barbarian tavern brawler

[chainer1216]

I'm very new to 5e and don't even own the books yet but I have a game coming up and I want to ask a quick question.

1. Tavern brawler gives proficiency with improvised weapons, among other things, say I grabbed a table or chair or whatever that needs 2 hands to use, and I had the 2h fighting style or the great weapon fighting feat, would they be legal to use with the table/chair?

[MOLOKH]

I'd say this falls in the 'Ask your DM' category. I'd probably allow it, but keep the damage die of the improvised weapon lower so it doesn't actually compete with real weapons, or have it break after a few hits.

A more intersting idea I'm planning to try out is to be a Goliath Barbarian with the Bear totem feature that increases you carrying capacity and Tavern Brawler. Then just watch the DMs face when I announce that I uproot a tree and slam it at the nearest baddy.

[Joe the Rat]

If it legitimately can be used (or must be used) 2-handed, then it should work. And if it's a chair it should break if you do the -5/+10 damage from GWF, because that's what happens to chairs in bar brawls.



A more intersting idea I'm planning to try out is to be a Goliath Barbarian with the Bear totem feature that increases you carrying capacity and Tavern Brawler. Then just watch the DMs face when I announce that I uproot a tree and slam it at the nearest baddy.
A happy grin indeed. But I do tend to root for my players.

[Slipperychicken]

1. Tavern brawler gives proficiency with improvised weapons, among other things, say I grabbed a table or chair or whatever that needs 2 hands to use, and I had the 2h fighting style or the great weapon fighting feat, would they be legal to use with the table/chair?

I've been mulling over a similar character concept myself for a few weeks now*, and I think a sufficiently-large table or a door should qualify. A chair could be like 1d6 versatile, a not-so-sturdy door or table could be just 1d8 two-handed, a big enough table or a hefty door would be 1d8 -1d10 heavy two-handed, while a dresser drawer might be 1d12 heavy two-handed.


*(goliath bear totem barbarian with 18 strength, carry capacity doubled because goliath, doubled again from 6th level bear totem power. That means his carry capacity is 1080 lb (~490kg). For comparison, an elephant's carry capacity is 1320lb (~600kg). I plan to use improvised weapons to trigger a grapple, then use the grappled enemy as a weapon)

EDIT: Shadow Monk'd by two hours ago. That'll teach me to read the thread first.

[Shaofoo]

All improvised weapons are up to the DM to adjucate.

By RAW you cannot use an improvised weapon with either the Great Weapon fighting style or the second part of the Great Weapon Master because improvised weapons do not have the two handed or versatile property for the former and the heavy property for the later.

The only way to use an improvised weapon for either is if the DM says that the weapon acts like a similar weapon (it is up to the DM if the uprooted tree counts as a Greatclub and can benefit from the fighting style but not the feat or a simple d4 weapon that doesn't get anything at all, the only thing is if the DM says that an uprooted tree counts as a Maul)

Honestly I doubt you'd impress your DM that much if you decide to uproot your tree when it is entirely in his power to make your giant oak deal the same damage as a dagger.

[Slipperychicken]

Honestly I doubt you'd impress your DM that much if you decide to uproot your tree when it is entirely in his power to make your giant oak deal the same damage as a dagger.

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/015/266/Z7HeRxU.png

But really, it's the sort of thing you should talk to your DM about during character creation.

[Jamesps]

Unlike most Rule 0 arguments, improvised weaponry actually has it stated in the rules that the GM can give an improvised weapon the same attributes as existing weapons.

If I were interpreting this RAWly as a GM, I'd say that it allows PC's to find improvised weapons that can theoretically mimic any existing weapon if they look hard enough.

So logically by RAW,

Improvised weapons with the same attributes as existing weapons can exist,

thus implies that somewhere in the world improvised weapons weapons with the same attributes as existing weapons do exist.

For whatever random ass thing a PC picks up though (if they haven't put any thought into it) I usually default to clubs and great clubs.

[Shaofoo]

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/015/266/Z7HeRxU.png

But really, it's the sort of thing you should talk to your DM about during character creation.

If you planned from the beginning that you want to be Paul Bunyan, Treesunderer and Basher of all Arboreal-kind that likes to use massive trunks as weapons from the get go then that is fine. Heck definitely talk to your DM if there are specific common items that you wish to constantly use as improv weapons that you can even give unique stats if you want. What is not fine is the sudden "Boy won't the DM be shocked when I do this!" and thus definitely could rub the DM the wrong way and is definitely within RAW to assign the damage as he sees fit.



Unlike most Rule 0 arguments, improvised weaponry actually has it stated in the rules that the GM can give an improvised weapon the same attributes as existing weapons.

If I were interpreting this RAWly as a GM, I'd say that it allows PC's to find improvised weapons that can theoretically mimic any existing weapon if they look hard enough.

So logically by RAW,

Improvised weapons with the same attributes as existing weapons can exist,

thus implies that somewhere in the world improvised weapons weapons with the same attributes as existing weapons do exist.

For whatever random ass thing a PC picks up though (if they haven't put any thought into it) I usually default to clubs and great clubs.

This was never about Rule 0, the DM has full control over what counts as improv weapons or not by RAW. The only thing is that he is forced to use a d4 as minimum and a damage type.

A DM is never forced to make anything into a specific weapon. He could consider a thick branch to be a club as he could make it an improv weapon, he could say that a piece of large shrapnel with a cloth for a hilt could be a short sword or a dagger or an improv weapon.

Improvised weapons with weapon stats can exist but doesn't mean that they will exist or that the DM is forced to assign weapon stats, he is forced to make it at least a d4.