D&D 5E Why do Armblades need Attunement?

[TrueBagelMan]

Was there any reason why WotC made it were an Attunement slot was required for an arm blade? I understand if the weapon that is apart of it requires Attunement to begin with, but why does it require Attunement when it’s a normal weapon? Is having your melee weapon not get knocked away worth that much?

 

[Shiroiken]

Not familiar with the item, but probably because it's still a magic item, even if it provides no bonus. Adamantine and Mithril armor are the same.

 

[MarkB]

Possibly not. But it isn't only a weapon that can't be knocked out of your hand, it's a weapon that people won't even know you have until you deploy it, and one that you're never going to be caught without because you'd set it aside during a period of apparent safety. Those are properties that might well make a weapon worthy of requiring attunement.

 

[TrueBagelMan]

Possibly not. But it isn't only a weapon that can't be knocked out of your hand, it's a weapon that people won't even know you have until you deploy it, and one that you're never going to be caught without because you'd set it aside during a period of apparent safety. Those are properties that might well make a weapon worthy of requiring attunement.

But couldn’t any person hide a dagger on themselves? With a quarterstaff someone could “Would you take the walking stick of an old man?” trick that honestly makes sense in the world.

 

[billd91]

Attunement is one of those features that keeps proliferation down. If you have limited options for what you can attune, you're going to be a bit choosier than if you don't. You might be willing to devote one of your attunements to having one armblade, but maybe not two.

 

[TrueBagelMan]

Not familiar with the item, but probably because it's still a magic item, even if it provides no bonus. Adamantine and Mithril armor are the same.

An armblade is a magic weapon that attaches to your arm, becoming inseparable from you as long as you're attuned to it. To attune to this item, you must hold it against your forearm for the entire attunement period.

As a bonus action, you can retract the armblade into your forearm or extend it from there. While it is extended, you can use the weapon as if you were holding it, and you can't use that hand for other purposes.

 

[MarkB]

But couldn’t any person hide a dagger on themselves? With a quarterstaff someone could “Would you take the walking stick of an old man?” trick that honestly makes sense in the world.

Any person could try such a thing, and it'd be great if it worked, and if they happened to be particularly into daggers or quarterstaves. With this item you can just do it by default, and with your preferred weapon.

 

[Mort]

To be clear - as written, an armblade is a warforged component (and can only be attuned by a warforged).

As for why it must be attuned? Well a hidden weapon that cannot be disarmed or otherwise taken away may not be thy most powerful item ever, but it's not nothing. It's even equivalent to some class abilities (though not quite as good).

 

[Guest 6801328]

Ask Wolverine.

 

[Al2O3]

I guess it's a way to either represent it being a part of the body or a way to make it warforged only. I don't think I've seen any magic item with any restriction on who can use them that doesn't accomplish it though attunement.

In short, I believe it's about enforcing "warforged only" rather than risking too many powerful items.