DnD Weapons Mastery Greataxe

Dungeons and Dragons – Mystara

Weapons Mastery – Greataxe

A greataxe is a military two-handed melee weapon in the axe weapon group. The greataxe was a large, heavy battleaxe with a double-bladed head. The shaft was usually constructed of stout wood and longer than even a dwarven waraxe, with about half that length being just the grip alone.

• 5E Stats – Two Handed Martial Weapon, Costs 30 gp and has a weight of 7 lb.
• Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Arcing Slash, Crushing Blow, Disarming Parry, Hurling Impact, Sundering Strike

Weapons Mastery – Greataxe

Weapon Mastery Non-Proficient – Attacks are with disadvantage, and damage is halved rounded down. Non-Proficient use does not grant access to most of the weapon special properties.

(Non-Proficient)
Greataxe Attack +Str to hit one target
Basic Hit: 1d12 +Str mod slashing (Halved)
Weapon Abilities – Heavy, Two-Handed

Weapon Mastery Proficient – This is the standard weapon stats from sourcebooks.

(Proficient)
Greataxe Attack +Str +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 1d12 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Heavy, Two-Handed

Weapon Mastery Skilled – Weapons do an extra dice of damage. Gain abilities to activate as a bonus action on your round, or a reaction.

(Skilled)
Greataxe Attack +Str +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 2d12 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Defensive, Deflect, Heavy, Two-Handed

Weapon Mastery Expert – You gain an expertise on your attack, and weapons do an extra dice of damage. Abilities with weapons improve. Can use weapon options with this weapon.

(Expert)
Greataxe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 3d12 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Defensive, Deflect, Heavy, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Arcing Slash, Crushing Blow, Disarming Parry, Hurling Impact, Sundering Strike

Weapon Mastery Master – Your gain advantage on your attack, weapons do an extra dice of damage. Abilities and Options improve.

(Master)
Greataxe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 4d12 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Defensive, Deflect, Heavy, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Arcing Slash, Crushing Blow, Disarming Parry, Hurling Impact, Sundering Strike

Weapon Mastery Grand Master – A natural 1 counts counts as a critical hit, and if both dice deal a critical hit, then all dice in the attack are maximised. Weapons do an extra dice of damage. Abilities and Options improve.

(Grand Master)
Greataxe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target, Crit (1 and 20)
Basic Hit: 5d12 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Defensive, Deflect, Heavy, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Arcing Slash, Crushing Blow, Disarming Parry, Hurling Impact, Sundering Strike

Beyond Grand Master in Weapon Mastery – While not possible to learn at this level, some abilities and magical items might push skill above grand master, and if it does it adds an extra dice of damage and improves abilities and options as per the weapon progression.

Weapon Abilities – Greataxe

Weapon Ability – Base DC – Some of the effects produced by weapons masters has a saving throw to resist. This saving throw is calculated as 8 plus the ability modifier used in the attack roll, your weapon mastery bonus, your Weaponologist bonus, your weapons mastery feats and Archetypes.
Base DC = 8 +Ability Mod +Prof +WM Bonus +Circle Bonus +Feat Bonus +Arch Type Bonus (Martial +2)
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bastard Sword, Battleaxe, Bill, Blackjack, Blowgun 1H, Blowgun 2H, Bola, Cestus, Club, Dagger, Dart, Flail, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Hand Crossbow, Handaxe, Hat, Heavy Crossbow, Heavy Shield, Holy Symbol, Horned Shield, Javelin, Knife Shield, Lance, Lasso, Light Crossbow, Light Hammer, Light Shield, Lochaber Axe, Longbow, Longsword, Mace, Maul, Medium Shield, Morningstar, Net, Orb, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Quarterstaff, Ranseur, Rapier, Ring, Rod, Scimitar, Scythe, Shortbow, Shortsword, Sickle, Sling, Spear, Spetum, Spontoon, Staff, Sword Shield, Tome, Tower Shield, Trident, Tusked Shield, Unarmed or Natural, Vaulge, Wand, Warhammer, Warpick,

Weapon Ability – Defensive – If you spend your bonus action this round on this quality you gain a bonus for your armour class until the start of your next round as long as you still have your reaction. Each level above skilled adds +1 WM Bonus to the Shield bonus provided.
Defensive (Skilled Bonus Action) – This weapon provides a +1 Shield bonus to your armour class as long as your still have your reaction. If an attack would have hit you, but misses because of using defensive, you deflect the attack and expend your reaction. (Martial weapons add +1 to the shield bonus, A shield weapon does not use up reactions but can trigger retaliate instead)
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bastard Sword, Battleaxe, Bill, Bola, Club, Flail, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Handaxe, Heavy Crossbow, Heavy Shield, Horned Shield, Lance, Light Crossbow, Light Hammer, Light Shield, Lochaber Axe, Longbow, Longsword, Mace, Medium Shield, Morningstar, Net, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Quarterstaff, Ranseur, Rapier, Scimitar, Scythe, Shortbow, Shortsword, Sling, Spetum, Tower Shield, Tusked Shield, Voulge, Warhammer,

Weapon Ability – Deflect – If you spend your bonus action this round on this quality, you can attempt to deflect attacks with your weapon. Your Base DC becomes your armour class against ranged or melee weapons of your size or smaller until the start of your next round while you still have a reaction. If an attack would have hit you, but is lower than your Base DC, you deflect the attack and your weapon takes half the damage. Each level above skilled adds +1 WM Bonus to the Base DC. (Magical Implements don’t take damage from spells or use up their reactions when deflecting spells)
(Expert Spell Deflection) You can redirect the spell to a target with a cone opposite from the spell caster as long as its still within range, expending your reaction to do so.
(Master Spell Deflecting) You can redirect the spell to a target with the remainder of the range, and expend your reaction to do so.
(Grand Master Spell Deflecting) You add your range extension to the redirect.
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bastard Sword, Bill, Club, Flail, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Heavy Shield, Light Shield, Lochaber Axe, Longsword, Medium Shield, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Quarterstaff, Ranseur, Rapier, Scimitar, Scythe, Shortsword, Spetum, Staff, Tower Shield, Voulge, Wand, Warpick,

Weapon Ability – Heavy – Attacks are at disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a non-proficient creature to use effectively.
(Proficiency) Only small creatures have disadvantage.
(Expert proficiency) No creatures have disadvantage.
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bill, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Heavy Crossbow, Lochaber Axe, Longbow, Maul, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Ranseur, Voulge,

Weapon Ability – Two-Handed – If your not proficient in the weapon, this weapon is used with Disadvantage. Your required to use two hands to use this weapon.
(Master proficiency) You add half your strength bonus again to damage.
(Grand Master proficiency) You add your strength bonus twice to damage
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bill, Blowgun 2H, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbow, Lochaber Axe, Longbow, Maul, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Ranseur, Scythe, Shortbow, Spetum, Voulge,

Weapon Options – Greataxe

Arcing Slash (Attack Option) When you attack with this bladed weapon, you may choose to target two creatures within your reach with a single attack. This attack uses the same attack roll for both targets and deals slashing damage equal to half your normal damage to each target.
Associated Weapons – Bardiche, Bastard Sword, Battleaxe, Bill, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Lochaber Axe, Longsword, Poleaxe, Scimitar, Sword Shield

Crushing Blow (Attack Option) As an attack, you can make a melee attack roll with your two handed weapon against an armoured or naturally armoured creature within 5ft of you. If the attack hits, instead of damage, the target’s AC is permanently reduced by 1 until its armour is repaired. The armour cannot be reduced below 10 + the target’s Dexterity modifier. This attack has no effect on creatures with magical armour, unless your weapon is also magical.
Associated Weapons –Battleaxe, Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Maul, Quarterstaff, Warhammer

Disarming Parry (Reaction Option) When a creature attacks you with a weapon, you may use your reaction to catch their weapon in yours and disarm them. Compare you Base DC with the attack roll and if it exceeds it, their attack misses and they must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop their weapon.
Associated Weapons – Glaive, Greataxe, Greatsword, Halberd, Ranseur, Sickle, Spetum, Trident, Whip

Hurling Impact (Attack Option) – As an attack, you can make a melee attack roll with your weapon against a Medium or smaller target. If the attack hits, it does normal weapon damage and the target must make a Strength saving throw vs Base DC. On a failure, the target is pushed up to 5ft away from you taking your weapon with them. On a critical hit, this attack does an extra two dice of damage and the weapon breaks. Each level above expert with the weapon adds +1 WM Bonus to the DC and +5ft to the range the person is thrown.
Associated Weapons – Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatsword, Maul

Sundering Strike (Attack Option) As an attack, make an attack roll with your weapon against a creature wielding a weapon, including natural weapons. If the attack hits, the weapon is damaged, and all attacks made with this weapon have disadvantage. Another sundering strike destroys the weapon. This attack has no effect on magical weapons unless your martial weapon is also magical.
Associated Weapon – Greataxe, Greatsword, Maul, Warhammer

Design Details on building Weapons Mastery

I have managed to even out most of the damage, but also increased it in this case as it is working better with my magical weapon enhancement changes.

Weapons Mastery Version 1.0

• Greataxe Attack: (Non-Proficient) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 1d6+mod slashing.

• Greataxe Attack: (Proficient) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 2d6+mod slashing

• Greataxe Attack: (Skilled) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 3d6+mod slashing
  • (B) AC Defence (+1/2) – You gain an armour class bonus, for a set number of attacks each round.

• Greataxe Attack: (Expert) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 2d8+mod slashing
  • (B) AC Defence (+1/3) – You gain an armour class bonus, for a set number of attacks each round.
  • (B) Deflect (1) – Before an attack is made you can choose to deflect several attacks instead using your attack roll instead of your AC.

• Greataxe Attack: (Master) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 3d8+mod slashing
  • (B) AC Defence (+2/4) – You gain an armour class bonus, for a set number of attacks each round.
  • (B) Deflect (1) – Before an attack is made you can choose to deflect several attacks instead using your attack roll instead of your AC.

• Greataxe Attack: (Grand Master) + to hit, Heavy, Two Handed, one target
  • Hit: 3d10+mod slashing
  • (B) AC Defence (+2/5) – You gain an armour class bonus, for a set number of attacks each round.
  • (B) Deflect (2) – Before an attack is made you can choose to deflect several attacks instead using your attack roll instead of your AC.

Content Updates

• 2022-05-04 – Converted over to version 2.0 of my weapon mastery rules.
• 2021-08-26 – Update to layout and menu.

Weapons Mastery

Overview, Downtime for Weapons Mastery, Secret Craft: Weaponologist

Simple 1H or Versatile: Blackjack (or Sap), Cestus, Club (or torch), Dagger, Handaxe (or Tomahawk), Javelin, Lasso, Light Hammer, Mace, Quarterstaff, Sickle, Spear, Unarmed

Simple 2H: Greatclub, Scythe

Simple Ranged: Bola, Dart, Light Crossbow, Shortbow, Sling

Martial 1H or Versatile: Bastard Sword, Battleaxe, Flail, Lance, Longsword, Morningstar, Rapier, Scimitar, Shortsword, Spontoon, Trident, Warhammer, Warpick, Whip

Martial 2H: Bardiche, Bill, Glaive, Greataxe, Greatsword, Guisarme, Halberd, Lochaber Axe, Maul, Partisan, Pike, Poleaxe, Ranseur, Spectum, Voulge

Martial Ranged: Blowgun 1H, Blowgun 2H, Hand Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow, Longbow, Net

Martial Shield: Heavy, Horned, Knife, Light, Medium, Sword, Tower, Tusked

Magical Implement: Hat, Holy Symbol, Orb, Ring, Rod, Staff, Tome, Wand

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