D&D 5E Weapons hidden in the MM

[Elderbrain]

Kuo-Toa pincher staff (aka mancatcher)...

 

[Minsc]

Well lizardfolk obviously have the best piece of equipment in the game.

Spiked shield, gives full AC bonus of a shield, and does a d6 damage.

They also have a heavy club that does a d6 that is somewhere between a regular club and a great club.

But monsters are not built like characters in 5e, they are sorta kinda built like characters if you squint a bit. Lizardfolk is a great example of this. They use two weapons at the same time neither with the light quality, they don't have the bonus to AC they would get if they had the dual wielder feat, they also add strength mod to damage with the off hand attacks.

Monsters are just different, so is their equipment.

unfortunately, I think the spiked shield would end the benefits of the Dueling fighting style, but that only affects some Paladins and Fighters.

 

[thalmin]

Were there exotic weapons in 2e? I was a bit young then, but don't recall any. Flind, and their nunchucks were alive and well in 2e. I was curious what would happen if a giant hyena feasted on the victim of a Fang of Yeenoghu, I'm thinking Flind would be a good answer.

I can't remember exactly for 2E, but in 1E Fighters (and Rangers and Paladins) could be proficient in any weapon BUT at 1st level only proficient in 4 (or 3) weapons of the player's choice. Every couple levels the fighter could gain a new weapon proficiency. Other classes were more restricted on their choices, and had fewer proficiencies that grew at a slower rate.

 

[TerraDave]

I can't remember exactly for 2E, but in 1E Fighters (and Rangers and Paladins) could be proficient in any weapon BUT at 1st level only proficient in 4 (or 3) weapons of the player's choice. Every couple levels the fighter could gain a new weapon proficiency. Other classes were more restricted on their choices, and had fewer proficiencies that grew at a slower rate.

2E kept that system, but also had "non-weapon proficiencies" and a fighter could use a weapon proficiency slot to instead specialize in a weapon. 2E supplements would allow for more slots to be used to increase effectiveness in a particular weapon.

All this of course led to 3Es feats, and exotic weapons.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Possibly omitted because it would be an exotic weapon, and there are no rules (yet) for exotic weapons?

Yes monsters are different.
But PCs can pick up the weapons and armors of their enemies (especially magic weapons).

Any PC can pick up a weapon used by their enemies. And they can use it if they have proficiency. The question is, how does a PC get proficiency in, say, the spiked shield (or anything not on the PHB weapon list).

Turn to Feats (p. 170)! Weapons Master allows PCs to gain proficiency in any 4 weapons -- and these include monster weapons.

This means that in any game using feats, there already is a rule for PCs to use non-simple non-martial weapons. Player investment (in feats) can give rewards; and there is a reason for fighters to become Weapon Masters.

 

[Krakenspire]

Devils fork is another one I saw. Rocks dropped from Urds is another.

 

[aramis erak]

2E kept that system, but also had "non-weapon proficiencies" and a fighter could use a weapon proficiency slot to instead specialize in a weapon. 2E supplements would allow for more slots to be used to increase effectiveness in a particular weapon.

All this of course led to 3Es feats, and exotic weapons.

Late 1E also had NWP's... in DSG, WSG, and OA.

BECMI had General Skills - in the GAZ supplements. But it also had a stronger system of weapon proficiencies in the Master Box... and cyclopedia... that had a lot of the feat like qualities.

The most important thing about the weapon proficiencies in AD&D 1e/2e was that fighters had a lesser penalty than anyone else for lacking it (-2, vs -5 for a wizard, -3 for cleric or thief). So, by comparison, a fighter was always semi-proficient in all weapons.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Late 1E also had NWP's... in DSG, WSG, and OA.

BECMI had General Skills - in the GAZ supplements. But it also had a stronger system of weapon proficiencies in the Master Box... and cyclopedia... that had a lot of the feat like qualities.

The most important thing about the weapon proficiencies in AD&D 1e/2e was that fighters had a lesser penalty than anyone else for lacking it (-2, vs -5 for a wizard, -3 for cleric or thief). So, by comparison, a fighter was always semi-proficient in all weapons.

I am going by memory here, but I think fighters also had better then specialization... Mastery made it +3 attack +3 damage, high mastery gave you something about initative... and grand mastery gave you a die code increase in damage...

 

[AmerginLiath]

Most (if not all) of the monsters named here have distinctive anatomies – either bodily or in their hands – or at least come from a distinct environment from humanoid adventurers. I would rule that the weapons in question aren't quite suited for their use, therefore, are would be considered Improvised Weapons if picked up in battle.

Now, along the lines of "what can adventurers spend all their loot on?," I'd argue that a PC could pay to have a blacksmith alter an anatomically-off weapon (I recall their being optional rules for altering armor in the books – use that as a starting point?) and use some downtime "training" in it to add it to the Martial Weapon list...

(yes, it's more complex than "just pick up random cool weapon," but it allows for a character who really wants to use a monster weapon to do so while taking into account the 'unbalanced' nature of it by requiring some time, cost, and effort to go through the process)

 

[Minsc]

I am going by memory here, but I think fighters also had better then specialization... Mastery made it +3 attack +3 damage, high mastery gave you something about initative... and grand mastery gave you a die code increase in damage...

I've never seen this in a book, only in Baldurs Gate and games like that.

I remember one of the later Basic D&D books having weapon mastery, but it was incredibly unbalancing.