D&D 5E Are Improvised Weapons Simple?

[Yunru]

As in the title, are improvised weapons human? Further, would you allow a Monk to use them as Monk weapons?

 

[jaelis]

As in the title, are improvised weapons human? Further, would you allow a Monk to use them as Monk weapons?

No, they are clearly not simple weapons or else nearly everyone would be proficient with them. In fact, they are not really weapons at all. (Though that is confusing and I suppose someone will argue about it. Think of improvised weapons like unarmed strikes.)

I might let a monk use them as monk weapons as a houserule, but I'd probably make them give up some other minor ability in exhange. Perhaps a skill proficiency.

(Edit: As for the question in your post, are improvised weapons human? Well, they can be. Are they dancer though?)

 

[Simonb1]

Hi all,

If the improvised weapon is an analogue of a monk weapon, then I may allow it to be used as a monk weapon.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I would say no, otherwise there wouldn't be a feat like tavern brawler or a separate section for them on pg147

 

[jaelis]

Hi all,

If the improvised weapon is an analogue of a monk weapon, then I may allow it to be used as a monk weapon.

This is in the rules. If the DM decides an object is enough like a club to count as a club, then it counts as a club.

In many cases, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is akin to a club. At the DM’s option, a character proficient with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.

I assume that's not what Yunru is talking about, but perhaps I misunderstand.

 

[aco175]

I would think most things would fall into 'club' or 'dagger' in that is what I would substitute damage for and think it is simple to use. Some things are larger and may be thrown like a chair, which I'm not sure about, maybe 1d6 damage to keep everyone from wanting to improvise everything. That and weapons are made to do damage and a chair is not.

Broken bottle- dagger
stick- club
piece of rebar- club
broken stick- dagger

 

[Yunru]

I would say no, otherwise there wouldn't be a feat like tavern brawler or a separate section for them on pg147

Specifically I have a player with a Monk and Tavern Brawler that wants to use a torch as a monk weapon a la firedancer.

 

[Quickleaf]

As in the title, are improvised weapons human? Further, would you allow a Monk to use them as Monk weapons?

I'd say if the monk took the Tavern Brawler feat (granting proficiency in improvised weapons), then I'd treat improvised weapons as monk weapons for that monk PC.

 

[Caliban]

As in the title, are improvised weapons human?

Not unless the barbarian is picking up the human mage and swinging them like a greatclub in the hopes that they will count as a "magic" weapon.

Other that that, improvised weapons don't fall into any of the normal weapon categories, unless the DM decides they are similar enough to an existing weapon to be counted as such.

Further, would you allow a Monk to use them as Monk weapons?

Technically they would not be. But I don't see any harm in allowing it, especially if the monk has the Tavern Brawler feat as you mentioned.

Could be part of their martial art style. "I practice Knic-Knac and Brica-brac style - it's a subschool of Anything Goes! martial arts."

 

[Yunru]

Not unless the barbarian is picking up the human mage and swinging them like a greatclub in the hopes that they will count as a "magic" weapon.

My bad, I use props to roleplay my characters, and well, my character's proficient in the herbalism kit...

In all seriousness, how did I get that mixed up