TEXT: R
  emembeR those fiRst few games you 
   played, where every weapon the enemies 
    carried was considered loot? New 
  players especially like to carry a variety of 
  weapons, but eventually most characters settle 
  on one and use it exclusively for the rest of their 
  career. But there are also veteran players that 
  desire more variety in their arsenal. The following 
  EN World EN5IDER | As Good as His Blade
  As 
  Good 
  as 
  His 
  Blade
   Expanded  
   Weapon
   Properties
   
  writing Connors
   
  art Jacob Blackmon
   
  editing James Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  EN World EN5IDER | As Good as His Blade
  
  As Good as His Blade | EN World EN5IDER
   
  Example weapons. This property is most 
  frequently applied to spiked shields, allowing 
  them to be used as weapons, but could also be 
  applied to defensive off-hand weapons such as sai, 
  a fencing dagger (main-gauche), and basket-hilted 
  swords.
  Double
  This weapon is essentially two melee weapons 
  joined as one. Each end retains the properties of 
  the original weapons. These cannot include two-
  handed weapons.
   
  If both ends have the light property, this weap-
  on can be used to make a two-weapon fighting 
  attack and benefits from the two-weapon fighting 
  style.
   
  Double weapons require two hands to use but 
  do not have the two-handed property, and can-
  not benefit from features that affect two-handed 
  weapons. Similarly, weapons with the two-hand-
  ed property cannot be given the double property.  
  If the weapon has reach, only one attack per 
  round can benefit from this property.
   
  Example weapons. Double shortsword, spear-
  axe, double battleaxe, quarterstaff.
  Readied
  Once per round, when a creature uses the Dash 
  action (or benefits from extra movement) to move 
  within the reach of your held weapon with the 
  readied property, you can use your reaction to 
  make a melee weapon attack against that target 
  with that weapon. If you hit, this attack automati-
  cally becomes a critical hit. 
   
  You cannot use this feature if you have a hostile 
  creature able to take actions within 5 feet of you.
   
  Example weapons. Halberd, longspear, hal-
  berd, ranseur.
  Unbalancing
  If you make a melee attack with this weapon and 
  miss, you become unbalanced, granting advantage 
  to the next attack against you before your next 
  turn. You may spend your bonus action to recover 
  your balance.
  list of weapon properties is designed to give 
  weapons something special to distinguish them 
  from each other. After all, wasn’t everyone saying 
  that there should be a difference between a spear 
  and a trident? Now’s your chance to make that 
  happen.
   
  While many of the properties add beneficial 
  options to some weapons, there are others that a 
  GM may wish to introduce to limit the potential of 
  some weapon choices. If you think that two-hand-
  ed weapons are just too powerful, properties like 
  Unbalancing could help to ‘balance’ your game.
   
  Below are some new weapon properties, as well 
  as some variants on existing properties. Finally, 
  some properties require introducing other small 
  subsystems or minor rules to your game, and are 
  covered separately.
  New Weapon Properties
  Barbed
  Weapons with this property remain attached to 
  the target on a hit.
   
  The target, or a creature within 5 feet of them, 
  can attempt to remove the barbed weapon with-
  out harm by taking an action to make a DC 10 
  Dexterity check. On a successful result the barbed 
  weapon is removed. On a failure, it is still re-
  moved, but the target takes damage from weapon 
  upon removal.
   
  If the attacker still wields the weapon, they can 
  also remove it as an action. This deals automatic 
  weapon damage (no modifiers are added) to the 
  target.
   
  Example weapons. Harpoon, kaginawa.
  Defensive (#)
  Where # is applied as a bonus to AC (e.g., defen-
  sive [2]).
   
  Whenever you use this weapon to make an 
  attack, the defensive bonus is lost until the start of 
  your next turn.
   
  When wielding two defensive weapons, only 
  the highest bonus is applied to your AC. 
  As Good as His Blade | EN World EN5IDER
  
  EN World EN5IDER | As Good as His Blade
   
  Example weapons. Weapons with this qual-
  ity typically have a lot of weight at the opposite 
  end of the handle. Many tools used as weapons 
  would be appropriate. Consider applying this 
  property to weapons such as: greataxe, maul, 
  mattock, miner’s pick, ball and chain, and 
  large improvised weapons such as a body.
  Wrap-Around
  Weapons with the wrap-around property 
  ignore shield AC bonuses and bonuses from 
  weapons with the defensive property.
   
  Example weapons. Flexible or curved weap-
  ons, such as flails, chains, nets, sickles, and 
  certain natural attacks like tentacles (including 
  weapons that imitate natural weapons).
  Modifying Existing 
  Weapon Properties
  Entangling
  On a hit, the attacker can choose to impose 
  the restrained condition on the target until the 
  target escapes. To escape, the target, or another 
  creature within 5 feet, must spend an action 
  to make a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) 
  or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Alternatively, the 
  entangling weapon or its trailing line can be de-
  stroyed by dealing the weapon 5 or more slashing 
  damage (AC 10.) A weapon with the entangling 
  property can only be attacked when it is restrain-
  ing a target.
   
  Targets two size categories larger than the at-
  tacker or targets with formless bodies are immune 
  to this property.
   
  For weapons with a trailing line, like the whip 
  or harpoon, the target can move, but only in the 
  direction of the attacker. Furthermore, if the target 
  remains entangled by a weapon with a trailing 
  line, the attacker can use their action to initiate a 
  Strength contest and, if successful, can pull the 
  entangled target up to 10 feet towards them.
   
  Example weapons.  Bolas, net.
  Reach
  In addition to the ability to hit targets further 
  away, a GM may wish to impose the following 
  feature for reach weapons.
   
  Attacks made against targets within 5 feet are 
  made with disadvantage.
  Additional Properties 
  The following properties require more complex 
  rules adjustments.
  Armor Penetration (#)
  When used against a target that benefits from 
  armor, you add the # bonus to your attack roll. 
  This bonus cannot exceed the target’s AC –10, not 
  counting AC bonuses from Dexterity. 
   
  This property increases the level of complexity 
  in combat, but adds a layer of tactical depth to the 
  EN World EN5IDER | As Good as His Blade
  
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  Fragile
  Each time the minimum damage is rolled with 
  this weapon, it takes a temporary –1 penalty to its 
  damage rolls. If the penalty drops to –5 before the 
  weapon is repaired, it is destroyed permanently.
   
  Example weapons. This property can be used 
  to represent primitive weapons made from wood, 
  stone and bone, such as flint-tipped spears, and 
  could also be applied thin blades like the rapier.
   
  Each –1 penalty takes someone with the appro-
  priate tool proficiency one hour to repair. 
  Toggle (#)
  Weapons with this property have a trailing line 
  on the weapon, or have reach and can connect to 
  targets. They must have a means to attach to a 
  target: the barbed and/or entangling properties.
   
  When a toggle weapon with the barbed or 
  entangling property hits a target, a trailing line 
  connects the target to the attacker. This line can be 
  broken by a creature that takes an action to deal 
  5 or more slashing damage against AC 10, or by 
  breaking the line with a DC 15 Strength check.
   
  The attacker decides how long the toggle line is 
  (up to # feet). A target attached to the line can only 
  move beyond this distance from the weapon’s 
  wielder by making an opposed Strength check 
  against the wielder. If successful, the target can 
  move away. The wielder has two choices if the 
  target moves away: they can simply drop the 
  weapon, in which case it is dragged away by the 
  target, or they can spend a reaction to release or 
  pull free the weapon, which then remains in their 
  hands. (Pulling free a barbed weapon from a con-
  nected target deals the target damage as normal.)
   
  Example weapons. Harpoon, kaginawa, whip.
  Tripping
  When a weapon with the tripping quality would 
  deal damage, you may instead choose to deal no 
  damage and attempt to shove the target. Your 
  Strength check has advantage when taking the 
  shove action in this way. 
   
  Example weapons. Flail, hafted hook, 
  guisarme, whip, bolas, chain.
  fifth-edition system. Be sure that you and your 
  players are comfortable with this level of complex-
  ity in your game before implementing the armor 
  penetration property.
   
  Example weapons. This property is for types 
  of weapons that slip through cracks in armor or 
  can pound straight through a simple suit of armor. 
  Weapons in a typical fantasy game have a maxi-
  mum of armor penetration (3). Games that involve 
  firearms or futuristic technology may have weap-
  ons with significantly higher values. Penetrating 
  weapons include picks, composite or recurve 
  bows, crossbows, mauls, stilettos, and poleaxes.
  Awkward (#)
  A critical fumble results on a natural roll repre-
  sented by # or lower on the attack roll.
   
  Example: A miner’s pick has awkward (2), which 
  means a critical fumble will occur on a natural 
  attack roll of 2 or lower.
   
  Apply this property to large tools and impro-
  vised weapons, especially those that have more 
  than one part that can cause damage, or to weap-
  ons that have several moving parts.
   
  Example weapons. Miner’s pick, ladder, ball 
  and chain, a chair, repeating crossbow (which 
  might jam).
   
  Many games do not use critical fumbles, and 
  this feature could simply extend the range of the 
  automatic miss rule. Consider this easy fumble 
  rule: whenever a critical fumble is rolled, the crea-
  ture who rolled the fumble can take no further 
  actions, including reactions or movement, until 
  the start of their next turn.
  Disarming
  When a weapon with the disarming quality 
  would deal damage, you may instead choose to 
  deal no damage and force the target to make a 
  DC 10 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the 
  target is disarmed. 
   
  Example weapons. Sai, main-gauche, 
  nunchaku, ranseur.
  As Good as His Blade | EN World EN5IDER
  
  EN World EN5IDER | As Good as His Blade
  New Weapons
  These new weapons have been designed using the new properties presented above.
  Simple Melee Weapons
  Name
  Cost
  Damage
  Weight Properties
  Ball and chain
  2 gp
  1d6 bludgeoning
  8 lb.
  Awkward (2), heavy, tripping, unbalancing, wrap-
  around
  Fishing spear
  2 gp
  1d4 piercing
  3 lb.
  Fragile, reach, thrown (range 30/120)
  Harpoon
  5 gp
  1d6 piercing
  4 lb.
  Barbed, heavy, thrown (range 30/120), toggle 
  (120), versatile (1d8)
  Miner’s pick
  2 gp
  1d10 piercing
  10 lb.
  Armor penetration (1), awkward (2), heavy, two-
  handed, unbalancing
  Scythe
  5 gp
  1d8 slashing
  6 lb.
  Awkward (3), heavy, two-handed, wrap-around
  Simple Ranged Weapons
  Name
  Cost
  Damage
  Weight Properties
  Bolas
  5 gp
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lb.
  Awkward (2), entangling, thrown (range 20/60), 
  tripping
  Martial Melee Weapons
  Name
  Cost
  Damage
  Weight Properties
  Double shortsword
  25 gp
  1d6 piercing/1d6 
  piercing
  5 lb.
  Double, finesse (both ends), light (both ends)
  Dwarven spear-axe
  15 gp
  1d6 piercing/1d8 
  slashing
  6 lb.
  Double, versatile (both ends) 
  Kaginawa
  10 gp
  1d4 bludgeoning/1d4 
  piercing
  2 lb.
  Awkward (2), barbed (grapple), double, entangling, 
  heavy, reach, toggle (10), tripping, wrap-around
  Longspear
  20 gp
  1d10 piercing
  6 lb.
  Heavy reach, readied, two-handed
  Main-gauche
  10 gp
  1d4 piercing
  1 lb.
  Defensive (1), disarming, finesse, light
  Mattock
  10 gp
  1d8 slashing
  7 lb.
  Heavy, two-handed, unbalancing
  Nunchaku
  5 gp
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lb.
  Disarming, finesse
  Orc double 
  battleaxe
  25 gp
  1d8 slashing/1d8 
  slashing
  5 lb.
  Double, versatile (both ends)
  Poleaxe
  25 gp
  1d12 slashing
  7 lb.
  Armor penetration (1), awkward (2), heavy, reach, 
  two-handed, unbalancing
  Sai
  2 gp
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lb.
  Defensive (1), disarming, finesse, light
  Spiked chain
  30 gp
  1d6 piercing
  5 lb
  Awkward (2), double, entangling, finesse, heavy, 
  tripping, wrap-around
  Ranseur
  20 gp
  1d8 piercing
  6 lb.
  Heavy, disarming, reach, readied, two-handed
  Martial Ranged Weapons
  Name
  Cost
  Damage
  Weight Properties
  Composite 
  shortbow
  80 gp
  1d6 piercing
  3 lb.
  Ammunition (range 100/400), armor penetration 
  (1), two-handed
  Repeating 
  crossbow
  100 gp
  1d8 piercing
  8 lb.
  Ammunition (range 80/320), awkward (2), loading 
  (after 6 shots), two-handed
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 029 - As Good As His Blade - Expanded Weapon Properties.pdf