Dungeons & Dragons' Weapon Perks Supplement Gives Melee Fighters More Options

A Dungeons & Dragons supplement provides melee weapons with some actual differences and unique abilities to be used in combat. One of the more disappointing parts of Dungeons & Dragons' current set of Fifth Edition rules is how mundane melee weapons feel. Outside of providing your character a distinctive look, some differences in damage dice, and a few minor properties that give a weapon reach or versatility, there aren't too many differences between 5E's various types of weapons, which can leave melee-focused combatants with few options in combat besides choosing which enemy to attack.

Luckily, Justin Handlin has come up with a useful new set of mechanics to provide some much needed variety to melee weapons. Last month, Handlin published Weapon Perks, a new DMs Guild supplement that gives each standard melee weapon an extra perk that can be used in lieu of a normal melee attack. For example, a player can use their club to deliver a crippling blow to an enemy, potentially halving their movement speed. A player can choose to whirl their flail over their head, causing anyone that approaches them to take damage. A greataxe user can target multiple enemies within their reach, although only one target takes the full amount of attack damage.

The set of mechanics in Weapon Perks reminds me a bit of the weapons mechanics in 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, mainly in that it gives players unique mechanical advantages to using different weapons in combat. A greatsword or greataxe is more handy against waves of foes, but a morningstar can be used to break a foe's shield. A player may opt for the longsword if they're facing a magic user, but a whip can be used to potentially restrain an enemy, thus giving your allies a much needed advantage.

If you're tired of using your attack action to make a basic melee attack, ask your DM to consider adding Weapons Perks to your game. DMs can provide these perks to monsters as well, providing even mundane monsters with more options to harass the party instead of simply existing to absorb hits and take a minor amount of damage.

Weapons Perks is available on the DMs Guild for $3.95.