Brain fart moment: where is the random weapon table?

[Ancalagon]

Hello

So I rolled to see what magical item the PCs were going to find (possibly) and I got a +1 weapon. Great. But I can't find the table which determines what that weapon is... is it a dagger, an axe? I could have sworn that there was such a table... roll 1d100, 1-4 is a dagger, 5-6 a club etc etc.

So did I dream up that table? Or am I blind? Where is it?

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[Dan Chernozub]

There was one in the Giantitp.

Here it is:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?453942-Random-Weapons-Tables

 

[CapnZapp]

Hello

So I rolled to see what magical item the PCs were going to find (possibly) and I got a +1 weapon. Great. But I can't find the table which determines what that weapon is... is it a dagger, an axe? I could have sworn that there was such a table... roll 1d100, 1-4 is a dagger, 5-6 a club etc etc.

So did I dream up that table? Or am I blind? Where is it?

No there is no official 5th edition tables for random weapons.

Here's my table:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?560508-Random-Weapon-Table

It uses the d20 (3rd edition) tables and their frequencies as a kind of semi-official starting-point, just using the 5E list of weapons instead. Here it is so you don't have to follow a link:

Roll d1000 on this table each time you get a "Weapon +1, +2, +3" result and want to randomize.

Simple Martial Weapons
001-004 Club
005-039 Dagger
040-043 Greatclub
044-067 Handaxe
068-075 Javelin
076-079 Light hammer
080-149 Mace
150-172 Quarterstaff
173-176 Sickle
177-213 Spear
214-230 Unarmed (wraps, gauntlets, monk weapons etc)
Simple Ranged Weapons
231-271 Crossbow light
272-287 Dart
288-303 Shortbow
204-319 Sling
Martial Melee Weapons
320-404 Battleaxe
405-413 Flail
414-420 Glaive
421-498 Greataxe
499-576 Greatsword
577-581 Halberd
582-586 Lance
587-773 Longsword
773-773 Maul
774-778 Morningstar
778-778 Pike
779-809 Rapier
810-848 Scimitar
849-887 Shortsword
888-891 Trident
892-895 War pick
896-900 Warhammer
901-905 Whip
Martial Ranged Weapons
906-907 Blowgun
908-914 Crossbow hand
915-955 Crossbow heavy
956-996 Longbow
997-1000 Net

I extracted the 3.5 SRD probabilities into a spreadsheet, counted only the weapons with direct 5e counterparts, took into account the probabilities for common and uncommon weapons, and rounded/summed up into a single d1000 table.


Roll d100 on this table each time you get an "Ammunition +1, +2, +3" result and want to randomize.

Ammunition
01-50 Arrow
51-55 Blowgun needle
56-80 Crossbow bolt
81-100 Sling bullet

Unlike the weapons table, the frequency for ammunition doesn't correspond directly to the 3.5 SRD. In 3.5, ammunition is 10% of all common ranged weapons (2% of all finds overall). In 5E, ammunition is its own entries in the treasure tables. Also, I made the choice to replace repeating crossbow bolts with blowgun needles, preserving the relative frequency of arrows, bolts and bullets.

 

[Ancalagon]

Thank you - I guess I was remembering the 3e one then...

 

[CapnZapp]

Thank you - I guess I was remembering the 3e one then...

It really is an inexplicable omission.

Sure they have said "hand out weapons the heroes can actually use" but that's in a completely different part of the DMG.

And it still doesn't answer the question. If I have taken the Great Weapon Mastery feat, sure I don't want a dagger or shortbow. But whether I'm getting a glaive or greataxe is still an open question.

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[LordEntrails]

...
And it still doesn't answer the question. If I have taken the Great Weapon Mastery feat, sure I don't want a dagger or shortbow. But whether I'm getting a glaive or greataxe is still an open question.

So you want the DMG to have a table for every possible set of weapon proficiencies? Here's one for blade warlocks, here's one for War domain clerics, here's one for...

Come on people, just pick something appropriate based on your feeling of what it should be. If you can't make a fun-based decision for a glaive or a greataxe, then just do the math in your head and roll even or odd.

Random tables can be fun and inspiring, but this is just a crutch for lack of taking ownership on what should be a DM responsibility.

 

[CapnZapp]

So you want the DMG to have a table for every possible set of weapon proficiencies? Here's one for blade warlocks, here's one for War domain clerics, here's one for...

No, I want a random weapon table. Just the one will do.

Come on people, just pick something appropriate based on your feeling of what it should be. If you can't make a fun-based decision for a glaive or a greataxe, then just do the math in your head and roll even or odd.

Random tables can be fun and inspiring, but this is just a crutch for lack of taking ownership on what should be a DM responsibility.

No. Just no.

Shifting the blame onto DMs doesn't fly as long as I'm around.

You don't get to call it a "crutch" and an inability to do your DM duties just to ask for a simple random table. That's absurd. And who gets to decide which random table is "fun and inspiring" and which is "lack of taking ownership"? You? And it just so happens that any table they do include is "fun and inspiring" but any table they drop is an opportunity for us to "take ownership".

Please. That's high-grade pure undiluted bullcrap, right there.

 

[Ancalagon]

See I am trying to give out random treasure here! If I have to pick what the weapon is, that is defeating the purpose.

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[CapnZapp]

See I am trying to give out random treasure here! If I have to pick what the weapon is, that is defeating the purpose.

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Sometimes the "pick" method is best, sometimes the "roll" method.

There's no good reason why they didn't include support for both.

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[SkidAce]