What non-martial, non-simple weapons are officially there?

[etrpgb]

Reading the errata of the PHB you can see:


Weapon Master (p. 170). The chosen weapons must be simple or martial.

I was wondering, by pure curiosity, what non-martial, non-simple weapons are there in official manuals?

I know only the Pincer Staff used by the Kuo-Toa Whip described in page 200 of the Monster Manual. It is basically a 1d6 piercing, reach, special weapon. The "special" is its ability of grappling small and medium creatures.


Do you know any other?

[Frozenstep]

Improvised weapons, maybe?

[stoutstien]

Maybe NPC specific one like ice devil spear or lizardfolk spike shield.

[etrpgb]

Yes, exactly!

The Spiked Shield is a great example.

Spiked Shield pag 204 MM, 1d6 piercing weapon... but it is also a shield.

The Ice Spear is stranger, it looks like a magical spear but its damage is higher. Still, nice one. Ice Spear pag 75 MM, 2d8 piercing with extra magical effects.

[Undyne]

Reading the errata of the PHB you can see:



I was wondering, by pure curiosity, what non-martial, non-simple weapons are there in official manuals?

I know only the Pincer Staff used by the Kuo-Toa Whip described in page 200 of the Monster Manual. It is basically a 1d6 piercing, reach, special weapon. The "special" is its ability of grappling small and medium creatures.


Do you know any other?

Improvised weapons. Oil Flasks, Alchemist's Fire, Holy Water, etc.

[JackPhoenix]

There's a gun in Curse of Strahd.

NPC attack options are not, officially, weapons.

[Damon_Tor]

Natural Weapons, like those available to some PC races.

[Zhorn]

just grabbing the details out of a thread I had a while ago, had a whole lot of page references for this kind of stuff

These I can see being viable as exotic weapons:

Lizardfolk (MM p204): Spiked Shield - +2AC, 1d6 piercing
Thri-kreen (MM p288): Gythka - 1d8 slashing, two-handed, special: polearm, bladed at each end
Thri-kreen (MM p288): Chatkcha - 1d6 slashing, light, thrown (30/120)
Deathpact Angel (GGtR p191): Scythe - 2d4 slashing, two-handed, reach, finesse


Mostly viable:

Redcap (VGtM p188): Wicked Sickle - 2d4 slashing

pretty much an oversize sickle as if it were meant for a large creature (2x dice), but wielded by a small creature one-handed. I'd rule yes.

Garrote, minor varriance:

Ettercap (MM p131): Web-Garrote - requires advantage, medium or smaller target, 1d4 bludgeoning, DC12 Grapple (10 + Str, or 8 + Profficiency + Str), advantage on attack rolls, target can't breathe
Ghald (PotA, p210): Garrote - requires advantage, medium or smaller target, 1d4 bludgeoning (adjusted for size), DC15 Grapple (8 + Profficiency + Str), advantage on attack rolls, target can't breathe
Meazel (MToF p214): Garrote - 1d6 bludgeoning, DC13 Grapple with disadvantage (10 + Dex, or 8 + Profficiency + Dex), 2d6 bludgeoning each turn while grappled


The first two are very consistent, but the existence of the third could muddy the waters if anyone were contesting the ruling.

Chain weapons, mostly viable, but questions about consistent numbers:

Chain Devil (MM p72): Chain - 2d6 slashing, reach, DC14 Grapple (10 + Str), 2d6 piercing each turn while grappled
Bloodfray Giant (GGtR p200): Chain - 1d6 bludgeoning (adjusted for size), reach, DC17 Grapple (8 + proficiency + Str)
Tlincalli (VGtM p193): Spiked Chain - 1d6 piercing, reach, DC11 Grapple (8 + proficiency + no mod?, or 10 + Dex)
Cackler (GGtR p 195): Spiked Chain - 1d6 slashing, reach, finesse
Shadar-Kai Shadowdancer (MToF p225): Spiked Chain - 2d6 slashing, reach, finesse, DC14 Grapple or Prone (8 + proficiency + Dex)
Rakdos Performer (GGtR p249) Bladed Chain: 1d6 slashing, reach, finesse

For the DC, I'm in favour of the standard "8 + proficiency + Str/Dex", and reach and finesse seem consistent. Damage is a bit undecided.

Other grapple weapons:

Bone Devil Polarm (MM p71): Hooked Polarm - 1d12 piercing (adjusted for size), reach, DC14 Grapple (10 + Str)
Kou-Toa Whip (MM p200): Pincer Staff - 1d6 piercing, DC14 Gapple (does not allign with either DC formula)

Give these the consistent DC formula and they should work.

Looking at a bunch of the other recommendations, these don't quite meet the mark of being an exotic weapon. Mostly just reskins and magic items.

Lizardfolk (MM p204): Heavy Club - mace
Drow Priestess of Lolth (MM p129): Scourge - shortsword with poison
Rictavio (CoS p238): Sword Cane - mace/shortsword
Frost Giant (SKT p246): Weighted Net - Net scaled up for size
Archon of the Triumverate (GGtR p192): Hammer of Justice - maul, magic item
Githyanki Knight (MM p160): Silver Greatsword - greatsword, magic item
Conclave Dryad (GGtR p194): Vine Staff - magic item
Molydeus (MToF p134): Demonic Weapon - magic item
Amnizu (MToF p164): Taskmaster Whip - whip, magic item
Narzugon (MToF p167): Hellfire Lance - lance, magic item
Orthon (MToF p169): Infernal Dagger, Brass Crossbow - magic items
Drow Inquisitor (MToF p184): Death Lance - spear, magic item
Drow Matron Mother (MToF p186): Demon Staff - quaterstaff, magic item
Drow Shadowblade (MToF p187): Shadowsword - shortsword, magic item
Deuregar Mindmaster (MToF p189): Mindpoison Dagger - dagger, magic item
Deuregar Warlord (MToF p192): Psychic-Attuned Hammer. Warhammer, magic item
Giff (MToF p204): Grenade - less a weapon and more a consumable item (like acid and alchemist fire)
Ogre Bolt Launcher (MToF p220): Bolt Launcher - siege equipment, ballista
Shadar-Kai Gloomweaver (MToF p224): Shadow Spear - spear, magic item
Shadar-Kai Soulmonger (MToF p226): Phantasmal Dagger - dagger, magic item
Skull Lord (MToF p230): Bone Staff - quaterstaff, magic item
Star Spawn Seer (MToF p236): Comet Staff - quaterstaff, magic item
Merrenoloth (MToF p250): Oar - improvised weapon/magic item


Clearly a creature ability:

Rakdos Performer (GGtR p249): Barbed Pole - Spear with an acrobatic movement
Ogre Chain Brute (MToF p221): Chain Sweep, Chan Smash - Just a flavor of brute using anything as a weapon.


Size/Condition limitation:

Fireshield (VGtM p147: Fire Giant Dreadnought) - Huge weapon; 4d6 bludgeoning + 2d6 fire + 2d6 piercing. fueled by burning/molted material, hard to determine damage scale for medium sized creature (Huge weapons are normally 3x dice of the medium size equivalent). Even if it were scaled down correctly, the logistics of the weapon would make it unusable for anything without fire immunity AND ready access to flaming material to keep it active. Best to just go with a spiked shield and make it into a magic item for the extra stuff.

[da newt]

Harpoon - Merrow weapon, 2d6 damage, 20/60 thrown range, and contested strength contest to be pulled 20 toward thrower. (just a 2x size spear with a rope and a barbed tip)

Kuo-toa Sticky Shield