Chapter 1: Unarmed Combat
Unarmed Strikes
Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow. On a hit, an unarmed strike deals 1 bludgeoning damage.
Your unarmed strikes are melee weapons, for the purpose of effects such as the spell Magic Weapon and the Paladin's Divine Smite.
Disarming
When you take the Attack action, you can replace one or more of your attacks with an attempt to disarm a creature within your melee weapon or unarmed strike's reach.
Makes an melee weapon attack roll contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, your target releases one object that it is holding in its hand or wearing on its person (e.g. a longsword, a document, or a hat). The object lands at the target's feet.
You have disadvantage on your attack roll if the target is holding the item with two hands, or if the object is reasonably secure (e.g., in its pocket or around its neck). You can't disarm a target if the object totally secure (e.g., a shirt that it is wearing, or a shield that it has strapped on).
Grappling
When you take the Attack action or make an opportunity attack and you have at least one free hand, you can replace one or more of your attacks with an attempt to grapple a creature within your reach.
Make a grapple check: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s choice of a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, you subject the target to one of the following effects:
- Grappling smaller creatures. Your target's speed is reduced to 0, and you gain the ability to drag or carry it when you move.
- Grappling larger creatures. Your target is forced to drag or carry you when it moves, and you can only move by climbing the target's surface.
- Grappling creatures of your size. You choose which creature carries which. Whichever creature carries the other has its speed reduced by half.
A grappled creature can use its action make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, it escapes.
A grappled creature also escapes you chooses to free it, if you are incapacitated, or if an effect (such as a shove) forces you and the grappled creature apart.
Shoving
When you take the Attack action or make an opportunity attack, you can replace one or more of your attacks with an attempt to grapple a creature within your reach.
Make a shove check: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s choice of a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, your target either falls prone or be forced 5 ft in any direction.
Strangling
When you take the Attack action and you have at least one free hand, you can replace one or more of your attacks with an attempt to strangle a target within your reach. Your target must be grappled, restrained, or otherwise unable to move.
Your target cannot speak, perform the verbal components of a spell, or otherwise make noise with its voice. In addition, if needs to breathe, it is in danger of suffocation.
Suffocation. Your target remains conscious for a number of turns equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). Your target then falls unconscious.
Once unconscious, your target can survive without breathing for a number of minutes equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If it is allowed to breathe, it remains unconscious for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
Escaping a strangle. Your target escapes when you choose to free it, if you are incapacitated, if an effect (such as a shove) forces you and the strangled creature apart, or if the strangled creature is no longer immobilized.
Chapter 2: Simple Weapons
Simple weapons are household objects, such as the tools of labourers, craftsmen and hunters, that can be repurposed for self defense, murder and war.
Though simple weapons are not especially deadly, they are cheap, versatile, and easy to use, making them the weapons of choice for many commoners and adventurers alike.
Simple Weapons
| Name | Damage | Properties | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Melee Weapons | |||
| Unarmed Strike | 1 bludgeoning | ||
| Dagger | 1d4 piercing | Finesse, light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Sickle | 1d4 slashing | Finesse, light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Hammer | 1d6 bludgeoning | Light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Handaxe | 1d6 slashing | Light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Sledgehammer | 1d10 bludgeoning | Thrown (20/60), two-handed | |
| Felling Axe | 1d10 slashing | Thrown (20/60), two-handed | |
| Quarterstaff | 1d8 bludgeoning | Reach, two-handed | |
| Scythe | 1d8 slashing | Reach, two-handed | |
| Spear | 1d6 piercing | Reach, versatile (1d8) | |
| Javellin | 1d6 piercing | Thrown (100/300) | |
| Whip | 1d4 slashing | Finesse, reach | |
| Net | — | Finesse, snare, thrown (15) | |
| Lasso | — | Finesse, lasso, two-handed, thrown (30) | |
| Garrote | — | Finesse, garrote, two-handed | |
| Simple Ranged Weapons | |||
| Dart | 1d4 piercing | Finesse, light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Shuriken | 1d4 slashing | Finesse, light, thrown (20/60) | |
| Bola | — | Finesse, snare, thrown (60) | |
| Boomerang | 1d4 bludgeoning | Finesse, boomerang, thrown (100/300) | |
| Sling | 1d4 bludgeoning | Ammunition (200/600), loading | |
| Light crossbow | 1d4 piercing | Ammunition (100/300), light, loading | |
| Shortbow | 1d6 piercing | Ammunition (100/300), two-handed |
Chapter 3: Martial Weapons
Martial weapons are the specially designed tools of soldiers, guardsmen, headhunters, gladiators, and other professional warriors.
Though martial weapons are carefully designed to be as deadly as possible, they are expensive and complex. Only the trained and talented have any use for them.
Martial Weapons
| Name | Damage | Properties | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martial Melee Weapons | |||
| Shortsword | 1d6 piercing | Finesse, light | |
| Scimitar | 1d6 slashing | Finesse, light | |
| Rapier | 1d8 piercing | Finesse, versatile (1d10) | |
| Longsword | 1d8 slashing | Finesse, versatile (1d10) | |
| Warhammer | 1d8 bludgeoning | Versatile (1d10) | |
| Battlaxe | 1d8 slashing | Versatile (1d10) | |
| Maul | 1d12 bludgeoning | Two-handed | |
| Greataxe/Greatsword | 1d12 slashing | Two-handed | |
| Lucerne | 1d10 bludgeoning | Reach, two-handed | |
| Pike | 1d10 piercing | Reach, two-handed | |
| Glaive | 1d10 slashing | Reach, two-handed | |
| Lance | 1d12 piercing | Lance, reach | |
| Martial Ranged Weapons | |||
| Longbow | 1d8 piercing | Ammunition (200/600), two-handed | |
| Heavy crossbow | 1d10 piercing | Ammunition (200/600), two-handed, loading |
Chapter 4: Weapon Properties
If a property involves a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + any bonus you would add to your attack roll with that weapon.
New & Updated Properties
Light
When you use the Attack action to attack with a light weapon you are holding in one hand, you can use your bonus action to disarm, grapple, shove, or to attack with a different light weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.
You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of this bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
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.
If you gain the Extra Attack feature or any feature which lets you make additional attacks with the Attack action, you deal extra damage with this weapon. You deal an extra 2 dice of damage if you have one Extra Attack, 4 dice if you have two Extra Attacks, and 6 dice if you have three Extra Attacks.
Snare
When you make a melee attack with this weapon, your target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be grappled and restrained. When you make a ranged attack with this weapon, your target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be Restrained. This weapon has no effect on formless creatures, or on creatures that are Huge or larger.
A creature can use its action to make a Strength saving throw, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Alternatively, dealing 5 slashing damage to the weapon (AC 10) destroys the weapon and frees the creature
Thrown
You can throw this weapon to make a ranged weapon 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.
You can draw this weapon as part of the attack that you make with it.
Versatile
This weapon can used more effectively with one hand free. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property—the damage when the weapon is used with one hand free.
Unique Properties
Boomerang
This weapon returns to your hand after you attack with it.
Garrote
When you attack with a garrote, your target must succeed on a Dexterity save or be grappled and suffocating. A garrote has no effect on huge or larger targets, nor formless targets.
Suffocation. A suffocating creature remains conscious for a number of turns equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The creature then falls unconscious.
Once unconscious, the creature can survive without breathing for a number of minutes equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). If it is allowed to breathe, it remains unconscious for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
Escaping a garrote. As an action, a creature can make a Strength saving throw, freeing a target within its reach on a success.
Lance
You must move at least 10 feet straight towards your target immediately before attacking with a lance. On hit, your target must make a Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Lasso
When you attack with a lasso, you can force your target to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is lassoed to you. A lasso has no effect on formless creatures.
Being lassoed. Neither you nor your target can be more than the lasso's length from the other until your target is freed. If a target larger than you moves further from you, it drags you (as if it were grappling you). Otherwise, if you move further from your target, you drag it (as if you are grappling it).
Reeling. You can reel the lasso in at any time on your turn, shortening the max distance between you and your target. If you shorten the lasso to a length smaller than the distance between you and your target, and if the target is your size or less, you drag it towards you. If the target is larger than you, you drag yourself towards it.
You can reel the lasso out at any time, increasing the max distance between you and your target up to the lasso's length.
Escaping a lasso. As an action, a creature can make a Strength saving throw, freeing a target within its reach on a success. Alternatively, dealing 5 slashing damage to the lasso (AC 10) destroys it and frees the creature.
Lassoing terrain. When you lasso an immoveable object, you can swing on it. You swing to the opposite side of the object, as high and as far as you started, then swing back to where you started, and finally drop into a dead hang. Swinging does not cost your movement.