D&D 5E What does the "- " mean beside some of the weapons? :)

[LegionError121]

So, I've been meaning to ask about this for a while

What does a " - " mean if its listed in a Weapons Properties?

For example, how does a Sling, Mace, Morningstar or Flail work?

Are they 1 handed? Do you use strength or dex? Can they be thrown, What do Morningstars and Flails actually look like? These be things I do not know

 

[Caliban]

It means they don't have any special properties, and thus use the default weapon characteristics.

They don't have the "Versatile" or "Heavy" property, so they can only be used in one hand.

If they don't have the "Finesse" property (if melee), they can only be used with Strength. In the case of the Sling, ranged weapons default to Dexterity.

A morningstar is basically a mace with spikey bits on the end. A flail is basically a morningstar with a chain connecting the ball with the spikey bits to the handle (spikey bits optional).

Here's some pictures.

http://imgur.com/gallery/OUft2

 

[transtemporal]

It means "this weapon has no special properties".

 

[LegionError121]

It means "this weapon has no special properties".

The bit about it not having special properties kind of means to me that they do have special properties.

As the guy above you said, "ranged weapons default to dex" and I didn't know that so I was quite happy with thinking you could "strenth a sling"

 

[Ath-kethin]

The bit about it not having special properties kind of means to me that they do have special properties.

As the guy above you said, "ranged weapons default to dex" and I didn't know that so I was quite happy with thinking you could "strenth a sling"

It definitely could be clearer in the text. But from Page 194 of the Player's Handbook:

"Ability Modifier. The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule."

 

[Ancalagon]

A morningstar is basically a mace with spikey bits on the end. A flail is basically a morningstar with a chain connecting the ball with the spikey bits to the handle (spikey bits optional).

http://imgur.com/gallery/OUft2

Well... it's a bit of a vague word. The morning star can also mean this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goedendag

 

[Caliban]

Well... it's a bit of a vague word. The morning star can also mean this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goedendag

Sure. But in D&D, it's always been the mace with the spiky bits on the end. At least I can't remember it being anything else.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It's always good to read the entire chapter leading up to the Weapons table, rather than just skipping straight to it. Almost all questions can get answered when you do that.

In fact, read the chapter twice.

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[Ancalagon]

Sure. But in D&D, it's always been the mace with the spiky bits on the end. At least I can't remember it being anything else.

I could have sworn that they used it in one edition... now I will have to do research.

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[Satyrn]

Well... it's a bit of a vague word. The morning star can also mean this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goedendag

But your wiklink says it's been confused with a morningstar not because they're so similar, but because they could have been used by the same group of people for tbe same reason.

And the wikipage for morningstar clearly describes the D&D weapon, not the goedendag.