D&D 5E What if you had to learn to use weapons?

[ro]

What if, rather than becoming proficient in a whole list of weapons at level 1, you gained proficiency in one or two weapons at certain levels as you leveled up?

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Sure, but only if I can start with voulge-guisarme proficiency.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

That seems rather weird. Rather than learning a variety of weapons as part of your martial training over the several years it took you to learn your first level, you can just pick up the full techniques required for proficiency with a weapon overnight?

 

[jgsugden]

This was tried in prior editions and determined to be, for most people, more trouble than it was worth. They tried having proficiency in individual weapons, in weapon groups (axes, swords, bows), and eventually settled upon the easy path of simple versus martial.

If you want a more complex system, I'd give people half proficiency bonus (rounded down) in general for weapon attacks, but allow them to have full proficiency for weapons that are trained for them. Then I'd allow PCs to train a certain number of weapons based upon class and level.

 

[Charlaquin]

D&D pretty much assumes that at the start of play, your character has everything they need to be an adventurer. You don’t start out as the farm boy who dreams of becoming a great hero. That may be where your character started out, but by the time play begins, that farm boy has already survived the goblin attack on his farm, defeating a goblin by sheer force of luck, been taken on as a squire by the knight who defeated the rest of the raiding party, trained to use a sword and shield, been equipped by the local lord and conscripted into the local militia, served his term, and set off on his own to make his fame and fortune as an adventurer. D&D treats all of that as backstory.There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to play through all of that, but D&D isn’t really the best system to run that game in.

 

[Azzy]

What if, rather than becoming proficient in a whole list of weapons at level 1, you gained proficiency in one or two weapons at certain levels as you leveled up?

Like in AD&D? Sure, you could do that, but if you're going to do that, I'd suggest looking at those older editions to see how they attacked the problem so you don't have to completely reinvent the wheel.

For instance, in 2e, warrior classes had 4 weapon proficiencies at 1st level, and gained one more every 3 levels (starting at 3rd level), wizard classes began with 1 proficiency and gained another every 6 levels (starting at 6th level). Priest and rogue classes started with 2 and gained another every four levels (starting at 4th level). You'd have to adjust this as necessary, as some of the 5e classes (and subclasses) need more fine-tuning (for instance, warlocks should get more weapon proficiences than wizards, war clerics should have more proficiencies than most other clerics, etc.).

 

[ro]

I guess my thought is that you are training with your next weapon [Edit: off camera] while progressing in levels, and every so often you achieve proficiency, just like spellcasters suddenly gain more spells at future levels.

Here's an idea:

For martial classes:

Starting at first level, you have learned to fight with single weapons. Choose either ammunition, bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. You gain proficiency in non-ammunition weapons with that damage type or weapons with the ammunition property.
At 1st level, you have learned to use any such weapon that uses 1d4 or 1d6 damage dice. At 5th level, you learn to use 1d8 and 2d4 weapons; at 10th, 1d10 weapons; and at 15th, 1d12 and 2d6 weapons.
At 5th level, you learn to fight with two 1d4 weapons, and at 15th level, two 1d6 weapons.

For full spellcaster classes:

Starting at first level, you have learned to fight with single weapons. Choose either ammunition, bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. You gain proficiency in non-ammunition weapons with that damage type or weapons with the ammunition property.
At 1st level, you have learned to use any such weapon that uses 1d4 damage dice. At 8th level, you learn to use 1d6 weapons; and at 16th, 1d8 and 2d4 weapons. At 16th level you also learn to fight with two 1d4 weapons.

Edit: I haven't played any version other than 5e. I didn't know it used to be different. Do martial classes not like having that advancement and having weapon choice matter?

 

[Swarmkeeper]

If I was starting the characters at Level 0 (commoners!), I might consider minimal (if any) weapon proficiency. But once they are level one, I wouldn't want to fiddle with it. Downtime can be fun, but it isn't always a regular thing and I wouldn't want to force weapon training on the players when there are other more flavorful things they can explore.

 

[ro]

If I was starting the characters at Level 0 (commoners!), I might consider minimal (if any) weapon proficiency. But once they are level one, I wouldn't want to fiddle with it. Downtime can be fun, but it isn't always a regular thing and I wouldn't want to force weapon training on the players when there are other more flavorful things they can explore.

I actual mean off camera, just like all other class features are learned, not during official downtime.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I actual mean off camera, just like all other class features are learned, not during official downtime.

I see. I guess that makes the game a little more gritty? I don't know. Most characters just use their few starting weapons for many levels anyway, so not sure how much the weapon training rule would actually affect them. I guess the bottom line is: if you and the players think it would be fun to try, go for it! If you do it, report back on how it went. I'm sure people here would be curious.