D&D (2024) Weapon mastery and Shillelagh.

[Kobold Stew]

Assuming Weapon mastery stays as it is (playtest 6), as does Shillelagh (PHB 2014), then the Shillelagh should use the mastery effect from the base weapon: the spell specifies that the wood of the q'staff or club changes its nature; the weapon is unchanged).

This means that a Shillelagh made from a quarterstaff has no Weapon Mastery benefit (quarterstaves get Flex, which would give 1d8 damage one-handed, which is what Shillelagh gives anyways), but a Shillelagh made from a club would get Slow (-10' speed when you do damage).

So make your Shillelaghs from clubs! (or tell me where I'm mistaken).

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Assuming Weapon mastery stays as it is (playtest 6), as does Shillelagh (PHB 2014), then the Shillelagh should use the mastery effect from the base weapon: the spell specifies that the wood of the q'staff or club changes its nature; the weapon is unchanged).

This means that a Shillelagh made from a quarterstaff has no Weapon Mastery benefit (quarterstaves get Flex, which would give 1d8 damage one-handed, which is what Shillelagh gives anyways), but a Shillelagh made from a club would get Slow (-10' speed when you do damage).

So make your Shillelaghs from clubs! (or tell me where I'm mistaken).

I hope flex does not survive in this variant. It is really bad, as it is a non benefit more often than not.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

You can beat their kneecaps!

 

[Horwath]

I hope flex does not survive in this variant. It is really bad, as it is a non benefit more often than not.

Flex by itself is not (that)bad. Problem is that the weakest mastery is paired with weakest weapon property(versatile)

base damage of non-finesse weapons is bad as WotC in their infinite wisdom values Versatile the same as Finesse properties.
If longsword/battleax/warhammer base damage was 1d10 and flex going to 1d12, then flex would be fine.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Flex by itself is not (that)bad. Problem is that the weakest mastery is paired with weakest weapon property(versatile)

base damage of non-finesse weapons is bad as WotC in their infinite wisdom values Versatile the same as Finesse properties.
If longsword/battleax/warhammer base damage was 1d10 and flex going to 1d12, then flex would be fine.

I disagree. I see flex as a property that takes away the only intetesting thing of versatile weapons. Foghting styles already don't pair well woth versatile weapons... I don't want another choice remover.

 

[Horwath]

I disagree. I see flex as a property that takes away the only intetesting thing of versatile weapons. Foghting styles already don't pair well woth versatile weapons... I don't want another choice remover.

there is nothing interesting or valuable about versatile.
It is property that is not used in 99,9% of situations.
Might as well not being written in the PHB

 

[UngeheuerLich]

there is nothing interesting or valuable about versatile.
It is property that is not used in 99,9% of situations.
Might as well not being written in the PHB

Your opinion. New grapple rules support it a bit. It lacks a fighting style however and flex takes away what is interesting about it.

 

[Ashrym]

Yeah, shillelagh should use a club.

I used flex for a slight damage boost on a shield build.

 

[Clint_L]

Versatile mostly gets used by monks, allowing them to get a D8 damage from the staff or spear, which are the most common monk weapons at low levels. Ironically, since monks have no choice but to use the weapons 2-handed, they don't benefit from flex at all.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Flex is fine. Having a property that basically passes through and lets people who don't care ignore it after weapon selection is a good thing; not everyone wants the same thing.

Versatile has IME only ever been a relevant property with brawler fighters in 4e. This is because brawler fighters were sword-and-fist people who used their fists frequently to grapple, and while they weren't grappling enemies using their off-hand for extra damage was a choice that was made from round to round. (You could also use it for sword-and-bow combat where you can't draw your sword and sheathe your bow in the same turn - but archers are normally dex based and there's no dex-versatile weapon).