Weapon Mastery in DnD 5e: A Complete Guide

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One of the major criticisms of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons is just how slow and tedious combat can be. For a game in which a single round of combat is supposed to represent just six seconds of action, it can sometimes take hours to finish up an encounter, with players often having little to do while waiting their turn. In addition, many DnD 5e fans have felt that the martial classes are somewhat limited with what they can do in combat, as opposed to magic user who tend to have more a dynamic range of choices.

Wizards of the Coast is now seeking to address these issues in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, which introduces enhanced combat rules for DnD 5e known as Weapon Mastery. The goal is to make battles faster and more cinematic, while also offering more strategic options to martial characters.

So just how exactly does Weapon Mastery work and how will it impact your game? Below, we hack and slash into all the details.

What is Weapon Mastery?

Weapon Mastery is a new rules feature found in the updated DnD 5e Core Rules that allows martial classes to specialize in a specific type of weapon in order to deliver unique combat effects known as mastery properties. Each weapon in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook lists a mastery property next to it. For example, a battleaxe has the “Cleave” property, which allows you to target another nearby creature after you make a successful attack. Properties can apply to both melee and ranged weapons. A crossbow, for example, has the “Slow” property, which allows you to reduce a target’s movement speed.

Notably, different mastery properties have different triggers. For example, the “Graze” property triggers when you miss a creature with an attack roll, while the “Topple” property only triggers when you hit a creature.

Unlike some abilities, there’s no limit to how many times mastery properties can be used per Short or Long Rest. So in theory, you could use the same mastery property every single time you attack without any limitations.

Learning a mastery property also isn’t permanent. During a Long Rest, you can swap out one of your mastery properties, provided your class is able to use it.

Which classes can access Weapon Mastery?

Weapon Mastery is not available to all DnD 5e classes. Instead it can only be accessed by the martial classes of Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger and Rogue. Each class, however, is limited in the number of mastery properties they start with and are able to learn as they progress in level (all of which is described in the Features section for each class in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook).

Rogues, Rangers and Paladins for example, can only access two mastery properties at a time. Barbarians and Fighters start with two and three properties, respectively, but eventually gain access to more mastery properties as they level up.

At level 1, all martial classes get access to the mastery properties for certain types of weapons, as listed below:

• Barbarian: Simple and Martial Melee weapons
• Fighter: Simple and Martial weapons
• Paladin: Based on weapon proficiencies (Simple and Martial weapons)
• Ranger: Based on weapon proficiencies (Simple and Martial weapons)
• Rogue: Based on weapon proficiencies (Simple and Martial weapons with the Finesse or Light property)

Some subclasses allow you to access more mastery properties. For example, the Soulknife Rogue can use the Vex mastery property with their Psychic Blades and it doesn’t count toward their learned Weapon Mastery limit.

If you choose to multiclass, you can access Weapons Mastery, as long as you second class is a martial one.

What are the Weapon Mastery Properties?

In the new 2024 DnD 5e rules there are currently 8 weapon mastery properties, as follows:

Cleave: If you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can make a second attack against a creature within 5 feet that is also within your reach. When you hit with the second attack, you can roll your weapon’s damage, but you don’t add your ability modifier unless it’s negative.

Graze: If you miss a creature with your weapon, you deal damage equal to the ability modifier you used to make the roll.

Nick: You can make an additional attack against a target creature if your first attack was made while wielding two Light weapons.

Push: You can launch a creature you hit (up to a Large size) 10 feet away from you.

Sap: An enemy you hit has Disadvantage on their next attack roll before the start of your next turn.

Slow: When you hit a creature and deal damage, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

Topple: When you hit a creature, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw or fall Prone. The DC for this save is 8 plus the ability modifier used to make the attack plus your Proficiency Bonus.

Vex: When you hit a creature and deal damage, you gain Advantage on your next attack roll before the end of your next turn.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see Wizards of the Coast adding to add a little more strategic depth to combat in DnD 5e. And there is the potential for some genuinely unique combinations that can speed up battles and result in some pretty cinematic moments. It remains to be seen, however, just how the community will embrace these new rules. You’ll be able to find the compete rules when the new 2024 Player’s Handbook hits shelves, which is currently available for pre-order on D&D Beyond and Amazon).

In the meantime, below is a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube video which offers more information on how Weapon Mastery works.

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