DnD Weapons Mastery Scythe

Dungeons and Dragons – Mystara

Weapons Mastery – Scythe

A weapon based on a farming implement requiring two hand to use. A war scythe or military scythe is a form of pole weapon with a curving single-edged blade with the cutting edge on the concave side of the blade.

• 5E Stats – One Handed Simple Weapon, Costs 2 sp and has a weight of 10 lb.
• Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Sunder Joints, Trip

Weapons Mastery – Scythe

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)
Scythe Attack +Str to hit one target
Basic Hit: 1d8+mod slashing (Halved)
Weapon Abilities – Two-Handed

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

(Proficient)
Scythe Attack +Str + Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 1d8 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – 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)
Scythe Attack +Str +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 2d8 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Base DC, Defensive, Deflect, 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)
Scythe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 3d8 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Base DC, Defensive, Deflect, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Sunder Joints, Trip

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

(Master)
Scythe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target
Basic Hit: 4d8+mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Base DC, Defensive, Deflect, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Sunder Joints, Trip

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)
Scythe Attack +Str +Prof +Prof to hit one target, Crit (1 or 20)
Basic Hit: 5d8 +Str mod slashing
Weapon Abilities – Base DC, Defensive, Deflect, Two-Handed
Weapon Options (Available to learn) – Sunder Joints, Trip

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 – Scythe

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 – 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 – Scythe

Weapon Option – Sunder Joints (Attack Option) When you make a melee weapon attack with this weapon against a creature in medium or heavy armour, you may choose to damage the joints of their armour instead of dealing damage to the creature. If the attack hits, that armour takes the damage, and the creature must make a Joint Saving Throw.
Joint Saving Throw – Dexterity vs Base DC. Failure causes target to be Slowed by 10ft until they remove or repair the armour. This reduction is not cumulative.
Associated Weapons – Cestus, Club, Flail, Greatclub, Horned Shield, Light Hammer, Mace, Maul, Morningstar, Quarterstaff, Scythe, Unarmed or Natural

Weapon Option – Trip (Attack Option) As a melee weapon attack while you are wielding this weapon, you may sweep your opponent’s legs in an attempt to trip them. Make an attack roll against a creature one size larger or smaller. If the attack hits, it must succeed on a Prone Saving Throw.
Prone Saning Throw – Strength vs Base DC. Failure causes the Prone condition.
Associated Weapons – Glaive, Halberd, Handaxe, Javelin, Lasso, Quarterstaff, Ranseur, Scythe, Sickle, Spear, Unarmed or Natural, Warpick

Design Details

I have changed the base damage so to does less and is harder to hit things without proficiency. Not as overpowering as the original weapons mastery, but the hit points are also not as high, and with magical enhancements I did not want this weapon to become the must have item on the shopping list to enhance to a +3 weapon.

Weapons Mastery Version 1.0

No version 1.0 of this weapon was created.

Content Updates

• 2022-05-02 – Created at version 2.0 of my weapon mastery rules.

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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