Weapon Masteries (5e Variant Rule)
Weapon Masteries
Some weapons can be used much more efficiently in the hands of those knowledgeable enough to wield them and their properties, true masters of their craft.
Weapon Mastery
The following Classes (Barbarian, Fighter, Rogue) gain the Weapon Mastery feature at their 1st level, however each one of them benefits from the feature in different ways.
Weapon Mastery - Barbarian
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of Simple or Martial Melee weapons of your choice, such as Greataxes and Handaxes. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices.
When you reach 4th level, you can now have up to three kinds of Simple or Martial Melee weapons of your choice. This increases to five at 10th level.
Weapon Mastery - Fighter
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of three kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices.
When you reach 4th level, you can now have up to four kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice. This increases to five at 10th level, and to six at 16th level.
Weapon Mastery - Rogues
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency, such as Daggers and Shortbows.
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of weapons you chose. For example, you could switch to using the mastery properties of Scimitars and Shortswords.
Weapons and their Masteries
Down below is the list of the masteries every weapon possesses.
Simple Weapons
| Name | Mastery |
|---|---|
| Club | Slow |
| Dagger | Nick |
| Greatclub | Push |
| Handaxe | Vex |
| Javelin | Slow |
| Light Hammer | Nick |
| Mace | Sap |
| Quarterstaff | Topple |
| Sickle | Nick |
| Spear | Sap |
| Name | Mastery |
|---|---|
| Dart | Vex |
| Light Crossbow | Slow |
| Shortbow | Vex |
| Sling | Slow |
Martial Weapons
| Name | Mastery |
|---|---|
| Battleaxe | Topple |
| Flail | Sap |
| Glaive | Graze |
| Greataxe | Cleave |
| Greatsword | Graze |
| Hailberd | Cleave |
| Lance | Topple |
| Longsword | Sap |
| Maul | Topple |
| Morningstar | Sap |
| Pike | Push |
| Rapier | Vex |
| Scimitar | Nick |
| Shortsword | Vex |
| Trident | Topple |
| Warhammer | Push |
| War Pick | Sap |
| Whip | Slow |
| Name | Mastery |
|---|---|
| Blowgun | Vex |
| Hand Crossbow | Vex |
| Heavy Crossbow | Push |
| Longbow | Slow |
Mastery Properties
Each weapon has a mastery property, which is usable only by a character who has a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks the property for the character. The properties are defined below.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Cleave | If you hit a creature with a melee attack roll using this weapon, you can make a melee attack roll with the weapon against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the weapon’s damage, but don't add your ability modifier to that damage. You can make this extra attack only once per turn. |
| Graze | If your attack roll with this weapon misses a creature, you can deal damage to that creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage is the same type dealt by the weapon, and the damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier. |
| Nick | When you make the extra attack of the Light property, you can make it as part of the Attack action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn. |
| Push | If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from yourself if it is Large or smaller. |
| Sap | If you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn. |
| Slow | If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet. |
| Topple | If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + the ability modifier used to make the attack roll + your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. |
| Vex | If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn. |
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