D&D 5E What's the 5e equivalent of masterwork?

[Gilladian]

As we all probably remember, in 3e there were masterwork weapons. Is there an equivalent for 5e? If not, what would you do to represent a very finely crafted but non-magical weapon? Give it a + to damage only? If so, how much? Or just describe it as beautiful and worth more than a typical weapon?

 

[Parmandur]

A +1 weapon, not called magical, of you like. Nothing in the rules.

 

[Blue]

In 5e, you have things like Adamantine armor and Mithral armor which are non-magical "magic items" doesn't grant any pluses. Perhaps it grants inspiration once per short rest - but it doesn't have to be during a fight. A fight's obvious, but perhaps during a negotiation with a general who would recognize the maker's mark, or during intimidation, or during anything where the player can craft a good story about why the masterwork blade would help - which is exactly what Inspiration is supposed to encourage.

But I wouldn't add a mechanical advantage like +Damage that you can just buy with money like 3e's masterwork weapon - that's not really a 5e way of doing things. You can't buy magic items by default, so a magic item by any other name I'd also keep off the table. (But if you do allow gold to be spent on items regularly, then ignore that and go for it. I wouldn't do more than +1 damage, since the rarest of magical weapon only add +3 to damage.)

 

[vandaexpress]

I just give out a weapon made of a material that can bypass some damage reduction, like a silvered weapon or adamantine.

 

[pukunui]

Is there an equivalent for 5e?

There is not.

what would you do to represent a very finely crafted but non-magical weapon?

Anything you can think of that feels appropriate. You could start by looking at the Special Features tables on pages 142-143 of the DMG. Maybe the item was crafted by elves and therefore weighs half as much as normal. Maybe it's made out of a strange material. Maybe it's virtually unbreakable. Maybe it gives you a bonus on Charisma checks to interact with a certain group of people.

It doesn't have to be a purely mechanical thing like "masterwork" was in 3e.

 

[CapnZapp]

My take:

Normal gear is described as essentially worthless. As in, don't bother bringing it home, you won't get any serious money for it anyway.

One way to have "masterwork" items in 5e would be to describe the weapon, armor or whatever as especially fine quality, and then allow the party to sell it for a handsome profit (at value, twice or even ten times the PHB price)

This way you achieve everything masterwork ever was, except the plus bonus, which was unbalancing and which is a bad idea to bring back.

 

[Najo]

The problem with only that option is instead of keeping the masterwork weapon, a player would want to sell it. The +1 to damage option isn't game breaking and fits with the bound accuracy philosophy. Then have it worth more than a normal weapon too.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'd just have it cost more without mechanical advantages by default. You buy them because you have money, and that's it.

But then I'd certainly also have some occasional non-default, non-magical weapons that grant some ad-hoc advantages.

The problem with only that option is instead of keeping the masterwork weapon, a player would want to sell it.

Not necessarily much of a problem. Depends on the fantasy setting.

In what's going to be my typical way of running 5e games, magic items are not for sale, so money is not as useful as before. If you don't want your masterwork weapon, sell it and have the money. Then what? You can use the money to buy another masterwork weapon.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'd agree that the best/easiest option would be to just not consider +1 weapons magical. The base +1 weapon to attack and damage is a masterwork weapon. It's only once you start adding the special abilities onto it, or move the bonus up to +2 or higher, is when it becomes magical.

After all... if magical weapons (and items in general) are supposed to be rare... rare enough that you don't find them for sale in most large towns or cities... that means that they are not being made by wizards that often. And if that's the case, and making a magical weapon takes a bit of doing... why would any wizard build the crappiest magic weapon there is and not take the extra effort to add a few more things or abilities to it?

The only reason you would make the simplest and most basic enchantment on a magic weapon would be either you are learning the basics of enchantment and practicing until you become proficient enough make more powerful items... or you are churning them out quickly for the money. But if that is the case... +1 magical weapons should be found around major cities that have large wizard communities or universities to be purchased.

So by my way of thinking... +1 weapons should mean one of two things. Either they are the weapons that have been made masterwork by master swordsmiths and are purchaseable for good amounts of gold... or they are the the "practice enchantments" for wizards learning how to build more powerful items (and thus these magical weapons should be found for sale in most major cities as these wizards want to get cash back for the money they spent to enchant them in the first place.)

I would say that I do like the "practicing enchantments" idea... because it gives a better explanation as to why you would find magical versions of lesser armors and weapons. One question that always seemed to come up was when people would ask why a wizard would ever make a +1 set of leather armor, rather than use their building time to make a set of +1 studded leather armor (since studded leather is obviously better armor and thus worth more overall.) If you subscribe to the "practicing enchantments" ideas to +1 magic bonuses... then you can explain it by saying that practicing wizards have to try out their enchantments on every type of weapon and armor so that they can be assured that what they are doing and learning actually works. The same way video game designers have to build and QC games using all manner of PC, from the highest end machine to the lowest, crappiest one. Your magical formula needs to be so solid and good that it can be placed on a mace, just like it could be placed on a flail, just like it could be placed on a maul.

Plus the fact that it's probably easiest/cheaper for the starting wizard to acquire lower-end armors and weapons to try and enchant, especially when they are learning and still prone to mistakes. So there really *should* be all kinds of +1 daggers and quarterstaves out there as no wizard learning the art of enchantment is gonna start his work straight at the greatsword or plate mail. That's a waste of resources if he screws it up.

 

[Coredump]

I advise keeping the MW bonus minimal, and maybe not damage oriented.

Reroll 1's on to hit
BOnus to disarm attempts
Draw and sheathe as a single 'free' action.

etc