D&D 5E Weapons You Miss

[Azzy]

5e is great, don't get me wrong. In simplifying things, though, the weapon list was reduced significantly from earlier editions. Some of the weapons (like broadswords, many polearms, dire flails, etc.) were deservedly put on the chopping block, but there are others that are missed.

So, my EN Fam, what weapons from earlier editions that aren't in 5e do you miss the most?

For me, it's garrotes, scythes, long spears, whip-daggers, bolas, chakram, repeating crossbows, and specialty arrows (sheaf, flight, et al.).

 

[the Jester]

5e is great, don't get me wrong. In simplifying things, though, the weapon list was reduced significantly from earlier editions. Some of the weapons (like ... many polearms ... etc.) were deservedly put on the chopping block

HOW DARE YOU

 

[Charlaquin]

It feels very weird not having a sap/blackjack available for thieves to use.

There kind of is, but it requires some creative interpretation that some DMs might not allow.

Rogues can sneak attack with finesse or ranged weapons.

Slings are ranged weapons.

A loaded sling can be used to make a melee attack.

 

[Laurefindel]

I miss the longspear / great spear, but honestly, the current pike fits the bill (more than what it pretends to be at any case)

i also miss lucerne hammer, but tbh, it’s little more than a halberd that does bludgeoning instead of slashing.

the falchion as a 2d4/2d6 non-heavy versatile weapon would fit a currently missing niche.

as for the scythe, it kinda looks cool in a grim-reaper kind of way, but as someone who uses a scythe, it’s like the worse thing to use as a weapon. Like ever. I’ll take the pitch fork instead, or the garden rake over the scythe if I have to defend myself! Now take the scythe’s blade, turn it upward on a straight haft and now we’re talking. Except it’s now a fauchard and no longer a scythe…

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

as for the scythe, it kinda looks cool in a grim-reaper kind of way, but as someone who uses a scythe, it’s like the worse thing to use as a weapon. Like ever. I’ll take the pitch fork instead, or the garden rake over the scythe if I have to defend myself! Now take the scythe’s blade, turn it upward on a straight haft and now we’re talking. Except it’s now a fauchard and no longer a scythe…

Yeah, it's a good (agrarian Middle Ages) metaphor, but no one should be taking it literally that scythes are somehow a good weapon.

 

[Asisreo]

I miss with all my weapons...

 

[humble minion]

I do miss heavy flails. Regular flails are Versatile (but seriously, does anyone ever use Versatile weapons 2-handed when greatswords etc exist?) and I suppose you do have the option of just pretending your maul has a chain between the handle and head, but it's not quite the same. But a spiked heavy flail could be a non-reach 2-handed heavy piercing weapon, and i don't think that is a niche that's filled currently.

Also, a melee-only spear, that doesn't trade damage for the ability to throw it. Make spear and shield fighting viable again. A reach weapon usable by small PCs. A two-handed finesse weapon, perhaps something like a nagamaki, a slim sword blade on a long handle? (Disclaimer, I am not a sword expert...)

One thing i will give the 5e weapon list credit for though is the maul. Is this the first time that a 2-handed hammer has been in the basic PHB weapon list as a mechanical equal to greatswords and greataxes?

 

[Minigiant]

I had to homebrew a dozen items to 5e just to run it as a DM.

 

[Don Durito]

I've seen in other threads and boards that a complaint about 5e is a lack of distinctiveness in weapons and armor. In 1e, this was less of a problem, but also got obscured because distinctiveness was delivered through the universally reviled Armor Class Adjustments modifiers (ACAs). This derision was justified: 11 ACAs per weapon is too much. However, if one simplifies this down to a mere 3 ACAs per weapon--non-metal or no armor (N, AC 8-10), non-plated metal armor (M, AC 4-7), and plated armor (P, AC 0-3)--the distinctiveness comes shining through.

One can then understand:

• why knights carried both swords (damage dealing but poor against plated) and maces (bash through plated armor)
• why the blunt restriction for clerics was not so bad (blunt weapons bash!)
• why polearms were slow but useful (cheap damage-dealing can openers versus all armor)
• why slings and crossbows were the weapons of choice versus unarmed rabble
• why heavy lances, halberds, and two-handed swords were made of awesome despite their slowness
• and why plated armors were basically non-magical magic items and needed to be treated as such

But without ACAs, all this fun goodness is lost. If only Gary had edited the concept a bit more.

Messing with AC numbers is just a pain. It's not the way to skin this rabbit.

You need to do it by armour and weapon properties.

One way would be to add certain properties and have some weapons ignore them.

For example:

Medium armour has resistance against single handed slashing and piercing weapons (finally a reason for a versatile weapon).

Heavy Armour has Resistance against Slashing and Piercing, but not Bludgeoning damage.

Piercing weapons ignore resistance on a critical hit or when an attack is made with advantage.

Increase the damage of all Slashing weapons by one die type.

 

[Seramus]

 

[humble minion]

Messing with AC numbers is just a pain. It's not the way to skin this rabbit.

You need to do it by armour and weapon properties.

One way would be to add certain properties and have some weapons ignore them.

For example:

Medium armour has resistance against single handed slashing and piercing weapons (finally a reason for a versatile weapon).

Heavy Armour has Resistance against Slashing and Piercing, but not Bludgeoning damage.

Piercing weapons ignore resistance on a critical hit or when an attack is made with advantage.

Increase the damage of all Slashing weapons by one die type.

The problem with that sort of thing is that then you have to add an armour type to every monster. And not all of them fit neatly into those categories.