrying, two-handed	Slashing
1d12
Greataxe	30 gp	9 lbs.	Breaker (wood), heavy, two-handed	Slashing
2d6
Greatsword	50 gp	7 lbs.	Heavy, parrying, two-handed	Slashing
Maul	20 gp	11 lbs.	Breaker, heavy, two-handed	Bludgeoning

* You have disadvantage when you use a pike to attack a target within 5 feet of you.

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Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons require ammunition to use. If you use a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, it is treated as an improvised weapon. A sling must be loaded to be used in this way. A ranged weapon uses your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls.

Table: Ranged Weapons

Damage Die	Cost	Weight	Properties	Damage Type
1d4
BlowgunS	1 gp	½ lb.	Loading, range (25/100), simple	Piercing
Dart	5 sp	¼ lb.	Range (20/60)	Piercing
SlingS	2 sp	—	Range (30/120), simple	Bludgeoning
1d6
Hand crossbow	60 gp	3 lbs.	Dual-wielding, loading, range (30/120)	Piercing
Shortbow	25 gp	2 lbs.	Range (80/320), two-handed	Piercing
1d8
Composite bow	200 gp	2 lbs.	Compounding, heavy, range (150/600), two-handed	Piercing
Light crossbowS	45 gp	5 lbs.	Loading, range (80/320), simple, two-handed	Piercing
Longbow	50 gp	2 lbs.	Heavy, range (150/600), two-handed	Piercing
1d10
Heavy crossbowS	100 gp	15 lbs.	Heavy, loading, range (100/400), simple, two-handed	Piercing

 

Miscellaneous Weapons and Accessories

Some weapons have special properties unique to them.

Table: Miscellaneous Weapons and Accessories

Weapon	Cost	Weight	Properties	Damage	Special Properties
Garrotte	3 sp	—	Two-handed	None (see description)	When wielding a garrotte, you may make a melee weapon attack at disadvantage against a Large or smaller creature that requires air to breathe. On a hit, the creature is grappled and begins to suffocate .
Lance	10 gp	6 lbs.	Defensive (medium), reach	Piercing (1d12)	You have disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a target within 5 feet of you. If you are not mounted, you must use two hands to wield the lance.
Net	1 gp	2 lbs.	Thrown (5/15)	None (see description)	A corporeal Large or smaller creature that cannot move through a space one inch or smaller who is hit by a net is restrained until it is freed. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. A net has AC 10, 5 hit points, and is immune to bludgeoning damage.
Spear-thrower	10 gp	4 lbs.	Loading, range (80/320)	Piercing (see description)	A spear-thrower can be used to increase the effectiveness of a javelin, spear, or trident. A weapon thrown in this manner deals an additional 1d6 damage when the target is within its normal range.

 

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Weapon Properties

• See Weapon Properties .

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Improvised Weapons

Sometimes you won’t have your weapons ready at hand. An improvised weapon includes a tankard, a wagon tongue, or a dead (or alive!) creature that you can lift and wield as a weapon. At the Narrator’s discretion, an improvised weapon that is similar to a weapon with the simple property may be treated as a simple weapon. For example, the leg of a table might be used as a club. An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage of a type determined by the Narrator. Improvised thrown weapons have a normal range of 20 feet and a maximum range of 60 feet. 

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Ammunition

Ranged weapons require ammunition to fire. Typically that ammunition is made from bone, bronze, iron, steel, or wood; sling pellets are usually stone or metal. However at the Narrator’s discretion, special ammunition may be available.

Explosive. An attack made with explosive ammunition cannot benefit from expertise dice and can only hit targets within its normal range, but on a hit it deals an extra 1d6 thunder damage. 

Flaming. This ammunition can be lit as a bonus action. A weapon firing this ammunition can only hit targets within its normal range, but on a hit it deals an extra 1d4 fire damage.

Punching. On a critical hit, this ammunition decreases an armored target’s Armor Class by 1. This cannot reduce the target’s Armor Class to less than 10 + its Dexterity modifier. 

Table: Ammunition

Ammunition	Cost	Weight
Arrows (20)	1 gp	1 lb.
Blowgun needles (50)	1 gp	1 lb.
Crossbow bolts (20)	1 gp	1 ½ lbs.
Firearm bullets (10)	10 gp	1 ½ lbs.
Sling bullets (20)	4 cp	1 ½ lbs.
Explosive arrows (4)	80 gp	½ lb.
Flaming arrows (4)	60 gp	½ lb.
Punching arrows (4)	100 gp	1 lb.

 

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Cultural Weapons

Many weapons have equivalents in various cultures, both in the real world and in fantasy campaign settings. Below is a selection of weapons from different cultures which you may choose to include in your game, along with notes on how they are represented in Level Up. Availability of these weapons is at the discretion of the Narrator.

Boomerang (Aboriginal, 5 silver). There are many forms of boomerang. This club has the thrown property (range 100/300), and cannot be used as a melee weapon. A boomerang designed to flush out or distract prey goes a shorter distance (range 50/150), but on a miss it returns to the location it was thrown from at the end of the turn.

Butterfly Sword (Chinese, 20 gold). These use the statistics of shortswords, and are usually wielded in pairs. They have the dual-wielding property.

Chakram (Indian, 2 gold). This circular, bladed throwing weapon uses the statistics of a ring blade.

Claymore (Scottish, 50 gold). This cross-hilted weapon uses the statistics of a greatsword.

Dao (Chinese, 20 gold). A curved broadsword that uses the statistics of a scimitar.

Hooked Hammer (Gnomish, 15 gold). This uses the statistics of a small warhammer which does 1d6 bludgeoning or piercing damage and has the trip property.

Katana (Japanese, 60 gold). This weapon uses the statistics of a fine bastard sword.

Khopesh (Egyptian, 1 gold). This sickle-shaped sword uses the statistics of a scimitar.

Kusarigama (Japanese, 10 gold). This is a sickle on a chain. It uses the statistics of a sickle that weighs 5 pounds and has the dual-wielding, parrying immunity, reach (10 ft.), and two-handed properties.

Labrys (Greek, 10 gold). This ornate weapon uses the statistics of a battleaxe. It has two blades, one on each side of the haft.

Machahuitl (Aztec, 30 gold). This club with embedded obsidian blades functions as a fine longsword.

Main-Gauche (European, 4 gold). This parrying dagger may be used as a dagger or as a light shield.

Nine-Section Whip (Chinese, 15 gold). This whip deals 1d6 slashing damage.

Ninjatō (Japanese, 20 gold). This uses the statistics of a straight-bladed shortsword with the storage property (often used to contain poison).

Nunchaku (Okinawan, 1 gold). This weapon uses the statistics of a club, but is considered a double weapon.

Rungu (Zambian, 3 silver). This club has the thrown property (range 30/150).

Shuriken (Japanese, 3 silver). This weapon uses the statistics of a throwing dagger. It can only do 1 damage in melee. It has the quickdraw property.

Slingstaff (Halfling, 1 gold). This weapon can be used as a quarterstaff or as a sling.

Spiked Gauntlets (Any, 8 gold). Spiked gauntlets function as brass knuckles, but do piercing damage.

Stonebow (Dwarven, 25 gold). This weapon functions as a shortbow, but fires sling bullets which inflict bludgeoning damage.

Tessen (Japanese, 5 gold). This war fan can be used as a light shield and as a dagger, and has the flamboyant property.

Thinblade (Elven, 50 gold). This weapon uses the statistics of a rapier but is so sharp that it has the vicious property.

Tomahawk (Native American, 5 gold). A tomahawk uses the statistics of a handaxe.

Urgosh (Dwarven, 20 gold). This spear and axe double weapon can be used as either.

Wakizashi (Japanese, 15 gold). This blade uses the statistics of a shortsword.

Wooden Stake (Any, 0 gold). This simple weapon uses the statistics of a dagger, but any vampire reduced to 0 hit points with it is permanently destroyed. It is made of wood.

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Rare Melee Weapons

Most rare melee weapons are secretive, meant to be concealed or utilize a hidden advantage to take foes by surprise. 

Assassin’s Gauntlet and Boot Dagger. At a glance this item seems to be perfectly typical, but it conceals a spring-loaded blade deployed by pressing a switch when it is used to make an attack. A creature observing it only realizes that the item is a weapon with a DC 15 Investigation check (made with disadvantage if the weapon is being worn at the time and not deployed). Once deployed, a bonus action is required to resheathe the blade. You gain an expertise die on your attack roll when you deploy this weapon as part of an attack against a target that is unaware you have it.

Double Weapon. Wielded not unlike a quarterstaff, each side of this weapon has a blade, weighted head, or other injurious implement. Most double weapons are two-bladed swords or double-axes, but there have been gnome warriors known to wield hooked hammers and elvish clades specialized in swordspears. Double weapons use the statistics for whichever weapon is used to attack and are considered to have the dual-wielding and parrying properties.

Mercurial Maul. The liquid metal inside of the shaft and head of this weapon makes it difficult to wield but all the deadlier in expert hands. The minimum result on a damage die rolled with this weapon is a 2.

Ring Blade. This metal hoop has sharpened edges that make it deadly whether thrown or used in hand. It costs only 1 exertion point to use the Ricochet combat maneuver with this weapon. In addition, when you throw this weapon, you may make the attack with disadvantage , and on a hit it returns to your hand. 

Shields. At the Narrator’s discretion, shields may be treated as rare weapons to gain proficiency with them for attack rolls.

Sword Pistol. When this weapon is used to hit a target with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to fire the gun in the handle, gaining a 1d6 expertise die on an immediate ranged weapon attack against the same target.

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Rare Ranged Weapons

Ranged rare weapons require ammunition to use, although some firearms can hold multiple bullets at a time.

Geared Slingshot. Constructed much like a crossbow, this shoulder-mounted weapon bears a striking resemblance to a miniature catapult. It is typically used to fire hand-sized rocks but any Tiny object can be used as ammunition instead.

Ratcheting Crossbow. This crossbow has a large winding wheel affixed to its drawstring which feeds into extra machinery along the stock that catches and pulls the string back again after it is fired. Winding a ratcheting crossbow for a single bolt requires a bonus action or action, and it can be wound to prepare two bolts. Masterwork ratcheting crossbows can be prepared to fire up to four bolts or be constructed smaller (with statistics like a hand crossbow).

Revolver. A revolver can be used to make one ranged attack per bullet loaded into it and requires an action to reload.

Shotgun. When this weapon is used to make an attack roll with advantage , the attack becomes a critical hit if both d20 rolls would result in a hit. When this weapon is used to make an attack roll with disadvantage and only one attack roll would result in a hit, you instead deal 1d4 piercing damage (adding no bonuses to damage from ability score modifiers or enchantments)

 

Table: Rare Melee Weapons

Damage Die	Cost	Weight	Properties	Damage Type
1d4
Assassin’s gauntlet	50 gp	8 lbs.	Finesse, stealthy	Piercing
Boot dagger	75 gp	4 lbs.	Finesse, stealthy	Piercing
1d6
Ring blade	10 gp	6 lbs.	Thrown (30/90)	Slashing
1d8
Double weapon	150 gp	varies	Dual-wielding, parrying, two-handed	Two from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing
Sword pistol	200 gp	5 lbs.	Finesse, loading, range (10/30)	Piercing
2d4
Spiked chain	35 gp	20 lbs.	Heavy, parrying immunity, reach (10 ft.), two-handed	Bludgeoning and slashing
2d6
Mercurial maul	150 gp	15 lbs.	Breaker, heavy, two-handed	Bludgeoning

 

Table: Rare Ranged Weapons

Damage Die	Cost	Weight	Properties	Damage Type
d6
Geared slingshot	110 gp	25 lbs.	Bulky, heavy, loading, range (60/180), two-handed	Bludgeoning
d10
Pistol	120 gp	3 lbs.	Loading, range (20/60)	Piercing
Shotgun	150 gp	6 lbs.	Loading, range (30/90)	Piercing
d12
Carbine	150 gp	5 lbs.	Loading, two-handed, range (50/150)	Piercing
Ratcheting crossbow	125 gp	20 lbs.	Heavy, loading, range (150/600), two-handed	Piercing
2d6
Revolver	300 gp	3 lbs.	Loading*, range (60/180)	Piercing
2d8
Musket	350 gp	10 lbs.	Heavy, loading, range (60/180), two-handed	Piercing

 

*Loading a revolver (which holds 6 bullets) requires an action. A revolver can be used to make one ranged attack per bullet loaded into it.