Weapon mastery is the biggest new toy for martial characters in the 2024 rules. Every weapon has one mastery property, and a character with the Weapon Mastery feature can use it with the weapons they have chosen.
Who gets it
Barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues gain Weapon Mastery at level 1. You choose a small number of weapon kinds you are proficient with — fighters get the most — and can usually swap one choice when you finish a long rest. The class tables show how many you know at each level.
The eight properties
- Cleave (greataxe, halberd): when you hit with a melee attack, make one more attack against a second creature within 5 feet of the first. No ability modifier on that damage. Once per turn.
- Graze (glaive, greatsword): when you miss, still deal damage equal to the ability modifier you attacked with.
- Nick (dagger, light hammer, scimitar, sickle): the extra Light-weapon attack becomes part of your Attack action instead of using your bonus action. Once per turn.
- Push (greatclub, pike, warhammer, heavy crossbow): on a hit, push a Large or smaller creature up to 10 feet away.
- Sap (mace, flail, longsword, spear): on a hit, the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll before your next turn.
- Slow (club, javelin, longbow, sling, whip): hit and deal damage to cut the target’s speed by 10 feet until your next turn.
- Topple (battleaxe, quarterstaff, maul, trident, lance): on a hit, the target makes a Constitution save (DC 8 + your attack’s ability modifier + proficiency bonus) or falls prone.
- Vex (shortsword, rapier, handaxe, shortbow, hand crossbow): hit and deal damage to get advantage on your next attack against that creature before the end of your next turn.
Check the full weapons table for every weapon’s mastery.
Good combinations
- A fighter with a quarterstaff (Topple) knocks enemies prone so the whole party attacks with advantage.
- A rogue with a shortsword (Vex) sets up advantage, which turns on Sneak Attack.
- A two-weapon fighter with a scimitar (Nick) gets the off-hand attack without spending the bonus action.
- A barbarian with a greatsword (Graze) never whiffs completely.
Track it at the table
Note your mastered weapons in the features box of your Roleplayer character sheet, and look up any weapon in the compendium.