Natural weapons for PC races

[Paul Farquhar]

Okay, so what is needed for 5th edition to support heroes fighting with their natural weapons (NW)?

What I am envisioning is a fighter using his claws or horn or whatever NW instead of a weapon even at high levels.

I'm finding it hard to think of any fictional prototypes for this archetype. Wolverine's claws are clearly magical weapons. Perhaps some kind of hero-shapeshifter, but then I would think the abilities would be baked into the shapeshifting part?

I think as a general rule, natural weapons should be inferior to manufactured weapons. The odds are heavily stacked against the bull in a bullfight! From an evolutionary perspective, there would be no reason to evolve intelligence if you had natural weapons that where better than a crude spear.

A possible exception might be if the natural weapon was poison, but that could easily justify balancing high damage with limited uses.

On the whole I would be inclined to allow PCs to place magical rules on their horns, or wear magical nails on their claws, in order to prevent natural weapons being useless against certain monsters. As you say the availability of magical weapons varies greatly, so it wouldn't be appropriate to give them natural progression. It also undermines special class abilities of the monk and arcane archer.


Generally, If a player came to me wanting to play a natural weapon using character, I would point them to monk.

 

[Coroc]

I am waiting for someone coming up with the idea of a Minotaur hornbutter doing 2d6+3 and equipped with 2 shields dualwielded ......

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I beg to differ. Just check out the complaints about the UA Mino.

The problem with the UA Minotaur is it's boringly generic and the charge mechanic is clunky. I'm pretty sure most people realise 1d10 horn damage is out of whack.

 

[CapnZapp]

The problem with the UA Minotaur is it's boringly generic and the charge mechanic is clunky. I'm pretty sure most people realise 1d10 horn damage is out of whack.

I didn't.

Someone (maybe even you) brought up Monks, and yes, you can't get 16 levels worth of die increase just by choosing a race. So there's that. Thanks.

But otherwise the takeaway I gathered was that if anything the d6 was wonky, as is "nerfed dull as hell".

I didn't see why non-Monks couldn't be given d10 Horns and I still don't. That way the racial ability goes from ribbon to actual defining feature.

(The add-on abilities are certainly weaksauce enough not to make this an issue. The Str dependency would still shoot down Dex builds).

I should probably add I'm fully on board not letting the Monk ruining good things for the rest of us.