D&D (2024) Blowgun, is there a use for them?

[mellored]

with no special rule for blowgun, it is next to useless unless concealment is in the scenario,

A sling is easier to conceal.
And doesn't have the loading property.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I removed them from the weapon list and added them to the general items list next to nets and hunters traps. They are used to deliver poison or toxic alchemical reagent at distance.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Can anyone think of a reason to use a blowgun?

Bet yo momma can.

Really niche use, BUT, there's a few poisons in the DMG that cause unconsciousness or paralysis to an injured creature. If you wanted to incapacitate a creature with one of those poisons, but did not want to kill them, a blowgun would be the safest way to do that. Its low damage is unlikely to kill even a low-level NPC. Also useful in the corner case of ending an effect that damage can end that's on an ally. Most of the time, ranged characters by RAW are at a disadvantage for incapacitating a creature, since only melee attacks can be turned into nonlethal blows. But if you're a rogue and your barbarian buddy is enthralled by a fey or you wanted to fake the king's death with some oil of taggit or whatever, blowgun is what would be ideal.

I kind of wish that niche was a little broader (the hand crossbow fills almost the same role better in almost every way), but it's there.

 

[aco175]

 

[dave2008]

If you have to ask, you can't afford it!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The bard keeps insisting he needs to carry around a giant straw for ... reasons.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Like most of the weapons, it'd be nice to have some rules to set them apart and give a material reason to use them that's not purposefully nerfing yourself for flavor.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Lots of things in the game that won't be used by 99.99% of the playerbase but are there purely for flavor or story reasons. Most people don't use individualized material components for spells or use encumbrance, but they keep those components and equipment weights in the game for those few players that might. You never know when there will be the one player or campaign setting where wanting a quick and easy rule for a blowgun is desired... so if it doesn't cause any problems to include it in the weapons table, why not?

 

[Vaalingrade]

They really should just never print encumbrance rules ever again though.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Is "flavor" an insufficient reason?