D&D 5E Spare the rod, spoil the warlock....Rod of Pact Keeper question

[Otterscrubber]

I am playing a pact blade warlock. I'm curious if I were to come across a rod of the pact keeper, could I also use it as a magic weapon? If so, would it be a mace for purposes of melee damage?

 

[steeldragons]

Does the item description say that it can be used as a melee weapon? If so, I bet it will tell you what the damage is you should roll.

If it doesn't tell you that, I'm thinking its use as a mace is a big fat "No." Otherwise the item would have been called [just a guess] the "Mace of the Pact Keeper."

 

[jrowland]

I would say it's an "improvised weapon" at best.

 

[Al2O3]

For use as a weapon I would say it follows any ruling your DM makes regarding arcane focus (rod) in general. So probably no using it as a weapon.

Why would you want to use it as a weapon?

 

[jgsugden]

The answer is: Ask your DM.

If you think it'd add something fun to the game, maybe the DM will say yes. If not, accept the ruling and move on.

 

[n00b f00]

I'd ask your gm. I would personally allow arcane focus rods to be used as clubs or quarterstaves myself depending on their description. I would extend this to rods as well, I see no serious mechanical issue with it, and thematically it's pretty dope. Someone asked Mearls about it using focuses as weapons, he said yeah.

https://twitter.com/GamerJosh/status/509454115861434368

Take that for what you will. It's not in the book, but I don't see a good reason not to. If your gm is set against it, oh well. It shouldn't hurt mechanically too bad.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

I have one, and I don't use it as a weapon. OTOH, my pact blade is a rapier, so wielding the Pact Keeper's Rod in my off-hand is a non-issue in most cases.

Edited to add: This just occurred to me. If you're BladeLock, and you bond with a magic weapon as your pact blade, you gain proficiency with it. So... bonding a pact keeper's rod as your pact blade would grant proficiency with it, even if it were an "improvised weapon."

Okay, that's enough rules lawyering for one night. I feel dirty now.

 

[AtomicPope]

In our game we treat it as a magical club of the same bonus. In 18 levels it's only come up a few times. One time in particular was when it was important to take a prisoner. You can only knock someone unconscious with a melee attack.

 

[Mephista]

I convinced my GM to let me have it refitted as part of the handle to a short sword. >.>