DMs Guild Weapon of choice: Feats for every weapon on D&D 5E

[bluespy1]

Hello everyone! I am Spyros K. and I am a third party publisher. For the last year I have been working on a DMs Guild project to create feats for every weapon on DnD 5e presented in Player's handbook. The aim of this book is to make each weapon feel uniqure with different abilities but with an easy way to import in any game. Here is the book that also has a free 15 page full size preview:

bit.ly/42bmDpk

Some stuff you will be able to do with these 42 new are:

• Throw a dagger to hinder an attack against an ally
• Use your javelin to pin an enemy to the wall
• Brace with your spear against an incoming opponent
• Become a mounted archer with your shortbow
• Slice through multiple opponents with your greatsword
• Redirect incoming attacks with your trident prongs
• Use the recoil from your heavy crossbow to move to safety

Any feedback in the comments is always appreciated and I will welcome any conversation about this book. I made this book to bring life to weapons in D&D and make weapon focused characters have additional options depending the weapon they wield, so I really hope it does this for your campaign!




Thank you all for the support !

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Use the recoil from your heavy crossbow to move to safety

you've heard of rocket jumping, now get ready for arbalest dodging

 

[CleverNickName]

Obligatory theme music:

 

[bluespy1]

you've heard of rocket jumping, now get ready for arbalest dodging

Ok this made me audibly laugh for some reason. Here is the full feat!

Heavy Bolter
You employ the heavy crossbow as a lethal and effective weapon, capable of dealing devastating damage to foes from a distance. You gain the following benefits:

• Heavy bolts. Your attacks deal an additional 1d10 + Dexterity modifier piercing damage for each additional attack you gain through the Extra Attack feature. You do not benefit from this feature if you make more than one attack with your action, excluding the Pierce through feature.
• Recoil shot. When you make an attack with a heavy crossbow you can allow the recoil to push you 10 feet away from the attack's target. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
• Blunt shot. Once per turn, when you hit a medium or smaller creature with a heavy crossbow attack, you may move it five feet away from you in a straight line.
• Pierce through. Once per turn, when you successfully make a heavy crossbow attack against a creature, you can make an attack roll against every creature in a line directly behind the target as part of the same attack. The line stops at your short range or it can be cut shortly by a large enough object to intercept the bolt (e.g. a column, a wall, a big boulder etc.). You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you gain all expended uses back in a long rest.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

• Recoil shot. When you make an attack with a heavy crossbow you can allow the recoil to push you 10 feet away from the attack's target. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

wait. WAIT. YOU DIDN'T SPECIFY A DIRECTION (beyond "away from the attack's target"). YOU CAN ROCKET JUMP WITH THIS.

i just thought this was neat before but now i'm buying it just because of that.

 

[Andvari]

I'm wary of feats related to specific weapons as it undermines the moment the adventurers uncover a new weapon - which statistically is highly unlikely to be the exact weapon you happened to specialize in. It feels bad having invested into feats only to have them become unusable. Conversely, it's immersion-breaking when all the equipment you find just happens to be the one you specialized in because the GM keeps shoe-horning that weapon in.

So my advice would be that if you simply must have weapon specialization feats, to make them broader so they cover an appropriate range of weapons. Slicing/piercing/pummelling through multiple opponents could be a feat that applies to all melee weapons, for example, or at least all two-handed weapons. Pinning someone with a spear could apply for all thrown weapons and shooting from horseback all bows, crossbows, slings etc.

Some of the listed examples also appear to be something anyone should already be able to do - such as bracing with a spear against an incoming charge. By making it a feat, the option to do this is removed from characters in general. Perhaps such "feats" could instead be organised as a list of proposed combat maneuvers anyone, or at least any martial class, can attempt.

 

[bluespy1]

wait. WAIT. YOU DIDN'T SPECIFY A DIRECTION (beyond "away from the attack's target"). YOU CAN ROCKET JUMP WITH THIS.

i just thought this was neat before but now i'm buying it just because of that.

I am super glad you liked it! Thanks for the support let me know if you have any questions!

 

[bluespy1]

I'm wary of feats related to specific weapons as it undermines the moment the adventurers uncover a new weapon - which statistically is highly unlikely to be the exact weapon you happened to specialize in. It feels bad having invested into feats only to have them become unusable. Conversely, it's immersion-breaking when all the equipment you find just happens to be the one you specialized in because the GM keeps shoe-horning that weapon in.

So my advice would be that if you simply must have weapon specialization feats, to make them broader so they cover an appropriate range of weapons. Slicing/piercing/pummelling through multiple opponents could be a feat that applies to all melee weapons, for example, or at least all two-handed weapons. Pinning someone with a spear could apply for all thrown weapons and shooting from horseback all bows, crossbows, slings etc.

Some of the listed examples also appear to be something anyone should already be able to do - such as bracing with a spear against an incoming charge. By making it a feat, the option to do this is removed from characters in general. Perhaps such "feats" could instead be organised as a list of proposed combat maneuvers anyone, or at least any martial class, can attempt.

Hey thanks for taking the time to write some feed back! Let me answer some of your points:

- I think the DM should awrd players their preferred weapon. They can foreshadow it or they can straitforward tell the player there is a relic morningstar in that tomb or this evil guy has a super powerful spear, if you defeat him you can take it. I really see this with players picking polearm master. When the DM gives them a magic sword it really feels out of place. In the same sense we wouldake PC fight ancient dragons because they exist and it would break the immersion if they encounter them only at level 10+. Having said that I always let players swap a feat every time they gain a level which could solve your issue with finding a new weapon!

- In the book I propose two way to implement these feats. One is the normal way feats function in 5e. The other is the generous mode where characters with proficiency in ALL simple weapons gain a simple weapon for free. Characters with both martial and simple weapon proficiency pick any feat. This does not sacrifice an ASI. Which will allow any character that is martial use these feats but it also represent that you are super trained with a specific weapon. Which is normal if you think about it. You are using the spear 90% of the time, it makes sense your better with it than the blowgun even though you can use both efficiently.

I hope this answers some of your question and let me know if you have more concerns or questions.

 

[bluespy1]

Weapon of choice just reached the 7th place in the category of Most popular under 5$ in DMs Guild! Thanks everyone that supported or took a look at this weapon filled booklet, your support means so much!

 

[bluespy1]

Weapon of choice is now a copper bestseller, thanks all for the support!