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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fire Brand" data-source="post: 6360424" data-attributes="member: 6687957">5e PHB Warlock Pact Blade Rules aren’t Clearly Stated - What is Your InterpretationGreetings - First post <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool    :cool:"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" />The rules that aren’t clear – or words that need emphasis – I typed in caps (not yelling <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />). Because honestly you can read a rule three times and gloss over a word assuming you now what it means. Except for 4e it seems like D&D has a history of poor rules wording, imho – hence rules lawyers. I own the Holmes Basic Set, crayon dice, Gygax DM and PHB to prove it! I admittedly haven’t played much lately but did the Playtest. I’d like to hear your interpretation of rules – which are supposed to be easy to understand in this edition. This proves how unclear some 5e rules can be. I emailed WotC for clarification but they haven’t replied yet. Maybe because it’s been pre-released to FLGS (is how I’ve seen this having perused the Warlock section) being excited about a Pact Blade because the concept was cool in 4e Essentials – however isn’t an implement like I hoped it would be. It’s supposedly making up for otherwise having disadvantage using Eldritch Blast in melee combat.It’s the 3rd level Warlock Patron Pact Boon called Pact of the BLADE.1) The rules state you can use ONE ACTION to CREATE and CHOOSE the FORM of a MELEE WEAPON. It doesn’t specify BLADE – so is it just a name? I guess so.2) ...In your EMPTY HAND (SINGULAR)a) I take that to mean even if you have TWO empty hands you can only wield a ONE-HANDED weapon - so you can’t use a two-handed, incl. pole arms, and so a versatile weapon can only be used one-handed. But I’ve seen people talking about two-handed weapons in Pact Blade threads so they may glossed over that.b) Sidenote: 5e rules inexplicably don’t offer rods to Warlocks which could be one item in your other hand amongst other things. Maybe they’ll be magic items with spell charges but it sure would be nice to have one for the character flavor factor instead of relying on V,S,M.3) The real confusing rule: It DISAPPEARS IF YOU USE THIS FEATURE AGAIN. What? a) If you know that is going to happen then why would you even try to use the weapon again and burn an action trying to use it?b) Therefore when CAN you use this pact weapon feature again?c) The rules DON’T SAY WHEN (I think I am yelling there <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":o" title="Eek!    :o"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":o" />)d) Do you get the weapon's use back after a “short” 1-hour rest ala 4e Encounter Powers – who knows? The rules that ARE clear:1) You’re proficient with it2) It’s magical for overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.3) It disappears if:a) It’s more than 5 ft away for 1 minute or more (sidenote: what really constitutes a minute is another one that’s unclear – combat rounds are 6 sec. but really how are players and DM’s going to handle time)b) you dismiss it as an actionc) you die (0 HP is still alive – so you’re laying there gripping it in your cold almost-dead hands lol)4) You can TRANSFORM one MAGICAL weapon (I glossed over that hence caps)a) by performing a 1hr ritual holding it the entire timeb) you can then dismiss it to extradimensional space (cool)c) so it appears when you CREATE your pact weapon thereafter (go back to start ‘1’)Get out your Pact Blades, consult your Fiendish Patron, and Interpret away!</blockquote>

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