A complete guide to mastering weapons in one D&D game.

What is Weapon Mastery?

Weapon Mastery is a new system developed for the 2024 Core Rulebook. The new version of D&D 5e aims to bridge the gap between martial artists and casters.

All weapons are given a mastery property, and if you have access to that property, you can use this property to control the battlefield, increase damage, or You can also give debuffs to enemies.

One important thing to note is that mastery properties have no limit on the number of times they can be used. For example, if you have a weapon with the Vex trait, you can use it every time you get hit.

Mastery Weapons Cleave Greataxe, Halberd Glaive, Greatsword Nick Dagger, Light Hammer, Sickle, Scimitar Push Greatcrab, Warhammer, Heavy Crossbow Sap Mace, Spear, Flail, Longsword, Morningstar, War Pick Throw Club, Javelin, Light Crossbows, slings, whips, longbows, musket top quarterstaffs, battle axes, lances, mauls, trident Vex hand axes, darts, short bows, rapiers, short swords, blow guns, hand crossbows, pistols.

Which classes get Weapon Mastery?

Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and Rogues have access to the Weapon Mastery feature at level 1. However, each class leans toward this feature a little differently.

Rogues are the least involved in this feature, gaining only two mastery properties (three for soulknives with psychic blades). Also, because the proficiency range is limited, the range of mastery traits you can choose from is also minimal. Rangers also only have access to two mastery properties, but they have a wider range of weapons to choose from than Rogues. Barbarian ties weapon mastery more closely to core functionality. This is because Barbarians start with two mastery properties, but learn more as they level up, maxing out at four mastery properties by level 10. One notable limitation here is that the barbarian only has access to the melee weapon proficiency trait. Fighter has the most synergy with Weapon Mastery. They start with three mastery properties on any weapon and learn up to six mastery properties by level 16. At level 9 you also get Tactical Mastery. This allows you to swap mastery properties when attacking with a weapon appropriate for the swapped properties (more on that below).

Which weapon mastery trait is the best?

Based on this article on D&D Beyond (which you can see I wrote if you look closely), these are the final mastery properties that will be included in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Below, we will categorize them and assign a ranking to each. sky blue That’s wonderful, blue Good, green it’s okay, orange It depends on the situation, red It’s bad.

cleave

How it works: If you hit with an attack and another enemy is within 5 feet of the target and within reach, you can make a second attack roll. If it hits, the target takes damage equal to the weapon damage die roll.

Verdict: Being able to do a second attack + damage roll is great, especially with Greataxe and can be combined with the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style. The biggest limiting factor is having enemies within 5 feet of each other, but you should be able to cut through mooks like a lawnmower when they’re swarming.

Glaze

How it works: Even if the attack misses, the target takes damage equal to the ability modifier used in the attack.

Verdict: This allows you to deal damage even if you miss, which is certainly fine in the early game. Damage is only equal to the ability modifier used in the attack, so even if you have a cumbersome weapon equipped, you can’t use it to deal efficient damage.

nick

How it works: If you have two weapons with the light property, you can use the nick property to take an attack as part of your attack action that you would normally get as a bonus action.

Verdict: This is a great tool for dual-wielding builds. Typically, Bards, Rogues, or Rangers with more two-handed weapon builds should sacrifice off-hand attacks in favor of more powerful bonus actions such as Bard’s Inspiration, Cunning Action, or Hunter’s Mark. Nick allows you to make an off-hand attack as part of your attack action, allowing you to spend your bonus action on other fun things.

push

How it works: When you land an attack, you can push the target 10 feet away.

Evaluation: Simple and easy to understand. Push an enemy 10 feet away without saving. Not the most powerful option unless you’re standing on the edge of a volcano. After pushing an enemy away, you can also play against them if you are unable to pursue them without making an attack of opportunity.

sap

How it works: When you hit an attack, the target receives disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of its next turn.

Verdict: Giving an enemy a disadvantage on their next attack is fine for tanky builds, but it’s not something that’s particularly interesting most of the time. This is especially true when facing enemies with multiple attacks. Most of the enemies are above level 5. Enemies can also get around this drawback by using spells and abilities that invoke saving throws, so they may be less effective than they appear.

slow

How it works: When you land an attack, your target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

Verdict: Reducing an enemy’s speed by 10 feet can be an incredibly effective factor in hit-and-run builds, especially for rogues with access to cunning actions. Based on the linked article, the light crossbow is also applied, allowing you to create an incredible long-range build that attacks the enemy with a kite.

fall down

How it works: Hitting an attack causes the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the ability modifier used in the attack). If you fail, you will go prone.

Verdict: For builds with multiple attacks, this could be an absolute win. Imagine a fighter knocking an opponent prone with their first attack, then using the rest of their attacks and Action Surge to bellow them with an advantage. To get the most out of this ability, make sure you have another melee fighter in your party. This is because long-range attacks against prone targets have disadvantages.

vex

How it works: When you hit an attack, you gain advantage on your next attack against the target until the end of your next turn.

Rating: This is another powerful tool, especially for martial artists who only have two attacks, such as barbarians, paladins, and rangers. It’s also an incredibly easy source of advantage for Rogue’s Sneak Attack and Barbarian’s Brutal Strike.

Start training now!

Weapon Mastery is a simple and fleshed-out way to add more meaningful choices, damage, and battlefield control to your martial arts character’s suite of tools.

As the 2024 core rulebook continues to unfold, I’m sure we’ll see a lot of cool combos with class features/multiclassing that maximize this ability. So please check back to this article for updates.