Weapons

From the common longsword to the exotic dwarven urgrosh, weapons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

All weapons deal hit point damage. This damage is subtracted from the current hit points of any creature struck by the weapon. When the result of the die roll to make an attack is a natural 20 (that is, the die actually shows a 20), this is known as a critical threat (although some weapons can score a critical threat on a roll of less than 20). If a critical threat is scored, another attack roll is made, using the same modifiers as the original attack roll. If this second attack roll exceeds the target’s AC, the hit becomes a critical hit, dealing additional damage.

Weapons are grouped into several interlocking sets of categories. These categories pertain to what training is needed to become proficient in a weapon’s use (simple, martial, or exotic), the weapon’s usefulness either in close combat (melee) or at a distance (ranged, which includes both thrown and projectile weapons), its relative encumbrance (light, one-handed, or two-handed), and its size (Small, Medium, or Large).

Simple, Martial, and Exotic Weapons: Anybody but a druid, monk, or wizard is proficient with all simple weapons. Barbarians, fighters, paladins, and rangers are proficient with all simple and all martial weapons. Characters of other classes are proficient with an assortment of simple weapons and possibly some martial or even exotic weapons. All characters are proficient with unarmed strikes and any natural weapons possessed by their race. A character who uses a weapon with which he is not proficient takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls.

Melee and Ranged Weapons: Melee weapons are used for making melee attacks, though some of them can be thrown as well. Ranged weapons are thrown weapons or projectile weapons that are not effective in melee.

Reach Weapons: Glaives, guisarmes, lances, longspears, ranseurs, and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren’t adjacent to him. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away.

Double Weapons: Dire flails, dwarven urgroshes, gnome hooked hammers, orc double axes, quarterstaves, and two-bladed swords are double weapons. A character can fight with both ends of a double weapon as if fighting with two weapons, but he incurs all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon combat, just as though the character were wielding a one-handed weapon and a light weapon (see page 202).

The character can also choose to use a double weapon two-handed, attacking with only one end of it. A creature wielding a double weapon in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon—only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round.

Thrown Weapons: Daggers, clubs, shortspears, spears, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, tridents, shuriken, and nets are thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons). It is possible to throw a weapon that isn’t designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn’t have a numeric entry in the Range column on Table 6–4), and a character who does so takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

Projectile Weapons: Blowguns, light crossbows, slings, heavy crossbows, shortbows, composite shortbows, longbows, composite longbows, halfling sling staves, hand crossbows, and repeating crossbows are projectile weapons. Most projectile weapons require two hands to use (see specific weapon descriptions). A character gets no Strength bonus on damage rolls with a projectile weapon unless it’s a specially built composite shortbow or longbow, or a sling. If the character has a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when he uses a bow or a sling.

Ammunition: Projectile weapons use ammunition: arrows (for bows), bolts (for crossbows), darts (for blowguns), or sling bullets (for slings and halfling sling staves). When using a bow, a character can draw ammunition as a free action; crossbows and slings require an action for reloading (as noted in their descriptions). Generally speaking, ammunition that hits its target is destroyed or rendered useless, while ammunition that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost.

Although they are thrown weapons, shuriken are treated as ammunition for the purposes of drawing them, crafting masterwork or otherwise special versions of them (see Masterwork Weapons on page 149), and what happens to them after they are thrown.

Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons: This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon’s size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.

Light: A light weapon is used in one hand. It is easier to use in one’s off hand than a one-handed weapon is, and can be used while grappling (see Chapter 8). Add the wielder’s Strength modifier to damage rolls for melee attacks with a light weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or half the wielder’s Strength bonus if it’s used in the off hand. Using two hands to wield a light weapon gives no advantage on damage; the Strength bonus applies as though the weapon were held in the wielder’s primary hand only.

An unarmed strike is always considered a light weapon. One-Handed: A one-handed weapon can be used in either the primary hand or the off hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with a one-handed weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or 1/2 his Strength bonus if it’s used in the off hand. If a one-handed weapon is wielded with two hands during melee combat, add 1-1/2 times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls.

Two-Handed: Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply 1-1/2 times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon.

Weapon Size: Every weapon has a size category. This designation indicates the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed.

A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an ×3 object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.

							P	—
Arrows (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lbs.	—	—
Longbow, composite	100 gp	1d6	1d8	×3	110 ft.	3 lbs.	P	—
Arrows (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lbs.	—	—
Shortbow	30 gp	1d4	1d6	×3	60 ft.	2 lbs.	P	—
Arrows (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lbs.	—	—
Shortbow, composite	75 gp	1d4	1d6	×3	70 ft.	2 lbs.	P	—
Arrows (20)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	3 lbs.	—	—
Exotic Weapons	Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Critical	Range	Weight¹	Type²	Special
Light Melee Weapons
Kama	2 gp	1d4	1d6	×2	—	2 lbs.	S	monk, trip
Nunchaku	2 gp	1d4	1d6	×2	—	2 lbs.	B	disarm, monk
Sai	1 gp	1d3	1d4	×2	—	1 lb.	B	disarm, monk
Siangham	3 gp	1d4	1d6	×2	—	1 lb.	P	monk
One-Handed Melee Weapons Sword, bastard	35 gp	1d8	1d10	19–20/×2	—	6 lbs.	S	—
Waraxe, dwarven	30 gp	1d8	1d10	×3	—	8 lbs.	S	—
Whip	1 gp	1d2	1d3	×2	—	2 lbs.	S	disarm, nonlethal, reach, trip
Two-Handed Melee Weapons Axe, orc double	60 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	×3	—	15 lbs.	S	double
Chain, spiked	25 gp	1d6	2d4	×2	—	10 lbs.	P	disarm, trip
Curve blade, elven	80 gp	1d8	1d10	18–20/×2	—	7 lbs.	S	—
Flail, dire	90 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	×2	—	10 lbs.	B	disarm, double, trip
Hammer, gnome hooked	20 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	×3/×4	—	6 lbs.	B or P	double, trip
Sword, two-bladed	100 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	19–20/×2	—	10 lbs.	S	double
Urgrosh, dwarven	50 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	×3	—	12 lbs.	P or S	brace, double
Ranged Weapons Bolas	5 gp	1d3	1d4	×2	10 ft.	2 lbs.	B	nonlethal, trip
Crossbow, hand	100 gp	1d3	1d4	19–20/×2	30 ft.	2 lbs.	P	—
Bolts (10)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Crossbow, repeating heavy	400 gp	1d8	1d10	19–20/×2	120 ft.	12 lbs.	P	—
Bolts (5)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Crossbow, repeating light	250 gp	1d6	1d8	19–20/×2	80 ft.	6 lbs.	P	—
Bolts (5)	1 gp	—	—	—	—	1 lb.	—	—
Net	20 gp	—	—	—	10 ft.	6 lbs.	—	—
Shuriken (5)	1 gp	1	1d2	×2	10 ft.	1/2 lb.	P	monk
Sling staff, halfling	20 gp	1d6	1d8	×3	80 ft.	3 lbs.	B	—
Bullets, sling (10)	1 sp	—	—	—	—	5 lbs.	—	—

1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much.

2 A weapon with two types is both types if the entry specifies “and,” or either type (wielder’s choice) if the entry specifies “or.”

Inappropriately Sized Weapons: A creature can’t make optimum use of a weapon that isn’t properly sized for it. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder. If the creature isn’t proficient with the weapon, a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies.

The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. For example, a Small creature would wield a Medium one-handed weapon as a two-handed weapon. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all.

Improvised Weapons: Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses an improvised weapon in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.