Advanced Weapons

Monsters and nightmarish creatures lurk throughout the dark world of Etharis. To combat them, civilisation seeks any advantage it can find. From the mighty inventions of the dwarves to the ingenious and mad creations of the gnomes, an array of advanced weapons have been devised. The Advanced Weapons table below details these weapon characteristics, including their unique properties.

Advanced Weapon Training

Advanced Weapons are difficult to master, and as a result require more specialised training than even martial weapons. Characters gain proficiency in Advanced Weapons when they reach 3rd level and have proficiency in all Martial Weapons. If a character gains proficiency in Martial Weapons at a later level, they also gain proficiency in Advanced Weapons.

Advanced Ammunition

Just as Advanced Weapons are favoured by expert warriors, so are specialised forms of ammunition. Characters with proficiency in Advanced Weapons can use Advanced Ammunition in its respective weapon. In addition, any character can use Advanced Ammunition in simple and marital ranged weapons of their respective type as well.

Advanced Weapon Properties

Armour Piercing

An armour-piercing weapon is a melee weapon designed to punch through armour and thick hide alike. When you make an attack roll using an armour-piercing weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to the attack roll if the target is wearing armour or has natural armour.

Blackpowder

Blackpowder weapons fire projectiles with ear-splitting noise, shredding armour with deadly force. When fired, blackpowder weapons emit a deafening crack audible 300 feet away. A blackpowder weapon exposed to heavy rain, or submerged or similarly drenched in water, can't fire until dried for 1 hour.

Brutal

A brutal weapon is designed for maximum damage. When you score a critical hit with a brutal weapon against a creature, you can roll an additional die of the weapon's damage dice, adding it to the damage total.

Cumbersome

Cumbersome weapons are difficult to wield. When making an attack with a Cumbersome weapon, you must use your Strength modifier for both the attack and damage rolls.

Damage

An advanced weapon that has the damage property can deal an alternative form of damage. You can choose the type when you attack or when you hit with an attack from any of the damage types mentioned.

Defending

A defending weapon is either made for parrying, has advanced techniques for use in parrying, or both. When you use a defending weapon, you can use your reaction to defend against a melee weapon attack that hits you. If you do, increase your AC by 1d4 against that attack.

Disarming

A disarming weapon can catch a foe’s weapon, allowing you to remove it from their grasp. When an opponent misses you with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to attempt to disarm them. Both you and the attacker must make contested attack rolls. If you roll higher, and the weapon is something the target can drop, the weapon falls from the target’s grasp, landing within 5 feet of the target in a space you choose. If you score a critical hit and the attacker did not, you can send the weapon flying up to 15 feet away from the target into a space you choose instead. If you have a free hand when you score a critical hit this way, you can disarm the target so that you end up with the dropped weapon in your hand. If the attacker tied or rolled higher, then nothing happened.

Double

Double. A two-handed, double weapon functions as two light weapons, one in each hand, for two-weapon fighting purposes. If a double weapon has the reach property, you can only use one of these properties during the same turn.

Entangling

An entangling weapon can tie a target up. When you hit with an entangling weapon attack against a target no more than one size larger than you, you can use your bonus action to attempt to grapple the target. (This bonus action use applies when you throw an entangling weapon because you’re throwing something with special preparation.) You don’t need a free hand - the weapon fulfills that requirement. If you succeed, the target is grappled by you or the weapon if you’re no longer holding it. Until the grapple ends, you can’t use the entangling weapon to attack a different target. If you aren’t holding the entangling weapon, such as when you throw a gladiator net, the grapple continues, and the target needs to succeed at a DC10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check to escape the weapon.

Guard

Guard weapons allow you to fight defensively, using the weapon’s long haft or flat surface for parrying. While you wield a guard weapon, whenever a hostile creature moves within your reach when you didn’t move on your last turn, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack with the guard weapon against that creature. If the attack hits, then it deals no damage, but the target immediately stops moving, and its speed becomes 0 until the end of its turn.

Hafted

A hafted weapon’s haft can function well as an off-hand attack. When you attack with only the hafted weapon, you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack with the haft. The haft deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, and you add your ability modifier to damage as you would for other sorts of two-weapon fighting. If you have feats that mimic this ability, the damage dice becomes 1d8 instead.

Magazine

A weapon with the magazine property also has a number and an ammunition type. The weapon holds that amount and type of ammo, which you can expend before needing to reload the weapon. Removing or loading a magazine counts as your interaction with an object, so doing both in one turn takes an action. A magazine weapon comes with one empty magazine included in the weapon’s cost and weight. Loading an empty magazine with ammunition takes 1 minute.

Momentum

Momentum weapons allow you to deliver devastating attacks as part of rapid movement. When you hit a creature with a momentum weapon after you moved 20 feet or more in a straight line during the same turn, upgrade the damage dice to the weapon’s momentum dice value.

Monk

A monk gains proficiency with advanced monk weapons at 5th level.

Precise

When you attack with a precise weapon, you can score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. If a feature or item you have increases the numbers you can roll for a critical hit, a precise weapon increases that range by one. A fighter with Superior Critical, for instance, scores a critical hit on a roll of 17 to 20 with a precise weapon. Any roll lower than 20 must still hit to be a critical hit—it’s not an automatic hit as if the roll was a 20.

Reach

Besides the normal rules for this property, if a reach weapon has the double property, you can use only one of these properties during the same turn.

Repeater

Repeater weapons can fire ammo in quick succession, using multiple barrels or quick-reloading mechanisms. When you take the attack action with a repeater weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack again with the same weapon. You add your ability modifier to the damage the bonus-action shot only if that modifier is negative.

Restraining

Only entangling weapons can be restraining weapons. If you have a target grappled with a restraining weapon, and you succeed on another attempt to grapple the target with the same weapon, the target becomes restrained instead of grappled. The target then remains restrained until the grapple ends. If you stop holding the restraining weapon, the target can escape as if from an unheld entangling weapon.

Returning

A returning weapon allows you to hurl the weapon in such a way that it returns to you. When you attack with a returning weapon, if you roll an even number on the d20, the weapon returns to you by the end of your turn. You can catch the weapon if you have a hand free to do so. If not, the weapon lands at a random point within 5 feet of you. If you roll an odd number on the d20 for the attack roll, the weapon fails to return to you.

Scatter

Scatter weapons can devastate multiple enemies at once. When you take the Attack action and hit a creature with a scatter weapon, measure the weapon’s scatter range from the square the target you hit occupies to a point farther from you. Creatures other than the original target that fall within the weapon’s scatter range must attempt a Dexterity saving throw (DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability score modifier you use to determine damage for the scatter weapon). Creatures that fail take damage equal to the ability score modifier you use to determine damage with the weapon (minimum 1). This damage is of the same type you dealt to the original target.

Set

You can use a bonus action on your turn to prepare, or “set,” a set weapon against a foe moving toward you. A weapon becomes unset if you move or take any action after setting it. If a target enters your reach while you have the weapon set, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack with the set weapon against that target. If you hit, and your target moved 20 feet or more toward you before the attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the damage total.

Strong-Draw

An advanced ranged weapon with the strong-draw quality requires great strength to use. You must have a Strength of 13 or higher to use such a weapon, or you make attack rolls using the weapon with disadvantage. You add not only your Dexterity modifier to damage with a strong-draw weapon, but you also add 1 + half your Strength Modifier (rounded down) to the damage.

Swift

Swift weapons help you recover quickly from misses. When you miss with a swift weapon, you gain advantage on the first attack roll you make with the weapon against the same target before the end of your next turn.

Tripping

A tripping weapon allows users to knock targets prone. When you hit with a tripping weapon, you can use a bonus action to force your target to attempt a Strength saving throw, provided the target is no more than one size larger than you. The DC for the saving throw equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice). If the target fails, it falls prone.

Advanced Ammunition

Damage Types
Advanced ammunition named after a damage type, deals that damage type. Arrows and bolts can have wide, slashing heads, or heavy, bludgeoning tips. A sling bullet can have piercing facets. All such ammo is heavier than normal, so the weapon’s maximum range using it is half normal.
Ranging
Ammunition that has the ranging property is lighter and better made than common counterparts. When you fire ranging ammo, you can increase your weapon’s normal range by 50 percent.
Whistling
Ammunition with the whistling property creates a high-pitched sound after firing. This sound is audible for 300 feet from the ammo as it flies. Whistling ammo isn’t heavier, but it catches the air in baffles to create its sound, so its maximum range is half normal. Whistling ammo deals bludgeoning damage.
Alchemical Advanced Ammunition
Alchemical ammunition carries an alchemical payload. Rather than hurling a vial as an improvised weapon, you fire alchemical ammunition from a projectile weapon, using your normal attack bonus with that weapon. Alchemical ammunition deals the ammo’s normal damage type in addition to delivering the alchemical effect. This ammo is heavy though, so a weapon’s maximum range using alchemical ammo is half normal. The alchemical ammunition is destroyed once used, whether the attack misses or hits.
Acid, Alchemist's Fire, and Holy Water.Other than how you hit a creature using alchemical ammo, these substances have their normal effects.
War Oil.When you fire war-oil ammo at an area and hit AC 10, viscous oil covers the area within 5 feet of a point you target. If you target a creature, you must hit that creature’s AC to cover the creature in war oil. But if you hit the creature or AC10, you can pick a point in or adjacent to that creature’s space to determine the war oil’s area as if you targeted a point. War oil’s area is difficult terrain. A creature standing in the area when it appears, that starts its turn in the area, or that enters the area for the first time on a turn must succeed at a DC13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. War oil is also flammable. If lit, such as by dealing fire damage to a creature covered in the oil, the oil burns for 2 rounds. Burning war oil deals 2d4 fire damage to any creature ignited in this way. An ignited creature can douse the flames by using its action to make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw to extinguish the flames. If the creature ends its turn still aflame, the creature takes 2d4 fire damage. If war oil ignites in an area, a creature takes 1d4 fire damage when it enters the area for the first time on its turn or starts its turn in that area. A creature can take fire damage from the war oil only once per round. War oil dries and ceases to be slippery or flammable after 1 minute.

Specialised Ammunition Properties

The following advanced ammunition properties impart more effectiveness to ammunition. Each piece of specialised ammunition can have only one of these properties. Because of the crafting skills required to make this ammunition, it is much more expensive.

Armour Piercing

This ammunition works like an armour piercing melee weapon, but you fire the ammunition as a projectile from a ranged weapon.

Blessed

When you hit a fiend, fey, or undead with blessed ammunition, that creature’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of their next turn. Additionally, they cannot take reactions until the end of their next turn.

Brutal

Designed to open wide wounds, such as with a broad-bladed arrowhead, brutal ammunition works like a brutal melee weapon.

Incendiary

When you hit a creature with incendiary ammunition, the target takes an additional 1d4 fire damage.

Silvered

Treat attacks you make with silvered ammunition as magical for overcoming resistance and immunity to non magical attacks.

Ammunition

Arrows and Bolts

Name	Cost	Weight
Bludgeoning (1)	5cp	1/10lb.
Ranging (1)	1sp	1/40lb.
Slashing (1)	1sp	1/10lb.
Whistling (1)	1sp	1/20lb.
Sling Bullets
Piercing (1)	1cp	1/10lb.
Ranging (1)	5cp	1/20lb.
Whistling (1)	5cp	1/20lb.
Bellows Canister (20 shots)	5gp	4lb.
Dragon shot (20)	5gp	2lb.
Magazine	5gp	lb.
Paper Cartridge Bullets (20)	3gp	2lb.

Alchemical Ammunition

Name	Cost	Weight
Arrow (1)	75gp	1/5lb.
Bolt (1)	75gp	1/5lb.
Sling Bullet (1)	55gp	1/5lb.

Specialised Ammunition

Name	Cost	Weight
Arrows (5)	100gp	1/4lb.
Bolts (5)	100gp	1/2lb.
Paper Cartridge Bullets (5)	250gp	1/2lb.
Sling Bullets (5)	100gp	1/2lb.

Advanced Weapons

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Catchpole	500gp	1d6 Piercing	5lb.	Entangling, Hafted, Reach, Tripping, Two-Handed
Cavalry Flail	500gp	1d8 Bludgeoning	3lb.	Momentum (1d10), Swift, Versatile (1d10)
Cavalry Hammer	500gp	1d8 Bludgeoning	3lb.	Armour Piercing, Momentum (1d12), Versatile (1d10)
Cavalry Pick	500gp	1d8 Piercing	3lb.	Armour Piercing, Momentum (1d12), Versatile (1d10)
Chakram	500gp	1d4 Slashing	1lb.	Finesse, Light, Swift, Returning, Thrown (range 20/60)
Claymore	500gp	2d6 Slashing	7lb.	Brutal, Heavy, Two-Handed
Double Blade	500gp	1d6 Slashing	5lb.	Double, Momentum (1d10), Monk, Set, Two-Handed
Double Spear	500gp	1d6 Piercing	4lb.	Double, Momentum (1d10), Monk, Set, Two-Handed
Elite Rapier	500gp	1d8 Piercing	2lb.	Finesse, Swift
Fighting Chain	500gp	1d4 Bludgeoning	3lb.	Disarming, Double, Entangling, Finesse, Monk, Reach, Tripping, Bladed
Fighting Chain, two-handed	750gp	1d6 Bludgeoning	6lb.	Brutal ,Disarming, Double, Entangling, Finesse, Monk, Reach, Tripping, Bladed
Fighting Chain, hook	500gp	1d4 Bludgeoning	3lb.	Damage (Piercing), Disarming, Double, Entangling, Finesse, Monk, Reach, Tripping, Two-Handed.
Fighting Chain, sickle	500gp	1d4 Bludgeoning	3lb.	Damage (Slashing), Disarming, Double, Entangling, Finesse, Monk, Reach, Tripping, Two-Handed
Gladiator Net	350gp	1d6 Bludgeoning	5lb.	Entangling, Restraining, Thrown (range 5/15)
Guardian Poleaxe	750gp	1d10 Slashing	9lb.	Damage (Piercing), Guard, Hafted, Heavy, Reach, Set, Tripping, Two-Handed
Knightly Lance	500gp	2d6 Piercing	6lb.	Momentum (2d10), Reach, Two-Handed (unless mounted)
Knightly Sword	750gp	1d8 Slashing	3lb.	Guard, Defending, Precise, Versatile (1d10)
Military Fork	500gp	2d6 Piercing	8lb.	Hafted, Heavy, Reach, Set, Tripping, Two-Handed
Parrying Dagger	350gp	1d4 Piercing	1lb.	Disarming, Defending, Finesse, Light, Thrown (range 20/60)
Polearm	500gp	1d12 Piercing	12lb.	Guard, Hafted, Heavy, Reach, Set, Two-Handed
Punching Dagger	300gp	1d4 Piercing	1lb.	Armour Piercing, Defending, Finesse, Light
Returning Club	300gp	1d4 Bludgeoning	2lb.	Light, Returning, Thrown (range 20/60)
Sabre	500gp	1d8 Slashing	2lb.	Finesse, Swift
Sheathed Staff	500gp	1d6 Bludgeoning	6lb.	Double, Monk, Versatile (1d8)
Side-handle Baton	500gp	1d4 Bludgeoning	2lb.	Defending, Finesse, Light, Monk, Swift
Wrath Axe	500gp	2d6 Slashing	12lb.	Brutal, Hafted, Heavy, Momentum (2d8), Two-Handed
Wrath Maul	500gp	2d6Bludgeoning	15lb.	Brutal, Hafted, Heavy, Momentum (2d8), Two-Handed

Advanced Ranged Weapons

Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Arbalest	750gp	2d6 Piercing	20lb.	Ammunition (range 80/300), Heavy, Loading, Strong-Draw, Two-Handed
Blackpowder Pistol	200gp	2d4 Piercing	4lb.	Ammunition (range 25/100), Blackpowder, Loading, Light
Blackpowder Rifle	500gp	2d6 Piercing	10lb.	Ammunition (range 80/300), Blackpowder, Loading, Two-Handed
Blunderbuss	750gp	2d6 Piercing	10lb.	Ammunition (range 20/30), Blackpowder, Cumbersome, Loading, Scatter (line 10), Two-Handed
Blunderbuss, hand	500gp	2d4 Piercing	4lb.	Ammunition (range 20/30), Blackpowder, Loading, Scatter (line 10)
Composite Longbow	750gp	1d8 Piercing	2lb.	Ammunition (range 200/600), Heavy, Strong-Draw, Two-Handed
Composite Shortbow	400gp	1d6 Piercing	2lb.	Ammunition (range 100/400), Strong-Draw, Two-Handed
Dragon Pistol	350gp	2d4 Piercing	4lb.	Ammunition (range 20), Blackpowder, Loading, Scatter (cone 15)
Dragon Rifle	750gp	2d6 Piercing	4lb.	Ammunition (range 20), Blackpowder, Loading, Scatter (cone 15)
Flame Bellows	750gp	2d6 Fire	11lb.	Ammunition (range 15), Cumbersome, Loading, Magazine (20), Scatter (cone 15), Two-Handed
Repeater Crossbow	750gp	1d8 Piercing	7lb.	Ammunition (range 80/300), Magazine (6 bolts), Repeater, Two-Handed
Repeater Crossbow, hand	500gp	1d6 Piercing	3lb.	Ammunition (range 30/120), Light, Magazine (3 bolts), Repeater
Repeater Crossbow, heavy	1,000gp	1d10 Piercing	20lb.	Ammunition (range 100/400), Heavy, Magazine (9 bolts), Repeater, Two-Handed
Repeater Needle	500gp	1 Piercing	3lb.	Ammunition (range 30/120), Light, Magazine (6 blowgun needles), Repeater
Repeater Slinger	750gp	1d8 Bludgeoning	9lb.	Ammunition (range 80/300), Magazine (9 sling bullets), Repeater, Two-Handed