Unless your character has access to magical powers, weapons are how you deal damage. There are many different kinds of melee and ranged weapons. While most weapons require some amount of training to use well, almost anyone can pick up a weapon and attempt to use it to deal damage to another creature.
Like all tools, weapons may be crafted as a masterwork or infused with magic to increase their damage and accuracy, and to give them additional magical properties. An enhanced weapon’s enhancement bonus is added to both the weapon’s attack and damage rolls.
Weapon Properties[]
Each weapon has a number of properties that determines how it functions in battle. These properties are listed in the weapon's description.
Melee Weapons[]
Melee weapons deal damage at close range. There are seven categories of melee weapons; most use your Strength to determine your proficiency. All melee weapons use your Strength modifier to determine their melee damage bonus.
Reach[]
Some melee weapons have the reach property. These weapons can perform attacks against creatures that are not adjacent. The number after the weapon's reach property indicates the number of additional paces that the attack can reach into. Melee weapons which do not have the reach property may only attack adjacent creatures.
Ranged Weapons[]
Ranged weapons are used to make ranged weapon attacks. There are four categories of ranged weapons; all use your Dexterity to determine your proficiency and ranged damage bonus.
Range[]
All ranged weapons have a range, which is listed as a pair of numbers separated by a slash. The first number is the weapon's short range - attacks can be made against targets this many paces away without penalty. Attacks made against creatures further away suffer a -2 range penalty, out to a maximum range equal to the number after the slash.
Size[]
Weapons can be one of several sizes.
Off-Hand[]
Off-hand weapons are small and nimble enough to be wielded as your character's secondary weapon, while you are wielding another weapon or holding another object in your main hand.
One-Handed[]
One-handed weapons must be wielded in your main hand, but do not require your off-hand at all.
Versatile[]
Versatile weapons may be wielded one-handed or two-handed. When wielded two-handed, a versatile melee weapon gains +1 to damage for each weapon damage die that is rolled. Versatile ranged weapons also exist, which may be wielded one-handed or two-handed, but suffer a -1 penalty to accuracy when wielded one-handed. Small creatures must wield versatile weapons as if they were two-handed weapons, and gain no bonus for doing so.
Two-Handed[]
A two-handed weapon must be wielded in both hands. Small creatures may not wield two-handed weapons unless they also have the 'small' property.
Using Two Weapons[]
When you wield a single weapon, that weapon is considered your main weapon. If you wield two weapons, the larger is considered your main weapon, and the smaller is considered your secondary weapon. If both weapons are the same size, you may choose which is your main weapon and which is your secondary weapon.
Damage[]
Weapons deal one of three damage types: slashing, piercing, and bashing. A weapon's base damage is determined by a die roll - weapons may deal a D4, D6, D8, D10, or D12 damage. When an action block refers to a weapon's damage die, it will use the code 1dW - this means to roll the weapon's damage die and use that number as the weapon's damage. Some actions will deal additional damage - this will be listed as 2dW or 3dW or more. Roll a number of the weapon's dice equal to the number listed before the 'dW', and add them together.
Weapons also deal additional damage based on your melee damage bonus, which is equal to your Strength modifier, or your ranged damage bonus, which is equal to your Dexterity modifier. When you deal damage with a weapon, roll the weapon's damage die and add your melee or ranged damage bonus to the result.
Slashing Weapons[]
Slashing weapons deal damage through large, rending wounds, and thus typically deal higher damage than piercing or bashing weapons, but are less effective against heavy armor.
Bashing Weapons[]
Bashing weapons deal damage through blunt trauma. While they deal less damage to characters in heavy armor, they often ignore the armor's defense bonus.
Piercing Weapons[]
Piercing weapons typically make small, deep wounds which bleed heavily. They deal full damage to characters in heavy armor, but typically deal slightly less damage overall.
Other Properties[]
Swift[]
A swift weapon may be used to make an attack as an immediate action.
Load Free[]
A load free weapon uses ammunition. After each shot, it must be reloaded as a free action before it may be fired again.
Load Immediate[]
A load immediate weapon uses ammunition. After each shot, it must be reloaded as an immediate action before it may be fired again.
Load Move[]
A load move weapon uses ammunition. After each shot, it must be reloaded as a move action before it may be fired again.
Load Standard[]
A load free weapon uses ammunition. After each shot, it must be reloaded as a standard action before it may be fired again.
Weapon Groups[]
Weapons are divided into 10 categories, called weapon groups. Each group requires a certain amount of training to use accurately; your training in a weapon group is called Proficiency. Like skills, having proficiency in a weapon group grants you a training bonus when wielding a weapon in that group. In addition to the 11 weapon categories, there are two unarmed proficiencies, which represent training in bare-handed attacks.
Unarmed[]
Unarmed attacks deal damage at close range. If you are not wielding a weapon, you may still make a basic unarmed attack, which deals 1d4 bashing damage. Your Unarmed proficiency is based on the higher of your Strength or Dexterity. Some weapons, such as katars, use the same essential proficiency as unarmed attacks.
Characters with at least one arm free may attempt to grab and hold other creatures. Your Grappling proficiency is based on the higher of your Strength or Constitution. Some weapons, such as razor harnesses, use the same essential proficiency as grapple attacks.
Blades are small, one-handed melee weapons with a cutting edge. They are better suited for finesse than brute strength; your Blades attack modifier is based on the higher of your Strength or Dexterity. Some Blades can also be used as Thrown weapons.
Flails are flexible melee weapons, typically consisting of a weighted tip connected to a handle by a rope or chain. Your flail proficiency is based on the higher of your Strength or Dexterity.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Bludgeons[]
Bludgeons are weighted melee weapons that deal damage through blunt crushing force rather than sharp edges, although some bludgeons are augmented with spikes to increase their damage. Your Bludgeon proficiency is always based on your Strength.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Hammers[]
Hammers are weighted melee weapons that deal damage through blunt crushing force rather than sharp edges. Some Hammers can also be used as thrownweapons. Your Hammer proficiency is always based on your Strength.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Polearms[]
Polearms are essentially heavy blades, axes, spears or maces affixed to the ends of staves, giving those melee weapons a longer reach and more momentum. Your Polearm proficiency is always based on your Strength. If you are proficient in a particular polearm weapon, you may use the higher of your Polearms proficiency or your proficiency with the polearm’s other weapon group to determine your attack roll with that weapon.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Thrown Weapons[]
Thrown weapons are anything small enough or balanced enough to be picked up and thrown at an enemy. Some light melee weapons are also balanced to be used as thrown weapons. Your Thrown proficiency is based on your Dexterity, but uses your melee damage bonus rather than your ranged damage bonus to determine damage. Some weapons are thrown weapons and also fall under a different weapon group, such as spear or light blade; you always use your Thrown proficiency when using the weapon at range, and use the weapon's other proficiency when performing a melee attack with that weapon.
The target area is filled with caltrops. Any creature that attempts to move through this area must make an Acrobatics or Endurance saving throw slowed and takes 1D4 piercing damage.
Miss:
The caltrops scatter into your own space, and spread out in a cone 2 pattern in a random direction (1d8 - north is 1).
Each creature which moves through a space in the blast before the end of the encounter must make a hardAcrobaticscheck or be slowed until they break free or escape.
The area is filled with smoke, which grants partial concealment if line of sight passes through one to two spaces of smoke, or total concealment of line of sight passess through three or more spaces of smoke.
Miss:
The attack scatters 1d4 paces in a random direction for every 5 points that your check result missed the difficulty by - roll 1d8 to determine direction.
Bows are ranged weapons that use a flexing wooden shaft and taut string to fire arrows into a target at great speed. Your Bow proficiency is always use your Dexterity.
Readying or sheathing this weapon is a move action. If you would ready or sheath a weapon as a free action, you ready or sheath this weapon as an immediate action instead.
Crossbows[]
Crossbows are ranged weapons that use tension to fire a small sharpened bolt into a target at great speed. Crossbows are simpler to learn to use than bows, but typically take more effort to reload and deliver their projectiles with slightly less force and accuracy. Your Crossbow proficiency is always use your Dexterity.