Random Weapons Tables

[nanoboy]

Say you want a random weapon. For example, you rolled for a random magic item and got +1 weapon. Now what? Well, I have a set of random weapons tables that you can use. They assume that the item is a magical weapon, so it may appear skewed toward weapons that are more commonly in stories as being magical weapons. You can start anywhere that is appropriate in the tables, too.

Random Magic Weapons (d%)
1-30% Simple Melee
31-80% Martial Melee
81-88% Simple Missile
89-100% Martial Missile

Simple Melee (d%)
1-5% club
6-20% dagger
21-25% greatclub
26-35% handaxe
36-45% javelin
46-50% light hammer
51-65% mace
66-75% quarterstaff
76-80% sickle
81-100% spear

Simple Missile (d%)
1-30% crossbow, light
31-45% dart
46-90% shortbow
91-100% sling

Martial Melee (d%)
1-15% axe (see table below)
16-18% flail
19-38% polearm (see table below)
39-83% sword (see table below)
84-86% lance
87-89% maul
90-93% morningstar
94-96% war pick
97-99% warhammer
100% whip

Axes (%)
1-60% battleaxe
61-100% greataxe

Polearms (%)
1-25% glaive
26-60% halberd
61-95% pike
96-100% trident

Sword (%)
1-20% greatsword
21-40% longsword
41-60% rapier
61-80% scimitar
81-100% shortsword

Martial Missile (%)
1-5% blowgun
6-20% crossbow, hand
21-40% crossbow, heavy
41-100% longbow

[DracoKnight]

Say you want a random weapon. For example, you rolled for a random magic item and got +1 weapon. Now what? Well, I have a set of random weapons tables that you can use. They assume that the item is a magical weapon, so it may appear skewed toward weapons that are more commonly in stories as being magical weapons. You can start anywhere that is appropriate in the tables, too.

Random Magic Weapons (d%)
1-30% Simple Melee
31-80% Martial Melee
81-88% Simple Missile
89-100% Martial Missile

Simple Melee (d%)
1-5% club
6-20% dagger
21-25% greatclub
26-35% handaxe
36-45% javelin
46-50% light hammer
51-65% mace
66-75% quarterstaff
76-80% sickle
81-100% spear

Simple Missile (d%)
1-30% crossbow, light
31-45% dart
46-90% shortbow
91-100% sling

Martial Melee (d%)
1-15% axe (see table below)
16-18% flail
19-38% polearm (see table below)
39-83% sword (see table below)
84-86% lance
87-89% maul
90-93% morningstar
94-96% war pick
97-99% warhammer
100% whip

Axes (%)
1-60% battleaxe
61-100% greataxe

Polearms (%)
1-25% glaive
26-60% halberd
61-95% pike
96-100% trident

Sword (%)
1-20% greatsword
21-40% longsword
41-60% rapier
61-80% scimitar
81-100% shortsword

Martial Missile (%)
1-5% blowgun
6-20% crossbow, hand
21-40% crossbow, heavy
41-100% longbow

This is great :D

[Mrmox42]

Very nice. A handy table.

[Inevitability]

Perhaps include the Light Repeating Crossbow and Duergar Hooked Shortspear? Both can be found in Out of the Abyss.

[Rokku]

Man if you use a random weapon table rather than just picking a weapon one of your players uses, you're a diiiiiick.

[Inevitability]

Man if you use a random weapon table rather than just picking a weapon one of your players uses, you're a diiiiiick.

You have to admit, it strains suspension of disbelief to open a treasure chest and discover a vorpal whip, a dozen flaming shurikens, a +2 hooked shortspear and a returning throwing hammer, all of which happen to be useful for the current players.

I'd just give them their random loot, then make it possible to trade it for other, more appropriate magic items.

[AugustNights]

You have to admit, it strains suspension of disbelief to open a treasure chest and discover a vorpal whip, a dozen flaming shurikens, a +2 hooked shortspear and a returning throwing hammer, all of which happen to be useful for the current players.

I'd just give them their random loot, then make it possible to trade it for other, more appropriate magic items.

+1 to this idea. I let players use a Downtime activity to "reforge" or "re-enhance" magic items, allowing them to change the base item type with some effort, time, and gold.

[nanoboy]

Man if you use a random weapon table rather than just picking a weapon one of your players uses, you're a diiiiiick.

In D&D 5E, this does not matter all that often. Besides, it can be fun to force players to choose between two good options.

[Zman]

Very good!

I see you did do some weapon frequency changes, but IMO that could still use a bit of tweaking, i.e. A Longsword or Shortswords being more common than a Greatsword or a Rapier. I'd say increase the former by 5% and decrease the latter by 5%.

[JoeJ]

Man if you use a random weapon table rather than just picking a weapon one of your players uses, you're a diiiiiick.

That's not true at all.

[CapnZapp]

I extracted the probabilities of the d20 SRD randomized weapon table(s) into a spreadsheet, counted only the weapons with direct 5e counterparts, took into account the probabilities for common and uncommon weapons, and rounded/summed up into a single d1000 table.

I call this Magic Item Table Z :-)

Roll d1000 on this table each time you get a "Weapon +1, +2, +3" result and want to randomize.

Magic Item Table Z
Simple Martial Weapons
001-004 Club
005-039 Dagger
040-043 Greatclub
044-067 Handaxe
068-075 Javelin
076-079 Light hammer
080-149 Mace
150-172 Quarterstaff
173-176 Sickle
177-213 Spear
214-230 Unarmed (wraps, gauntlets, monk weapons etc)

Simple Ranged Weapons
231-271 Crossbow light
272-287 Dart
288-303 Shortbow
204-319 Sling

Martial Melee Weapons
320-404 Battleaxe
405-413 Flail
414-420 Glaive
421-498 Greataxe
499-576 Greatsword
577-581 Halberd
582-586 Lance
587-773 Longsword
773-773 Maul
774-778 Morningstar
778-778 Pike
779-809 Rapier
810-848 Scimitar
849-887 Shortsword
888-891 Trident
892-895 War pick
896-900 Warhammer
901-905 Whip

Martial Ranged Weapons
906-907 Blowgun
908-914 Crossbow hand
915-955 Crossbow heavy
956-996 Longbow
997-1000 Net

Regards,
Zapp

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

You have to admit, it strains suspension of disbelief to open a treasure chest and discover a vorpal whip, a dozen flaming shurikens, a +2 hooked shortspear and a returning throwing hammer, all of which happen to be useful for the current players.

I'd just give them their random loot, then make it possible to trade it for other, more appropriate magic items.

A poorly locked chest?

http://www.goblinscomic.org/07042005/