D&D 5E 5E: Whips?

[Dausuul]

I've been looking at the whip and considering whether/how it can be effective as a weapon. What are your thoughts?

Offhand, I have trouble seeing a good use for the whip. Its 1d4 damage makes it sub-optimal for any class that relies heavily on weapon damage dice. Because it's not light, you have to have the Dual Wielder feat to use it as an off-hand weapon, which means you could be using a rapier in that hand. Is it really worth giving up 2 damage/round to have reach with one of your attacks?

The other possibility would be for classes like rogues that don't depend much on the weapon die, instead relying on big helpings of bonus damage. At first glance, a whip looks like the perfect melee weapon for a rogue--a reach finesse weapon! You can stand behind the fighter and sneak attack over her shoulder. But rogues aren't proficient with whips, so you'd either have to multi-class or spend a feat. And you're still down 2 damage/round compared to a rapier. All that adds up to a pretty hefty price tag just to get reach, especially since 5E makes it so much easier to sneak attack with ranged weapons.

As far as I can tell, the main use for a whip is if you think your DM will be amenable to letting you pull a lot of stunt moves with it. Otherwise, it sucks. Am I missing something?

 

[Astrosicebear]

As much as we want the Whip to be a Spiked Chain... it is not.

 

[Dausuul]

As much as we want the Whip to be a Spiked Chain... it is not.

Oh, come on. The spiked chain was grotesquely overpowered. I'm looking for a scenario where the whip is on par with other martial weapons, not outperforming them.

 

[I'm A Banana]

It's pretty contextual. Possibly useful for Dex-based characters who don't want to get directly into melee with a creature they can't ranged attack for one reason or another. But certainly not an All The Time weapon, if you've got a choice.

 

[Gecko85]

Perhaps if a character is proficient with the whip, allow them to disarm an opponent with it...Indiana Jones style. While not dishing out a ton of damage, that can be very helpful to the party.

 

[Astrosicebear]

Oh, come on. The spiked chain was grotesquely overpowered. I'm looking for a scenario where the whip is on par with other martial weapons, not outperforming them.

Hey, I'm on #TeamWhip.

Problem is for the whip to be useful you need a build. Or used to in older editions. If you want damage you go with a scorpion whip and rogue sneak. Or if you want to disarm, you do a master disarmer and all. But those require tons of feats or special features just to use a damn weapon.

Whips should grant advantage when used to trip or disarm, and should grant some bonus for grappling.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I'm looking for a scenario where the whip is on par with other martial weapons, not outperforming them.

It isn't on par with actual martial weapons nor should it be. If you are trying to kill someone, a sword really is MUCH more effective. It has utility uses such as disarming, swinging over pits and such but as a weapon of war it is a rather poor one as it should be.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Oh, come on. The spiked chain was grotesquely overpowered.

Huh, I didn't realize the spiked chain gave you levels in a CoDzilla...

RAW, the whip kind of stinks. Best fix is to add a feat that lets you wield them offhand and adds an additional bonus. Astrosicebear's suggestion of advantage on disarm/trip seems appropriate.

 

[sigfile]

I started building (but never played) a battle master fighter / rogue with a whip and shield combo combined with the dueling fighting style and the shield master feat. He has better AC than a polearm fighter, his base damage-per-attack isn't horrible, he gets to use maneuvers and sneak attack at reach, and he gets the general utility that a whip provides.

Now that the question's come up, I may go back and take a harder look at that build. It feels like it'd be fun to play.

 

[Derren]

I've been looking at the whip and considering whether/how it can be effective as a weapon. What are your thoughts?

That the whip as presented in the rules is already much too effective. It is simply not a weapon.