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.).

 

[Charlaquin]

If it was back in the game, you could have low level quest givers troll player characters by asking for a "Bohemian ear fork" and a "Bohemian ear knife." (Both of which sound much scarier than a "spoon.")

But all pale in comparison to the mighty Bohemian ear spork!

 

[EzekielRaiden]

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?

No. 4e did it first.
Maul (PHB): +2 proficiency, 2d6 damage, hammer group.
Greataxe (PHB): +2 proficiency, 1d12 damage, axe group, high crit property.
Greatsword (PHB): +3 proficiency, 1d10 damage, heavy blade group.

It's the "reliable damage" option, where the greatsword is "precise but slightly weaker" and the greataxe is "when it hits hard, it hits hard."

 

[Charlaquin]

No. 4e did it first.

Like most of 5e’s “innovations.”

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Like most of 5e’s “innovations.”

4E: The Android OS of game systems.

 

[Tonguez]

If it was back in the game, you could have low level quest givers troll player characters by asking for a "Bohemian ear fork" and a "Bohemian ear knife." (Both of which sound much scarier than a "spoon.")

yeah when I actually got to see what a Bohemian Ear Spoon looked like I was really disappointed, it didnt look anywhere as fearsome as my imagination had twisted it

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’ve actually added the spiked chain to my games. It’s the whip, but gains Versatile (d6) and Special (when you attack with one end of the spiked chain you can attack with the other end as a bonus action)

 

[Al'Kelhar]

I like OotS very much, but this strip, in particular, is a true work of genius.

Hmm, I thought it was a bit derivative. ;-)

 

[Li Shenron]

I generally miss the 3e weapon list where the extra details made it so that practically every weapon had a reason to be chosen.

I also generally feel that 5e hasn't explored non-magical weapons & armors & shields equipment at all.

Perhaps these are a bit beyond the scope or concept of 5e, but I think a small expansion "module" would be neat.

 

[houser2112]

I also generally feel that 5e hasn't explored non-magical weapons & armors & shields equipment at all.

Probably because having a magic weapon is so monumentally important, despite the claim that the default assumption is "no magic items".

 

[Ath'kethin]

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.).

I miss the Normal Sword. One set of statistics for whatever the prominent weapon was in the culture. While we can argue the semantics of battle with a scimitar vs. arming sword or whatever, there are more similarities than differences and I miss the rules just acknowledging that.

Especially since, starting near the end of the TSR era, scimitars got nerfed into silliness and I never really understood why.