How would you stat a boomerang?

[Afrodyte]

I'm inclined to make it a simple ranged weapon that does 1d4 bludgeoning damage with the thrown property and a range of 30/120. Due to the relative rarity of boomerangs and the craftsmanship that goes into them, I can see them costing about 5 gold pieces (or more).

However, if there are better options, I'm open to those.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Gosh, given how hard they are to actually use properly, it'd be nice if there were some sort of obstacle to any random Joe picking it up and using it. In 3E, I'd call them Exotic Weapons. I don't have the PHB yet -- is there anything comparable there?

The stats otherwise look fine.

 

[jrowland]

I'd require a feat to obtain, but given the heftiness of 5E feats, you'll want to add a bit more to the feat such as add a "Return" property (returns on a miss) to be thorough and something else.

 

[Connorsrpg]

This one has always made me laugh.

Boomerangs for killing/stunning things would not return. Only light ones thrown at small birds possibly.

If they hit they do NOT return.

Large ones are just better designed throwing clubs really. They looked more like a capital L. Not the V/U sort of shaped light-weight throwing ones.

I would just go with club with a little extra range.

Or lighter ones with returning on a miss. BUT there needs to be a LOT of open space for the boomerang to make the return journey too. And it would spend the whole round in the air. Perhaps you need to take an action/reaction to catch it. Such space is rare in DnD combat - another reason I find it odd that they are always written as returning.

Getting a boomerang to return (and catch it) when not aiming to do anything BUT get it to return is difficult enough.

 

[Paraxis]

A d4?

I would do a d6 (20/60 range) if you just have simple weapon prof, and if you have martial weapon prof have it return on a miss. Magic ones would return all the time.

I mean we want to encourage people to play characters like these two, not use some skewed sense of realism in a game with hit points and magic to keep them from having fun.




Boomerangs are cool like bow ties and fezzes!

 

[Afrodyte]

A d4?

I would do a d6 (20/60 range) if you just have simple weapon prof, and if you have martial weapon prof have it return on a miss. Magic ones would return all the time.

I mean we want to encourage people to play characters like these two, not use some skewed sense of realism in a game with hit points and magic to keep them from having fun.

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Boomerangs are cool like bow ties and fezzes!

Is there a more streamlined way to do that? Perhaps by just making them martial and having the "returns on a miss" property? Or perhaps something that makes a boomerang work a bit like Xena's chakram where it ricochets back to the wielder's hand unless it gets embedded or something?

 

[Connorsrpg]

Yes we have magic and dragons etc, BUT that doesn't take away from verisimilitude.

Thor's hammer returns. All hammers do not. (You have to spend a little more investment/magic to play specialised heroes).

Water does not flow uphill.

Trees produce leaves.

Javelins do not fly around corners.

Boomerangs do not return easily, and certainly not in confined spaces or when they hit something.

Barring magic, these things are consistent in my settings.

To try and help with stats (and how I would use them):

I would go with club (though the large Koori hunting boomerangs used down here could easily be bumped to a d6 damage - I didn't realise a club was so low). Those ones never return though.

Smaller ones; d4 damage; return on a miss (if there is enough space to either side equal to the range of target would make sense. eg: throwing at target 40ft away, there needs to be 40ft of open space to either side b/w you and target).

If you want boomerangs returning in confined spaces, that is good for you, but it is not how a boomerang works. If it is to return it travels in a large loop, and often circles above you again before the catch. Getting to come back to where you stand is extremely hard. Getting modern ones, crafted specifically to return to land within several feet of you is a skill. As stated, could even go with requiring an action/reaction to catch (possibly on next round for long range).

 

[Afrodyte]

Yes we have magic and dragons etc, BUT that doesn't take away from verisimilitude.

Thor's hammer returns. All hammers do not. (You have to spend a little more investment/magic to play specialised heroes).

Water does not flow uphill.

Trees produce leaves.

Javelins do not fly around corners.

Boomerangs do not return easily, and certainly not in confined spaces or when they hit something.

Barring magic, these things are consistent in my settings.

To try and help with stats (and how I would use them):

I would go with club (though the large Koori hunting boomerangs used down here could easily be bumped to a d6 damage - I didn't realise a club was so low). Those ones never return though.

Smaller ones; d4 damage; return on a miss (if there is enough space to either side equal to the range of target would make sense. eg: throwing at target 40ft away, there needs to be 40ft of open space to either side b/w you and target).

If you want boomerangs returning in confined spaces, that is good for you, but it is not how a boomerang works. If it is to return it travels in a large loop, and often circles above you again before the catch. Getting to come back to where you stand is extremely hard. Getting modern ones, crafted specifically to return to land within several feet of you is a skill. As stated, could even go with requiring an action/reaction to catch (possibly on next round for long range).

That is not what verisimilitude means (really, it isn't). Even if it did mean that, this level of fussiness over details is not one of my goals for giving stats for this weapon. Otherwise, I would have said that I was looking for the most realistic portrayal of a boomerang in D&D stats.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'd treat a boomerang as a non-weapon, unable to even serve as an improvised weapon.

I know that's not the answer you're looking for, so how about this:

Boomerang
Martial ranged weapon
75 gp
1d6 bludgeoning damage
Returning (range 30/120), light

Returning: This weapon returns to you after being thrown (on a hit or miss). Because of the time required to catch it, you can throw it only once when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to throw it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

 

[Afrodyte]

I'd treat a boomerang as a non-weapon, unable to even serve as an improvised weapon.

I know that's not the answer you're looking for, so how about this:

Boomerang
Martial ranged weapon
75 gp
1d6 bludgeoning damage
Returning (range 30/120), light

Returning: This weapon returns to you after being thrown (on a hit or miss). Because of the time required to catch it, you can throw it only once when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to throw it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

This would work beautifully, thanks.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Umm, I am pretty sure that is what verisimilitude means actually. Well, it is at least how it was spoken about at length in other D&D books of the past, but whatever.

Please note I did provide stats ideas too, which [MENTION=6690511]GX.Sigma[/MENTION] seems to have provided in a better format and I like his interpretation of the having to catch it.

But again, I would go with two weapons. 1 light that does less damage and returns. 1 larger, that does more damage but does not return. A boomerang could never return on a hit though - any contact would definitely throw their flight path off.

I actually came into this topic with a real interest (and experience, which I am sure no one is really interested to hear) in boomerangs and thought I could help.

Sorry, if I focused too much on how they actually work. When writing/playing DMing I always start with 'how would that look in the world?' I am not one to go straight to what would be a cool rule first. I understand if others want their boomerangs to do that, I was just trying to explain their use (assuming several people on here have not used them).

I hope it works for your game

 

[Sir Brennen]

I like [MENTION=6690511]GX.Sigma[/MENTION]'s throwing limit (much like a crossbow), but I'm of the opinion that it shouldn't return on a hit.

Unlike a crossbow, there's nothing keeping you from throwing another one, if you're a fighter with Extra Attack, for example. I'd still rule you can only catch one of them in the round they return, though.

If you're a Monk of 5th Level or higher, meaning you have Deflect Missiles and Extra attack, I might rule they would be able make all their attacks with the same boomerang, just for flavor/coolness (without expending the ki point). Of course, they'd have to pick up proficiency with the boomerang as a martial weapon somehow.

One nice thing about using a boomerang, is you can take advantage of the curve of it's flight to obscure the point of origin it was thrown from. Although if it comes back to you, that kind of negates that.

I've often thought about making a Xena-like chakram weapon for previous editions. In this edition, I might stat it up like the handaxe, but as a martial weapon with the returning property as described in this thread. There's be an additional caveat that there needs to be hard surfaces in range for it to bounce off of (which can include worn armor).

A chakram feat might allow things like "skipping" across multiple targets, being able to make a melee attack the same round you thrown it, and being able to throw it in melee without disadvantage. Maybe being able to negate the bonus for less than total cover, too, as you bounce off of objects near the target for a better angle.

Those first two abilities might be dependent on the character's being able to make more than one attack roll a round, like from the Extra Attack ability. Maybe they could be bonus actions. Have to do some more analysis on existing feats.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Unlike a crossbow, there's nothing keeping you from throwing another one

How is that unlike a crossbow?

 

[Sir Brennen]

How is that unlike a crossbow?

Technically, I guess, it's not. Maybe a bandolier of boomerangs is little more practical than carrying multiple crossbows, though. And more fun to say. "Bandolier of boomerangs."

 

[Afrodyte]

I think all of that makes it way more complicated than it has to be for the sake of cool and fun.

I should be able to make Sokka in this game without requiring so many special rules that it becomes more of a hassle than it's worth.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Sounds like you already have what you want then. In your OP. Just go with that.

 

[Tue Zepernick]

Am DM'ing an Eberron campaign with 5th edition rules, and this subject has just become relevant, as the upcomming member of the party, is a Drow from Xen'drix.
This is what I've come up with so far.

Xen'drik Boomerang: Martial weapon for Drows, 1d6 damage (x3), range 20 / 50, bludgeon/piercing (higher damage due to the sharp edges).
Talenta Boomeran: Martial weapon for Halflings, 1d4 damage (x2), range 30 / 60, bludgeon (longer range due to simple yet elegant design).

On a missed attack, a boomerang returns to it's owner. Boomerangs are somewhat

Boomerang feat (name not settled):
+1 dexterity.
Pick either the Talenta Boomerang or the Xen'drik Boomerang to gain proficiency in.
On a successful hit, the boomerang returns to its user.
(Xen'drik boomerang special) Once per turn, on a successful hit with a boomerang weapon, you can attack a target adjacent to the hit target, as a bonus action. The boomerang does not return, when used in this way.
(Talenta boomerang special) Once per turn, on a successful hit with a boomerang weapon, the target must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw against 8 + your professionsy bonus + your dexterity modifier, if failed the target has disadvantage on its first attack roll during its next turn. The boomerang does not return, when used in this way.

Thoughts: The talenta boomerang might seem a bit underpowered at first, but the +10 range really does a good difference, and the feat bonuses gives some tactical variation on the two types. A boomerang specialist, with both types in his arsenal, can really deal versatile destruction with these
Also, I have made them hard to come by, and carrying more than a few on you is impractiacl, which really balances the Return option for them, and makes it a hard choise to deliver the extra effect from the feat.

 

[Alexemplar]

Throwing club
Simple ranged
5 sp
1d4 bludgeoning
30/160
Thrown, special

A proficient user who misses their attack with this weapon and didn't roll a 1 has it return at the ems of their turn. If they can't or won't catch it, it lands at their feet.

I use this for boomerangs, rungu, and other throwing sticks. I also have a Throwing blade, which is a martial ranged weapon that deals 1d6 slashing damage and returns. I use it for Xendrik boomerangs, WoW/Krull "glaives", chakrams, and thrombashes.

Pretty much anyone who bothers using such a weapon is going for concept, not power and that concept likely involves chucking a bunch of these and having them return.

 

[Oofta]

Umm, I am pretty sure that is what verisimilitude means actually. Well, it is at least how it was spoken about at length in other D&D books of the past, but whatever.

Please note I did provide stats ideas too, which [MENTION=6690511]GX.Sigma[/MENTION] seems to have provided in a better format and I like his interpretation of the having to catch it.

But again, I would go with two weapons. 1 light that does less damage and returns. 1 larger, that does more damage but does not return. A boomerang could never return on a hit though - any contact would definitely throw their flight path off.

I actually came into this topic with a real interest (and experience, which I am sure no one is really interested to hear) in boomerangs and thought I could help.

Sorry, if I focused too much on how they actually work. When writing/playing DMing I always start with 'how would that look in the world?' I am not one to go straight to what would be a cool rule first. I understand if others want their boomerangs to do that, I was just trying to explain their use (assuming several people on here have not used them).

I hope it works for your game

For what it's worth, one of the great things about 5E is that you can tailor the level of realism quite a bit. Your version of the boomerang is more realistic, and quite possibly the one I'd use in my home campaign if it was thematically appropriate. Of course there would also be the magical returning version, but that's different from the way the mundane weapon should work.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with a returning boomerang of doom - although I'd put some kind of restriction on it so it's not just a better javelin.

 

[Jester David]

A club with the thrown property that returns when it misses.