D&D 5e Weapons: Complete Table, Properties and Mastery (2024)

What weapons are in D&D 5e?

The 2024 Player's Handbook (and the free SRD 5.2) lists 38 weapons in four groups: 10 simple melee, 4 simple ranged, 18 martial melee and 6 martial ranged. Simple weapons are what everyone can pick up. Martial weapons hit harder but need training, which fighters, barbarians, paladins and rangers get by default.

The full table is below. Every damage die is a button: click 2d6 next to the greatsword and it rolls right on the page. For bigger damage expressions with your modifier added, use the dice calculator.

Simple Melee weapons

Simple Ranged weapons

Martial Melee weapons

Martial Ranged weapons

Which weapon does the most damage?

Average damage is just the average of the die, before your ability modifier. Here are the weapons people usually compare:

The gap between top weapons is small. A greatsword out-damages a greataxe by half a point per hit, which is why the choice usually comes down to the mastery property and feats, not the die. The 2d6 weapons also roll more consistently: a greatsword lands between 5 and 9 on two-thirds of hits, while a greataxe is equally likely to roll a 1 or a 12. Critical hits double the dice, not the modifier, so bigger dice pay off more on a crit (see critical hits in 5e).

What do weapon properties mean?

Properties are short rules tags. Here is what each one does, in plain terms, with the 2014 differences noted.

• Ammunition: you need arrows, bolts, bullets or needles to fire it. Drawing the ammo is part of the attack, and after a fight you can recover half of what you shot.
• Finesse: use Strength or Dexterity, whichever is better, for both the attack and damage. This is the rogue's property, because Sneak Attack needs a Finesse or ranged weapon.
• Heavy: in the 2024 rules you have disadvantage with a Heavy melee weapon if your Strength is below 13, or with a Heavy ranged weapon if your Dexterity is below 13. In 2014, Heavy only hurt Small creatures, who had disadvantage regardless of scores.
• Light: when you attack with a Light weapon, you can make one extra attack with a different Light weapon as a bonus action. You don't add your ability modifier to that extra attack's damage unless it's negative. This is two-weapon fighting.
• Loading: you can fire it only once per action, bonus action or reaction, no matter how many attacks you have. The Crossbow Expert feat removes this limit.
• Range: two numbers, like 150/600 for the longbow. Beyond the first number you attack with disadvantage; beyond the second you can't attack at all.
• Reach: adds 5 feet to your melee reach, so you threaten 10 feet. Great for holding a doorway or making enemies eat opportunity attacks.
• Thrown: you can throw a melee weapon and use the same ability as for a melee attack. A thrown dagger still uses Dexterity if you'd use it in melee. In 2024 you can draw the weapon as part of the throw.
• Two-Handed: needs both hands to attack, so no shield.
• Versatile: one-handed it uses the first die; with two hands it uses the bigger one, like 1d8 or 1d10 for a longsword.

What is weapon mastery?

Weapon mastery is new in the 2024 rules. Every weapon carries one of eight mastery properties: Cleave, Graze, Nick, Push, Sap, Slow, Topple or Vex. You only get the effect if a feature lets you master that kind of weapon. Barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues start with it at level 1. A greataxe's Cleave lets you hit a second adjacent enemy, a maul's Topple can knock a target prone, and a rapier's Vex gives you advantage on your next attack against the same target.

Mastery is the main reason two weapons with the same die play differently now. Our weapon mastery guide breaks down all eight properties and which weapons to pick.

How do you choose a weapon?

Strength builds

Two-handed fighters and barbarians take the greatsword (Graze: you still deal your Strength modifier on a miss) or the greataxe (Cleave). If you want a shield, the longsword (Sap) or warhammer (Push) is the standard pick. Want control? A maul's Topple sets up advantage for the whole party.

Dexterity builds

Rogues and Dex fighters use a rapier for the 1d8 die, or a shortsword plus a scimitar or dagger for two attacks per turn. The scimitar's Nick mastery lets you make the Light extra attack as part of the Attack action, freeing your bonus action for Cunning Action.

Ranged builds

The longbow has the best range in the game, 150/600 feet. It's martial, though, so a wizard or cleric without the training would reach for the light crossbow (1d8, 80/320) instead. Remember the 2024 Heavy rule: a longbow or heavy crossbow needs Dexterity 13.

Quick picks by class

• Barbarian: greataxe or greatsword, plus a couple of handaxes or javelins to throw.
• Fighter: greatsword for damage, longsword and shield for defense, longbow as a backup.
• Paladin: longsword or warhammer with a shield, so you can still cast with a holy symbol on the shield.
• Rogue: rapier, or shortsword and scimitar for two-weapon fighting; shortbow at range.
• Ranger: longbow, with two shortswords for close range.
• Cleric, Druid: mace or quarterstaff; most damage comes from spells.
• Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock: a dagger or quarterstaff for emergencies. Cantrips will outdamage them.

Need the matching protection? See the armor table.

FAQ

What is the best weapon in D&D 5e?

For raw damage the greatsword and maul tie at 2d6 (7 average). The best weapon for your character depends on your build: Dexterity characters want a rapier or shortsword, sword-and-board fighters want a longsword or warhammer, and archers want a longbow.

What is the difference between simple and martial weapons?

Simple weapons, like the club, dagger and light crossbow, are easy to use and almost every class is proficient with them. Martial weapons, like the longsword and longbow, deal more damage and need training, which fighters, barbarians, paladins and rangers have.

What does Finesse mean in 5e?

A Finesse weapon lets you use Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls, whichever is higher. You must use the same ability for both rolls. The dagger, dart, rapier, scimitar, shortsword and whip have it.

Can you use a weapon you are not proficient with?

Yes, but you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll. At level 1 that is a 2-point penalty compared with a proficient character, and in the 2024 rules you also cannot use the weapon's mastery property.

Did weapons change in the 2024 rules?

Mostly the numbers stayed the same. The big additions are weapon mastery, a Heavy property that now requires Strength 13 (melee) or Dexterity 13 (ranged), the musket and pistol in the core list, and the net moving out of the weapon table into adventuring gear.

Related

• Dice Calculator
• Weapon Mastery in 5e (2024 Rules)
• D&D 5e Armor: Full Armor Table and How AC Works
• Critical Hits in 5e: How Crit Damage Works