D&D 5E The Chainsaw: 5E Edition

[Weiley31]

So insane question, but how would one stat up a Chainsaw as a weapon?

It's not for a normal DND fantasy but instead for a Modern 5E setting. Never mind the fact that it's going to be the weapon of a demon slaying Tuxedo Cat that rides a War Roomba mount.

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Apparently the physical book that comes with that is 5E rules compatible for the setting.

And then this is the Cat rules coming in January

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But ya.

 

[Zardnaar]

Heavy weapon 2d6 or 2d8 damage and/or an extra dice of damage vs unarmored foes.

 

[Leatherhead]

2d8 damage. Heavy, Two-handed, Ammunition, Range Melee, Reload, Specialx3

Reload: One pint of gas (Yes, I know it's technically a gasoline/oil mix). A single Tank of gas can power a chainsaw for up to 12 minutes of use.
Special: A chainsaw takes a bonus action to activate, and while active it produces a thunderous sound that is audible up to 300 feet away.
Special: Whenever a chainsaw hits an object, the hit is a critical hit.
Special: When you score a critical hit with a chainsaw weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

 

[Shiroiken]

I mean, it really depends on how you're doing other modern weapons. Assuming you're keeping a lot of the weapons similar to standard (with reskining), I'd make it a greatsword.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Here's what I used for my zombie campaign:

Heavy Chainsaw

200 gp

2d8 slashing

18 lbs

Bloody, loud, heavy, two-handed, unbalanced

Bloody: When you roll doubles on the base damage dice of this weapon, you may reroll those two dice and add them to the previously rolled amount. If you roll doubles again, continue to reroll and add to the total, until you don’t roll doubles. If more than two dice come up with the same number (when you crit) reroll all matching dice and add the results, as above. Extra dice from things like Brutality do not trigger or benefit from Bloody.

Loud: These weapons are noisy. They be heard clearly up to 300 feet away under normal conditions. This can attract things, like zombies, that are nearby.

Unbalanced: If you make an attack with this weapon and miss you become unbalanced, either suffering disadvantage on the next attack made before the end of your next turn or granting advantage against the next attack made against you before the end of your next turn (whichever comes first).
If you wield a one handed weapon with this property in two hands, ignore this property.

After that campaign, I changed the bloody property to be as follows:

Bloody: When you roll damage for this weapon, roll an additional die and drop the lowest. (On a critical hit, you still just roll one additional die and drop the lowest.)
Additionally, when you roll matching numbers on the base damage dice of this weapon, you may reroll those dice again and add them to the previously rolled amount (still dropping the lowest). If you roll matching numbers again, continue to reroll and add to the total, until you don’t roll matching numbers. If more than two dice come up with the same number (such as when you crit) reroll all matching dice and add the results, as above. Extra dice (such as those granted by Sneak Attack) do not trigger or benefit from Bloody.

The change was made largely because I wanted the freedom to add bloody to weapons with only one damage die. I also use loud and bloody for guns (if they're available) in my campaigns.

 

[Umbran]

Um, some disadvantage when you hit something hard is probably in order. Chainsaw kickback is not funny.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Um, some disadvantage when you hit something hard is probably in order. Chainsaw kickback is not funny.

I'd say that depends on what you're looking to model with your mechanics.

If you're going for realism, then disadvantage at a minimum. Possibly serious fumbles. Although, I would argue that in the real world a chainsaw is an utterly impractical weapon to bring to a fight. Honestly, I'd take a sturdy quarterstaff over a chainsaw any day of the week. About the only thing a chainsaw has in RL is intimidation factor. It's otherwise heavy, not well balanced for swinging, and has poor reach.

On the other hand, if you're modeling movies / video games (where chainsaws are a top tier weapon), then kickback isn't typically an issue (at least I can't recall it being a significant issue in any media I've experienced). I based my chainsaws on those used to quarry stone. Could such a chainsaw really be used to cut through plate mail? I'm guessing not. But it's close enough for my players to be willing to suspend their disbelief when they take on a zombified knight in full plate. Particularly in a zombie game, a lot of things will fly that otherwise might not, unless the aim is hardcore realism plus zombies.

 

[Umbran]

I'd say that depends on what you're looking to model with your mechanics.

That's fair enough.

But it's close enough for my players to be willing to suspend their disbelief when they take on a zombified knight in full plate. Particularly in a zombie game, a lot of things will fly that otherwise might not, unless the aim is hardcore realism plus zombies.

Well, that's the thing, right? The zombie genre is one in which the opponent very rarely has armor. As an example, I don't think The Walking Dead gave us more than one scene in the series where the zombie was armored (in police riot gear) making the archtypal head-shot not possible.

Dude with a chainsaw is common, particularly because the zombies are slow and soft targets. An armored zombie is breaking pattern, and so may also break the weapon patterns.

 

[Weiley31]

Like I said, it's going to be the main weapon of a Tuxedo cat who starts with a custom feat called "Polydactyly." So realism has been so far tossed out the door that it need not apply.

And funny since it was mentioned before, I was thinking bout making it a 2D8 weapon. I like the add on dice damage property(Bloody) as I saw something similar online where whenever you roll double 4s or higher, you would keep on addding damage till you rolled a three or below/non double numbers.

Could treat the different ideas I've seen as different models of Chainsaws: one a 1D10 and one a 2D8. The 3D6 damage die one I saw MAYBE overkill unless it's not that bad actually. That could be the third model. Especially since THAT was the one with the double 4 or higher add on damage.

Then fuel maybe an issue. Like the 1D10 model is great on fuel, but any model with rerolling damage dice+add-on/bloody would probably consume extra fuel to compensate for the increased damage potential.

 

[Coroc]

Should get disadvantage on attack, but once contact (hit) it does ongoing damage and cannot hit another target because it bites into the current one until the current target is down.
Wielder is hit with advantage fro mother opponents and disadvantage from the opponent targeted (after successful contact).