Weapons
Your class provides you proficiency with certain weapons, reflecting both the class's focus and the tools it is most likely to use. Whether you favor a long unearthed arcana sword or a long bow, your weapon and your ability to wield it effectively can mean the difference between life and death when you're out on your adventures.
The Weapons table shows the most common weapons used in D&D worlds, their price and weight, the damage they do when they hit, and special properties they possess. Each weapon is classified as melee or ranged. A melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, while a ranged weapon is used to attack a target from a distance.
Having proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll made with that weapon. If you make an attack roll with a weapon with which you lack proficiency, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.
Weapon properties
Many weapons have special properties related to their use, as shown in the Weapons table.
Range → This weapon adds 5 feet (1.5 m) to its range when you attack with it.
Two-Handed → This weapon requires two hands to use.
Thrown → If a weapon has this property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, the same ability modifier is used for that attack and damage roll as you would use on a melee attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a hand ax, use your Strength, but if you throw a dagger, you can use your Strength or Dexterity, since the dagger has the property of Subtle.
Charge → Due to the time required to charge this weapon, only a single piece of ammo can be fired when using an action, bonus action, or reaction when firing, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Ranged → A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range shown in parentheses after the ammo or throw property. The distance is listed by two numbers. The first is the normal range of the weapon in feet, and the second indicates the long range of the weapon. When attacking a target beyond the normal range, you have a disadvantage on the attack roll. You cannot attack a target beyond the long range of the weapon.
Special → A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the Weapon Description (see “Special Weapons” later in this section).
Light → A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
Ammo → You can use a weapon that has the ammo property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to shoot from the weapon. Every time you attack with the weapon, you spend one piece of ammo. Picking up ammo from a quiver, box, or other container is part of the attack. At the end of the battle, half of your spent ammo can be recovered by taking a minute to search the battlefield. If you use a weapon that has the property of ammunition to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon (see "Improvised Weapons" later in the section). A sling must be loaded to do damage when used this way.
Heavy → Small creatures have a disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. The size and volume of a heavy weapon make it too large for a small creature to use it effectively.
Subtle → When making an attack with a subtle weapon, you can optionally use your Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier on both rolls.
Versatile → This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears to indicate the damage it deals when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Improvised weapons
Sometimes the characters do not have the weapons and have to attack with everything that is at hand. An improvised weapon includes anything you can wield with one or two hands, such as a broken glass, table leg, frying pan, wagon wheel, or dead goblin.
In many cases, an improvised simple weapons 5e is similar to a real weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is similar to a truncheon. At the DM's discretion, a character skilled with a weapon may use a similar item as if it were that weapon and use its proficiency bonus.
An object that does not resemble a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns an appropriate damage type for the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack or launches a melee weapon that does not have the throwing property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
Silver weapons
Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to non-magical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons, so cautious adventurers spend additional coins to plate their weapons with silver plates. You can only use this technique with one weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of silver, but also the time and experience required to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.
Weapons that have special rules are described below.
Throw → You are at a disadvantage when used to attack a target within 5 feet of you. Plus, it requires two hands to wield it when you're not riding.
Net → A larger or smaller creature hit by a net is held until released. A net has no effect on formless creatures or huge or very large creatures. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, releasing itself or another creature within its success range. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the web (AC 10) also frees the creature without damaging it, ending the effect and destroying the web.
When using an action, additional action, or reaction to attack with a net, you can only make one attack no matter how many attacks you can normally make.