Exotic Weapons

Your race, class, and feats can grant you proficiency with specific weapons, or with the Simple and Martial categories of weapons. This article introduces a third category, Exotic weapons.

Exotic weapons are uncommon and require specific training to use effectively, by taking the associated proficiency feat. Proficiency with an exotic weapon confers additional benefits as noted in the feat description. As usual, if you make an attack roll using a weapon with which you lack proficiency, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.

DM Note: These weapons are effectively reskinned versions of weapons and feats in the Players' Handbook, to spark the imagination of your players and better realize their character concepts.

You may waive prerequisites at your discretion, for example allowing all dwarves to be prequalified for dwarven urgrosh proficiency even if they aren't proficient in halberds. However they must still take the requisite feat to benefit from the additional features.

Exotic Weapons Name Cost Damage Weight Properties Armor Spikes 50% 1d4 piercing - - Bolas 1 gp - 3 lb Thrown (range 15/15) Dragonborn Clawed Gauntlet 2 gp 1d4 bludgeoning or slashing 1 lb Light Dwarven Urgrosh 20 gp 1d8 slashing / 1d6 piercing 6 lb Heavy, Reach, Two-handed Elven Two-bladed Sword 50 gp 1d8 slashing / 1d8 slashing 4 lb Finesse, Two-handed Gnomish Repeating Crossbow 75 gp 1d6 piercing 3 lb Ammunition (range 30/120), Two-handed Halfling Swordbreaker 25 gp 1d6 slashing 3 lb Finesse, Light Orcish Double Axe 20 gp 1d8 slashing / 1d8 slashing 8 lb Two-handed Spiked Chain 2 gp 1d6 piercing 3 lb Finesse, Reach, Two-handed

Feats

Armor Spikes Proficiency

You are proficient with armor spikes, which can be added to a shield, studded leather, scale mail, half plate, or any heavy armor for 50% of the base cost of the armor.

While you are wearing spiked armor or have a spiked shield equipped, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack with your armor spikes against a target within 5 feet of you.

Additionally, when you use the Attack action to grapple a creature, the target takes damage from your armor spikes if your grapple check succeeds.

A magical enhancement to a suit of armor does not improve the spikes’ effectiveness, but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their own right.

Bolas Proficiency

Prerequisite: Proficiency with nets

You are proficient with the bolas, a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling their legs.

A Large or smaller creature hit by a bolas is restrained until it is freed. A bolas has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the bolas (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the bolas.

When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to attack with a bolas, you can make only one attack regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

You have learned to use ranged attacks more effectively against creatures entangled by a bolas, and have applied this knowledge to all your ranged attacks. You gain the following benefits:

Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.

Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.

Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.

Clawed Gauntlet Proficiency

You are proficient in using the clawed gauntlet as a weapon. These are often crafted by Dragonborn weaponsmiths to honor their heritage, but are sometimes included with spiked armor. Attacks with clawed gauntlets may be treated as your choice of weapon attacks or unarmed strikes.

Clawed gauntlets make it easier to grab and hold on to things. You gain proficiency in Strength saving throws and on Strength (athletics) checks to climb. You also can't be disarmed against your will, unless you are incapacitated.

Additionally, when you hit a creature with a clawed gauntlet on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.