D&D 5E Natural Weapons, How Much Value Is There To Actually Having Them?

[Xamnam]

Honestly, I think they're written out less because of their actual use, and more because people would be frustrated/upset if such an apparent aspect of the character didn't have official mechanical codification, even if they'll almost never outshine an actual weapon.

That said, I have, on multiple occasions, used the Ram ability of the Satyr to charge down a narrow hallway and headbutt an invisible foe with their horns.

 

[Leatherhead]

That said, if dealing 1d6 (3.5 avg) instead of 1 damage is negligible, then so is the choice between a 1d8 (4.5) longsword and a 2d6 (7) greatsword. The difference in average damage is identical, unless the character has a feat or feature to modify one or the other.

The damage difference is from 1d4 to 1d6. Nobody outside of monks or the oddball character with Tavern Brawler is using unarmed strikes as a rule. Even in situations where people are deprived of their normal weapons, they would fall back on a good old improvised club instead.

 

[CreamCloud0]

If you want natural weapons to be significant, they need to have a rider.

oh natural weapon riders would give them so much more of their own niche, even if the base attacks were not hugely powerful giving them special properties like bleed damage over time, elemental coverage, flinch chance, hit point recovery, micro sneak attack would make them actually desirable to have and to use.

 

[Shardstone]

My least fave feature any race gets. If they had riders, they may be my fave.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The damage difference is from 1d4 to 1d6. Nobody outside of monks or the oddball character with Tavern Brawler is using unarmed strikes as a rule. Even in situations where people are deprived of their normal weapons, they would fall back on a good old improvised club instead.

There won't always be an improvised club sitting within arm's reach. I'll grant that in many circumstances there will be one nearby, but you may have to spend you first turn disengaging (or taking opportunity attacks) and running over to grab it.

 

[CreamCloud0]

There won't always be an improvised club sitting within arm's reach. I'll grant that in many circumstances there will be one nearby, but you may have to spend you first turn disengaging (or taking opportunity attacks) and running over to grab it.

i understand what you're saying but i think if you're in a situation where you know you would want an improvised weapon in a fight then you would've tried to aquire one before you actually got close to getting into that fight

 

[Incenjucar]

Easy enough to give them all a 1/Rest free attack with them if they meet appropriate conditions.

 

[Fanaelialae]

i understand what you're saying but i think if you're in a situation where you know you would want an improvised weapon in a fight then you would've tried to aquire one before you actually got close to getting into that fight

The two most common scenarios where PCs don't have weapons (IME) are when they've either been captured or gone to a city that requires their weapons be left at the gate.

In the former, unless the captors are quite stupid or the PCs exceptionally clever, there may be no way to acquire an improvised weapon in advance.

In the latter, you could acquire an improvised weapon, but the guards would probably give you a hard time if you're walking around with a chair leg shoved through your belt. You could maybe hide it in your backpack, but then it's an action to remove and you've basically wasted your first turn anyway.

 

[CleverNickName]

Someone at WotC seems to value such things highly, but I can honestly say I've never seen the point of natural weapons in the game. It's not impossible to imagine a circumstance where being able to deal 1d6 damage instead of 1 if caught unarmed would be obviously better than nothing, but given that natural weapons don't work with most character abilities, it seems like a weapon of desperation.

I agree. "I have retractable claws!" sounds very cool, but when you're playing the game it's not much different from "I have a free dagger!"

It's more about how cool they sound to the player, and less about their impact on the game.

 

[James Gasik]

Easy enough to give them all a 1/Rest free attack with them if they meet appropriate conditions.

Instead we get things like the Volo's Lizardfolk's Hungry Jaws, usable 1/Long Rest!

As much as I rag on Lizardfolk design, this was improved in MMM to something that almost saves the race from the scrappy pile with PB bonus uses per Long Rest...even though they somehow felt they should have to give up Cunning Artisan to get this upgrade, lol.