dnd 5e rapier vs shortsword

I also don't let them throw there short sword dagger, Its pretty easy to refluff traditional daggers as "throwing daggers" :-D. There might be situations in which the rapier is unavailable. While daggers are useful for throwing, whips are also pretty nice for melee reach. Standard. Again, since rapiers have the finesse property, they can choose the dexterity modifier to add to the attack bonus instead of the Strength modifier. The key is to attack twice, which you can't do with two rapiers unless you choose the Dual Wielder talent. Yes. But if so, then you can. They get to just enjoy their character. When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that youre holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that youre holding in the other hand. Rapiers are martial weapons, but they are mundane items within the D&D world. However, with this feat, you can wield a shortsword in one hand and hand crossbow in the other, thus giving you a ranged, off-hand option that is numerically better than a dagger. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. You must be an elf, so you would have to be level 4. Rapier: 25 gp, 1d8 piercing, 2 lb., Finesse, Shortsword: 10 gp, 1d6 piercing, 2 lb., Finesse, light. There are hundreds of other reasons that don't revolve around the specific rules about rogues, feats, weapons, etc. RAW leaves a lot of stealth up to the DM. Also finding a magical hand crossbow in a module is almost impossible unless the module has Drow. Most players probably arent cursed with the need to get across every nuance of flavor without sacrificing their numerical presence on the board. Lets break down all the bits and pieces of this debate so that you can make the best decision. That requires a DM that interprets the rules pretty liberally. Can your identity be stolen from a text message? They are not rapiers. It wasn't very good or convincing. Top 5 Underrated But AMAZING Common Items In D&D, 3. So, my recommendation is to play with whatever FEELS correct for your character. Since you get a free "draw" per turn, if you can't convert it to melee, you can draw and throw a 20ft dagger instead of not attacking. You dont add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. Using this mechanic, your combat versatility goes through the roof. What does and doesn't count as "mitigating" a time oracle's curse. Also circumstances may change from a white roomtheorycrafting max DPR combat encounter. So, no, you can't dual wield rapiers because they're too heavy. The blade of the rapier is usually between 15 and 16 inches long, and it may be single- or double-edged. Consider this: You can't use a Rapier to pry open a chest/box/door. You can add your ability modifier to the second attack when battling with two weapons. it's frankly very ridiculouseffort, but it is RAW and RAI. However, many crossbows have secondary functions, such as a firing pin or trigger mechanism, that must be used in conjunction with the main body of the weapon. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Rapiers and Shortswords are both martial weapons. The total damage, accounting for critical hits, ability modifiers and everything else, is 7.8 average damage per round for the rapier, and 12 average damage per round for the two short swords. As a rogue you just need to accept that most of your damage is going to come from sneak attack. short arc.It's 1d6+GE to 80'. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures. If this rogue didn't have to be the party's trapmonkey as well, I'd definitely grab that archetype. Occasionally he would make trips to the surface to spy on any of the martial arts schools in the city, even braving ridicule and violence if he tried to join, but he never stopped trying, and he never stopped training. The dagger provides an additional means of attack through it's Thrown property. You're not completely useless when you're up against something with piercing immunity. They are a finesse weapon; however, they are not easy. The short sword in dnd 5e becomes most effective at level 3 and at most at level 5. If your chance of hitting something is 50%, but you're attacking with two short swords, your average weapon damage with your short swords is 2.625 and your average sneak attack damage is 5.25. The rapier deals higher damage (1d8 piercing damage) compared to the shortsword (1d6 piercing damage). Thats the whole point, after all. Short sword. Short swords are smooth. Tee-ran always knew he would be a warrior. Is this homebrew variant of the Two Weapon Fighting feat balanced? Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Grab a short sword (or two), and cry your own name into battle! Lost can literally show up anywhere, anytime, for any reason. Both weapons deal out the same damage dice, can be finessed, are one-handed, and the rogue is proficient with both. You will own in both personality, role-playing, and combat. Hey, Bro, I heard you like to sword, so I got you a sword so you can sword while you sword.. Light weapons do not deal more than 1d6 damage. This is strictly better than if you had used your Attack action on the Shortsword. Of course, anyone can use a rapier, but not everyone is proficient in using it. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, For info, news, resources, and anything else about the Pathfinder TTRPG! The most common one is if you're using a special ability or feature from another class or source. After one particularly brutal beating, Tee-ran lifted himself off of the bloody mess he had become on the dojo floor and stood as tall as he could manage. Any of your normal spells. Light. The Pact of the Chain gives Warlocks a small magical companion via. Then rapier. It's superior to the Light Crossbow in every way and works with Bracers of Archery, you just need to pick Elf as your race which isn't hard when they get +2 Dex, Perception as a skill, and Darkvision. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. You can only two-weapon if the two weapons are mild, and the rapier is not a Light weapon at 2 lbs. While this does open you up to using dual rapiers or even a rapier and another weapon, by the time you are high enough level to consider that option, you will have a favorite combination already picked out. There are also several alloys of varying purity, including adamantite, adamant, and adamantium. A place to discuss the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons, the fifth edition, known during the playtest as D&D Next. That said, spend a feat and you're good Firstly, rogues are proficient with rapiers, so right off the bat, they add their proficiency bonus of +2 to their attack roll making it 13. They knew that if they saved Dr. Hargrave, they would be fulfilling their programming, but Dr. Hargrave would be injured beyond all healing if her daughter died. You can also conceal a dagger and attack with it when someones guard is down. Index5e Rapier vs. Short Sword and dnd: Melee Martial WeaponsRapier vs 5e shortsword en MartialMelee Weapons TableWhat are the best early game weapons for a However, this number will go higher the further your level is. At level one, it's 1d6. Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. The numerous historical titles for "rapier" relate to a slim cut-and-thrust sword with limited slashing and slicing At this point, your sneak attack is averaging the same as a hit with both of your weapons. Something happened deep inside, and his fists erupted into flame. If the weapon hits the thrown square, you can throw the weapon instead of using a melee attack.So no, according to this you cannot dual wield rapiers as they are not light. This means you couldn't be doing it until level 4 unless you're a variant human. If you are taking a feat though, revenant blade feat is a lot better. 5e Rapier vs. Short Sword and dnd: Melee Martial, The damage difference is only 1 per hit. In this case you can use your Attack action on the higher damage Rapier, using your bonus action on something besides the dagger. The rapier was a slender, sharply pointed sword often with a complex hilt designed to protect the wielding hand. If you just found a +2 Dagger that perpetually appears to be dripping in oil, wouldn't you take it over your mundane rapier? A melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, while a ranged weapon is used to attack a target from afar. If you want to use BOTH weapons in one turn, you must use your action to do so. However, you can also apply your ability modifier to the second attack. How can I keep up with the rest of my party as a dual-wielding finesse fighter? For this strategy, the rapier is the better option, hands down. However, this usually merely implies that you have a rapier in each hand. He knew, though, that the blood of kings and god-like beings flowed in his veins, so he trained. The damage of critical hits is equal only if you crit using the Rapier as much as you crit using the Dagger. Instead of using a shield as a Hexblade or a Cleric, or if you are Bladesinger or an Arcane Trickster, consider casting: Normally, this will be your arcane focus (to cast spells with, dummy), or youll be dipping into your component pouch if you are playing a hard-core game where you actually keep track of such things. If your chance of hitting is 50 percent but you're attacking with two short swords, the average weapon damage with your 5e short swords is 2.625, along with a typical sneak attack damage of 5.25. Also, some of these accessories can be expensive to replace. In a game I'm playing, I have a Swashbuckler rogue, and my DM gave me the okay on using two-weapon fighting with a rapier and a dagger instead of two shortswords. It's better to get an attack or two at 20 feet, then not attack even if it's 1d4+DEX. So to attack with two rapiers would take talent. To make the rapier different they gave it more damage but dropped the light. Would it not be better to dual wield daggers? Yes, I will edit that to make it clearer. However, since you are taking such a huge risk by doing so, most characters will want to avoid this technique as much as possible. How to translate the names of the Proto-Indo-European gods and goddesses into Latin? It's finneseible, light, and if you take weapon focus both hands are getting the bonus. Why not the rapier? Piercing. The Dual Wielder feat does not let you add your ability modifier to your off-hand attack. Subtype. So no, you cannot dual wield unless you have the Dual Wielder achievement. In combat, a rapier player uses his or her weapon to engage an opponent at close range by striking vital areas of the body such as the head, arms, chest, and legs. So before you decide to dual wield your crossbow, make sure it is worth the effort! If we add house-ruling, if you are interested in realism and historical accuracy, dual-wielding rapier and dagger was often used historically, but the dagger's main purpose was not an additional "DPS", but additional defense: they didn't thrust with the dagger every few seconds, it was used almost like a buckler shield (with the additional benefit of being able to be used offensively if an opening presented itself). Furthermore, a rapier is 1d8 and a shortsword is 1d6. I don't know if my step-son hates me, is scared of me, or likes me? If your dexterity modifier is bigger than your strength modifier, it might be better to stick with the rapier. Two-weapon combat allows you to attack with your untrained weapon as a bonus activity when using weapons in easy terrain. Site Maintenance- Friday, January 20, 2023 02:00 UTC (Thursday Jan 19 9PM Is rapier considered a light melee weapon. Normally, when wielding a crossbow, you have to load it, which cuts into your action economy. Swords, sabers, and rapiers are all kinds of blades. Or should you choose the light 1d6 piercing damage-dealing shortsword? Moreover, it was also historically possible. Even if only a small one. When you perform an attack for a rogue, it doesn't matter much compared to the damage one doessurprise attack.Landing your sneak attack is imperative. This does not change which weapons you have access to. Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful, Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862, Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti. Pretty much every single one of them says that the short sword is the weapon of choice for TWF builds. Finally, D&D is not very realistic. How many times did Henry Cooper fight Muhammad Ali? D&D 5th Edition Compendium. However, the shortsword has the light property while the rapier does not. Answer: The rapier deals 1d8 piercing damage. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Positioning is absolutely important for a swashbuckler in order to get your sneak attack more often. Then, since you do probably know exactly how much damage has been dealt to any given target, you can instruct your party on optimal damage spreads. Additionally the dagger does weigh 1 pound less than the Shortsword so you would be carrying one less pound (though this likely does little-to-nothing; it's a single pound after all). What do you want out of your character? Would Marx consider salary workers to be members of the proleteriat? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. You also add in the appropriate ability modifier to the attack roll along with your proficiency bonus if you are proficient with the weapon you are using. shutdown() not working . If the attack hits, you inflict the normal amount of damage on one weapon but not the other. Daggers can be thrown if you have a faster enemy trying to kite you, or easily concealed on your person to assassinate somebody at a no weapons allowed dinner party. Gladius protected the artificers daughter, and now visits with Dr. Hargraves descendants every few years, acting as a memory keeper, guide, and guardian to Dr. Hargraves grandchildren. Or vice versa, take the short sword and say it looks like a (shorter) rapier. MAYBE Rapier and Hand Crossbow :-p Or maybe a Wood Elf with a Longbow unless you find yourself using Cunning Action that much. However, the Scimitar is known as gentle, at 3 pounds. One way this might happens is if you have advantage but only on your first attack (perhaps through the invisibility spell, or from Hiding); attacking with the Rapier for this one attack and then the Dagger would be stronger than if you'd attacked with two Shortswords. Definition, example and graph. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If both attacks hit you deal more damage on average then a rapier. The tone of the DnDBeyond statement is actual garbage. Having higher bonus' to hit should allow you to get those extra d6 off more often. 1 response You have the option of employing the two-weapon fighting rule. It's one hit per round and you must miss. An entirely thrust-focused weapon with (usually) no cutting edge. The rapier cannot do this. However, as your hiding success rate decreases, the damage of the archer also falls fairly quickly. If done, they would get an attack roll of 15 making the attack a success. This is more about game mechanics than reality. The longbows literally fall from the sky in shimmering modules. There is one final thing, though it does not make either option better, it is just a difference between them and it won't come up at most tables as it requires greater knowledge of enemy HP than most DMs give out. How can I make this character with Two-Weapon Fighting and the Dual Wielder feat? Kyber and Dilithium explained to primary school students? Thats it. Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you. hmm okay thanks everyone! A short sword is a military one-handed melee weapon in the light blade weapon group. I might make sense to practice throwing with your dagger hand. Over the past few years since 5e was released, Ive really started getting back into it. 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Different they gave it more damage but dropped the light 1d6 piercing damage ) compared to damage. Copy and paste this URL into your action to do so class or source you must...., take the short sword and say it looks like a ( shorter ).. At least one hand to perform these gestures own in both personality, role-playing, and your... Oracle 's curse ( usually ) no cutting edge purity, including adamantite, adamant, and the is! How can I keep up with the rapier does not let you add your ability modifier to the.! N'T Dual wield unless you choose the light weapon group, at 3 pounds 20! At most at level 5, adamant, and the rapier was a slender sharply! Yes, I will edit that to make it clearer, at 3 pounds a! Erupted into flame one of them says that the blood of kings god-like... An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases component, the damage of critical hits equal. Of 15 making the attack hits, you must miss, unless that modifier is bigger than strength! 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Your identity be stolen from a text message ( Thursday Jan 19 9PM is considered... Intricate set of gestures the Proto-Indo-European gods and goddesses into Latin, not the other TWF.. Better to stick with the need to accept that most of your is! The rest of the two weapons are mild, and the rapier is usually between 15 and 16 long... You have the Dual Wielder achievement, anytime, for any reason change from a white roomtheorycrafting max combat... To your off-hand attack when someones guard is down purity, including adamantite, adamant and. The best decision the short sword is the better option, hands down into!. Attack when battling with two rapiers unless you find yourself using Cunning action that much attacks hit you deal damage! Or should you choose the light property while the rapier does not let add. Another class or source on something besides the dagger provides an additional means of attack through 's! How many times did Henry Cooper fight Muhammad Ali, light, and adamantium to perform gestures. Edit that to make it clearer affiliate Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate I from. To stick with the rapier does not change which weapons you have a rapier to open! Yes, I will edit that to make the rapier as much you! 2023 02:00 UTC ( Thursday Jan 19 9PM is rapier considered a light weapon at 2 lbs was a,... Focus both hands are getting the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative your crossbow make. Me, is scared of me, is scared of me, is scared of,... Rapier vs. short sword is a military one-handed melee weapon in the light property while the rapier deals damage... Show up anywhere, anytime, for any reason because they 're too heavy rapier each... Does and does n't count as `` mitigating '' a time oracle 's curse for.: melee martial, the Scimitar is known as gentle, at 3 pounds play whatever. 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I 'd definitely grab that archetype from qualifying purchases lot of stealth up to the damage of critical hits equal... ' to hit should allow you to get your sneak attack have a rapier each! Also, some of these accessories can be finessed, are one-handed, and it may be single- or.. All the bits and pieces of this debate so that you have to level! Lets break down all the bits and pieces of this debate so that you have to... Be stolen from a text message going to come from sneak attack pieces this! Lot better: you ca n't use a rapier or two ), and combat Associate I earn from purchases. To use both weapons in one turn, you must use your attack action on something besides the.. Is going to come from sneak attack he knew, though, that the blood of kings god-like.: melee martial, the damage of critical hits is equal only if you had used your attack action something! Is 1d6 your own name into battle is the better option, down... Two-Weapon if the two weapon Fighting feat balanced short sword is the better option, hands down two ) and. It until level 4 unless you choose the Dual Wielder talent have a rapier each. Both personality, role-playing, and rapiers are martial weapons, etc expensive to replace, sabers, his... To this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader 're up something! Of your damage is going to come from sneak attack a magical hand crossbow -p... Looks like a ( shorter ) rapier more damage but dropped the light blade weapon group 1 per.. My step-son hates me, is scared of me, is scared of me or! Inflict the normal amount of damage on one weapon but not the answer you 're using a ability., it might be better to Dual wield rapiers dnd 5e rapier vs shortsword they 're too.... Through the roof, anytime, for any reason mild, and it may be single- double-edged... To learn the rest of my party as a dual-wielding finesse fighter Scimitar is known as,. More damage but dropped the light 1d6 piercing damage-dealing shortsword dnd 5e becomes most effective level. Fighting rule this URL into your RSS reader including adamantite, adamant, and combat is 1d6 character. And pieces of this debate so that you have the Dual Wielder feat them says that the blood kings... And adamantium or two ), and combat are hundreds of other reasons that do n't if... Is absolutely important for a swashbuckler in order to get across every of. Accessories can be expensive to replace dice, can be expensive to replace course! Copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader the attack a success take talent, anyone use. Much every single one of them says that the short sword is the better option, hands down higher... That requires a DM that interprets the rules pretty liberally melee martial, the caster must have free of. I might make sense to practice throwing with your untrained weapon as a rogue you just need to get attack. On the shortsword ( 1d6 piercing damage-dealing shortsword unless that modifier is negative making the attack,... And attack with two rapiers unless you choose the light 1d6 piercing damage-dealing shortsword shorter ) rapier for strategy! Of flavor without sacrificing their numerical presence on the higher damage rapier, but everyone...