Weapon actions

Weapon Actions are a type of Action granted to a character based on the type of weapon they are wielding. For example, bladed weapons such as Longswords will typically grant the Lacerate weapon action.

These actions are only usable once per Short Rest and are special in some way, normally able to do bonus damage, hit multiple targets, debilitate foes, or move the character.

In order to gain access to the Weapon Actions from a weapon, a creature must have Proficiency in that weapon type and have it equipped in the main hand or both hands (off-hand weapons do not grant Weapon Actions).

The Difficulty Class (or DC) for Saving Throws against Weapon Actions is calculated similarly to Spellcasting DC - except for two differences: firstly, the Spellcasting Ability Modifier is replaced with the Ability Modifier of either Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher and secondly; each Weapon Action can grant its own inherent bonus DC that isn't listed anywhere, but most frequently it's +2. To express all this mathematically:

Weapon Action DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Strength or Dexterity modifier + Inherent Weapon Action Bonus DC

Certain Weapon Action instead uses Hybrid DC, which allows a user to either use their Spellcasting DC or Weapon Action DC with a +2 bonus, whichever is higher.

Prior to Patch 5, weapon actions instead had a base DC of 10 but did not add the players proficiency bonus to their DC, leading to an overall lower DC after Proficiency Bonus increases at level 5. This was changed to the above formula after patch 5.

Overview of Weapon Actions

Melee Weapons

Weapon Action	Associated Weapons	Cost	Effect	Damage
Backbreaker	Warhammers  Mauls	Action	Inflict  Prone Strength saving throw Weapon action DC Duration: 2 turns	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type
Brace (Melee)	Glaives  Pikes	6 m / 20 ft movement	Reroll melee damage rolls and take the higher value Duration: 1 turn	-
Cleave	Battleaxes  Greataxes  Halberds  Greatswords	Action	Strike up to 3 targets AoE: 1.5 m / 5 ft (Cone)	Halved weapon damage Any bonus damage is not halved, e.g. from  Divine Smite or  Great Weapon Master
Concussive Smash	Morningstars  Clubs  Light Hammers  Maces  Warhammers  Greatclubs  Mauls	Action	Inflict  Dazed Constitution saving throw Hybrid DC Duration: 2 turns	Weapon damage
Maiming Strike	War Picks  Battleaxes	Action	Inflict  Maimed Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type
Disarming Strike	Tridents	Action	Target drops weapon Strength saving throw Weapon action DC + 2	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type
Flourish	Scimitars  Shortswords  Rapiers	Bonus action	Inflict  Off Balance Dexterity saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	1d4Bludgeoning Non-lethal damage
Heartstopper	Morningstars	Action	Inflict  Chest Trauma Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type
Lacerate	Handaxes  Sickles  Scimitars  Battleaxes  Longswords  Glaives  Greataxes  Greatswords  Halberds	Action	Inflict  Bleeding Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	Weapon damage
Piercing Strike	Daggers  Rapiers  Shortswords  Tridents  Pikes  Javelins	Action	Inflict  Gaping Wounds Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	Weapon damage
Pommel Strike	Longswords  Greatswords	Bonus action	Inflict  Dazed Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	1d4Bludgeoning Non-lethal damage
Prepare	Greataxes	6 m / 20 ft movement	Extra damage on melee attacks this turn	Strength modifier Slashing
Rush Attack	Longswords  Spears  Tridents  Glaives  Halberds  Pikes	Action +  Movement	Charge up to 9 m / 30 ft Inflict  Off Balance Strength saving throw Weapon action DC Duration: 2 turns	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type
Tenacity	Morningstars  Greatclubs  Mauls	Reaction	Inflict damage on a miss	Strength modifier Bludgeoning Minimum 1 damage
Topple	Quarterstaves	Action	Inflict  Prone Dex saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 1 turn	1d4Bludgeoning Non-lethal damage
Weakening Strike	Rapiers  War Picks  Warhammers	Action	Inflict  Weak Grip Strength saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	1d4 + Strength or Dexterity modifier Inherits weapon damage type Non-lethal damage

Ranged Weapons

Weapon Action	Associated Weapons	Cost	Effect	Damage
Brace (Ranged)	Heavy Crossbows  Longbows	6 m / 20 ft movement	Reroll ranged damage rolls and take the higher value Duration: 1 turn	-
Hamstring Shot	Shortbows  Longbows	Action	Inflict  Hamstrung Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	Weapon damage
Mobile Shot	Hand Crossbows	Bonus action	Make a bonus action attack after using  Dash or  Disengage	Weapon damage
Piercing Shot	Heavy Crossbows  Light Crossbows  Hand Crossbows	Action	Inflict  Gaping Wounds Constitution saving throw Weapon action DC + 2 Duration: 2 turns	Weapon damage

Special Actions

The following actions are available only on specific weapons.

Weapon Action	Associated Weapons	Cost	Effect	Saving Throw	Extra Damage
Absolute Power	Faithbreaker	Action	A surge of Divine energy accompanies your swing. It deals an additional 1d6Force damage and possibly pushes your target back 5 m / 17 ft.	-	+1d6 Force Strength modifier Bludgeoning
Arcane Ammunition	Crossbow of Arcane Force	Bonus action	Infuse your bolts to deal additional an 1d4Force damage.	-	-
Blood Money	Twist of Fortune	Action	Strike out greedily, dealing an additional 4Piercing damage per 300 Gold that the target possesses.	-	-
Bolt of Celestial Light	Gontr Mael	Action	Frighten your target with intimidating arrows. After attacking, ranged weapon attacks made by Gontr Mael deal an additional 1~4 Radiant damage.	DC 11  Wisdom saving throw	-
Colossal Onslaught	Jorgoral's Greatsword	Action	Strike multiple foes in a AoE: 6 m / 20 ft (Line).	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Slashing
Corrosive Strike	Corrosive Flail	Action	Deal additional Acid damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. On a hit, create a pool of acid around the target which reduces  Armour Class by 2.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Acid
Crowning Strike	Blade of Oppressed Souls	Action	Unleash the wails of the dead that fell to your blade, and possibly instil  Crown of Madness in the target.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Psychic
Dawnburst Strike	The Sacred Star	Action	Deal additional Radiant damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. On a hit, light erupts around you in a 3m area. Enemies in the light must succeed a DC 13  Constitution saving throw or be Blinded.	Constitution	+ Proficiency Bonus Radiant
Dueller's Enthusiasm	Duellist's Prerogative	Bonus action	While you are not dual-wielding, you can make an additional melee attack with The Dueller.	-	1d8 + Strength modifier Bludgeoning
Edge of Darkness	Shar's Spear of Evening	Action	Create a cloud of Darkness while you attack.	-	+ Weapon Damage Piercing to all creatures in cloud
Gargantuan Cleave	Very Heavy Greataxe	Action	Strike multiple foes but inflict  Off Balance on self	-	+ 1d6 Slashing
Grand Slam	Corpsegrinder	Action	Slam your weapon into the ground, dealing additional Thunder damage each your proficiency bonus, thunderously impacting nearby foes and possibly pushing them away.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Thunder
Hellflame Cleave	Hellfire Greataxe	Bonus action	Spew hellish flames and strike your foes. On Save: Targets still take half damage. Hellfire ignores resistance and immunity to Fire damage.	-	+ 2d6 Fire
Hush You!	Witchbreaker	Action	Slash a target and possibly  Silence it.	Constitution (+1)	+ Proficiency Bonus Slashing
Illuminating Shot	Fabricated Arbalest	Action	Fire a shimmering bolt that inflicts 1 turn of  Radiating Orb upon the target.	-	-
Maiming Strike	Thermodynamo Axe Pactbound Battleaxe	Action	Possibly inflict  Maimed on your target. They can't move.	Constitution (+1)	1d4 + Strength modifier Bludgeoning
Moonlight Butterflies	Moonlight Glaive	Action	Strike a foe, conjuring an illusory swarm of moon-pale butterflies, gaining Advantage on attacks against the target. Deal additional Psychic damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When the target moves away from your illusion, it takes 1~6 Psychic damage.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Slashing + Proficiency Bonus Psychic
Overheat	Azer Warhammer	Bonus action	Release a fraction of your inner fire. All nearby creatures take damage and start  Burning Fiercely.	-	-
Part the Flesh	Fleshrender	Action	Thrust forward with diabolical precision, possibly stymying your target's ability to heal.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Necrotic
Perfectly Balanced Strike	Belm	Bonus action	Send Belm snaking out with an adder's speed, the very exemplar of swiftness embodied in steel.	-	-
Poison Mist	Argument Solver	Action	On a hit, deal extra Poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus and surround the target in a noxious cloud that possibly  Poisons those within it.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Poison
Profane Scourge	The Undead Bane	Action	Strike with subjugating fury, adding your proficiency bonus to the damage roll. If you hit a Fiend or Undead creature, deal an additional 2d6SlashingDRS damage and possibly  Bane it.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Physical + 2d6 Slashing if Fiend or Undead
Razor Gale	Larethian's Wrath	Action	Swing your weapon in a AoE: 4 m / 13 ft (Cone) that deals damage to all enemies within range.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Slashing
Revitalising Strike	Hoppy	Action	Smash into a foe, wounding them and healing your own injuries. On a hit, heal 1d6hit points. You deal additional Necrotic damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Necrotic
Searing Blood	Rupturing Blade	Action	Cut into an enemy, dealing an extra proficiency bonusFire and 1d6Fire damage to them, while you yourself take 1d6Slashing damage. Additionally, the attack might cause the target to  Bleed and  Burn.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Fire + 1d6 Fire
Soulbreaker	Soulbreaker Greatsword Silver Sword of the Astral Plane	Action	Rend the enemy's body and soul, dealing an additional 4Psychic damage and possibly  Stun them.	Constitution (+1)	+ Proficiency Bonus Psychic
Shadowsoaked Blow	Sword of Clutching Umbra	Action	Strike an enemy, adding your Proficiency Bonus and 1d6Psychic to the damage. This attack doesn't break concealment.	-	+ Proficiency Bonus Piercing + 1d6 Psychic
Topple the Big Folk	Balduran's Giantslayer	Action	Deal additional damage. Large, Huge or Gargantuan creatures take an additional 2-12Slashing damage and may fall  Prone.	Strength (+1)	+ Proficiency Bonus Physical + 2d6 Slashing if Large/Huge/Gargantuan
Unshackling Strike	Orphic Hammer	Action	Smite the magical bonds keeping a creature  Restrained,  Paralysed, and  Stunned, freeing it.	-	-

Conditions Inflicted by Weapon Actions

Condition	Inflicted by / Saving Throw	Saving Throw Penalty	Additional Effects	Removed by
Bleeding	Lacerate (CON)	Constitution	Inflicts 2 Slashing per turn for 2 turns	Healing
Chest Trauma	Heartstopper (CON)	Constitution	One fewer Action for 2 turns	Healing
Maimed	Crippling Strike (CON)	Dexterity	Movement Speed reduced to 0	Healing
Dazed	Concussive Smash (CON) Pommel Strike (CON)	Wisdom	Can't take reactions, loses Dexterity bonus to  Armour Class	Ally Help
Gaping Wounds	Piercing Shot (CON) Piercing Strike (CON)	-	Receive additional 2 Piercing damage from attacks for 2 turns	Healing
Hamstrung	Hamstring Shot (CON)	-	Movement Speed halved	Healing
Off Balance	Rush Attack (STR) Flourish (DEX)	Strength Dexterity	Advantage to attackers	Ally Help or taking damage
Prone	Topple (STR) Backbreaker (DEX)	Strength Dexterity	Advantage to nearby attackers	Using half of Movement Speed
Weak Grip	Weakening Strike (STR)	Strength Dexterity	Disadvantage on attacks	Ally Help