D&D 5E The Missing Equipment

[Minigiant]

What if there were a 5th edition D&D book or article which contained the equipment fans say are missing from the game. Unlike other books and articles which are filled with spells and mages, this one is filled with weapons, shields, tools, mounts, and adventuring gears as well as variants for them.

So what equipment would you want to be in it? How should they be handled when added to the base game? How would you balance them to existing equipment?

Here are some sample topic questions.

Would you add weapons to the simple and martial categories or create exotic weapons category?

If there was a variant for different types of shields, how many types would you do (2? (light and heavy), 3?(buckler, light, and heavy), 4?, 5? 10?) and how would you balance them?

Which armor variants or additions would you like? Which armor variants or additions would you hate?

Would you like to see the return of the odd D&D weapons like double axes which can't just be refluffed from current ones?

 

[Kobold Stew]

These are great questions! Here's my opinion.

Would you add weapons to the simple and martial categories or create exotic weapons category?

I already have an exotic weapons category: if there's a weapon in the Monster manual but not the PHB that players find (such as the Lizardfolk shield), they are non-proficient with it by default. The only way to gain proficiency is with a tool proficiency (per weapon type) or by taking the weapon master feat. (This has the benefit of giving fighters a reason to want to take the weapon master feat; otherwise all weapon masters are non-fighters, which makes no sense to me).

If there was a variant for different types of shields, how many types would you do (2? (light and heavy), 3?(buckler, light, and heavy), 4?, 5? 10?) and how would you balance them?

Two types, buckler (+1 AC, needs no proficiency but occupies a hand), and shield (+2, needs proficiency).

Which armor variants or additions would you like? Which armor variants or additions would you hate?

Would you like to see the return of the odd D&D weapons like double axes which can't just be refluffed from current ones?

I'm fine with the armour choices as is -- I don't need more granularity, and if a layer wants to provide a different description of something, that's no problem.

I'm happy there are no double axes, and I haven't missed them at all.

Finally, a few things I wish were there:
* a better understanding of how spears work
* something that actually reflects how deadly and fast knife fights can be
* a removal of the no-metal sentence from the druid description.

 

[Wik]

Here are some sample topic questions.

Would you add weapons to the simple and martial categories or create exotic weapons category?

Don't add weapons to the list, but add variants to them. For example, cultural variations on swords, axes, etc. Like they've done with the asian weapons.

If you add exotic weapons, do as Kobold Stew already mentioned. That works, and I think it's a good course of action. But I'd avoid exotic weapons as a general rule - I don't want bastard swords, for example. These weapons just get back to the arms race of earlier editions.

If there was a variant for different types of shields, how many types would you do (2? (light and heavy), 3?(buckler, light, and heavy), 4?, 5? 10?) and how would you balance them?

Please, don't. If you do, make them the weird shields, like the old crossbow shield that was used as moving cover for a crossbowman to reload. I don't wanna see bucklers, light shields, or any of that.

Which armor variants or additions would you like? Which armor variants or additions would you hate?

Do as I said with weapons. Cultural armours would be cool. Also, a list of armour types tied to historical periods, such as in the old 2e combat and tactics book. That was one of my favourite chapters in any RPG book. But we don't really need new armour types.

Re-writing the rules a bit so that the strength minimum meant more, and adopting my houserule of "the disadvantage also applies to acrobatics checks, and many stealth checks too" would be great, as well.

Would you like to see the return of the odd D&D weapons like double axes which can't just be refluffed from current ones?

Don't really care.


One thing I was thinking of writing was a list of what all the artisan's tools actually ARE, what they contain, and what they can be used to actually do. I'm an apprentice carpenter, and you'd be amazed at what you can do with a simple carpenter's belt. I'm sure masons, smiths, and the like have other abilities, and it'd be a nice bit of information for people that don't really understand the trades.

 

[Psikerlord#]

The equipment i would really like is stuff like concealed blade belt buckles, wrist sheathes, smoke pots, boot blades, skeleton keys, pick pocket robes, poison signet rings - the kind of stuff in pathfinder armoury but for 5e - but more of it!

Id love to see clockwork rats, steam powered grapple guns, all sorts of cool gear!

 

[Lancelot]

Count me as one of the fans who isn't saying there is equipment missing from the game. I certainly don't believe there's enough missing equipment to warrant a book.

My own take on adding more equipment is: do it (where relevant) in an adventure path or setting-specific supplement. Have a paragraph on hoopaks if you're doing Dragonlance. Do something specific for Dark Sun. Baatorian green steel weapons for Planescape. Etc.

But, to answer the questions above...

1) Depends on the setting. I'd lean towards creating an exotic weapons category simply to discourage widespread use of unusual weapons, unless those weapons are inherently inferior to the standards. Personally, I'd rather have the standard PH weapons be the best possible mechanical options. Alternate weapon types shouldn't be carefully balanced to fit with them. In most cases, they should be strictly inferior. Bone and wood weapons were all that were available to some cultures, but they're going to come up short against a typical longsword. Heck, a koto-era (medieval) katana is going to come up short against regular (medieval) longswords due to limitations in Japanese forging capabilities of the time, and the katana's total reliance on a single-edged cutting stroke (versus plate or chain armors of the same era).

2) I'd prefer no variance in shields. Or, if there must be some variance, two varieties: the optimal PH option, and a substandard shield (light wood, hide stretched over frame, etc) that only gives a +1 option.

3) I'd like to see some sub-standard armors that reflect different cultures or very specific purposes. Aquatic armors that are better suited to sea elves and sahuagin, but are terrible on dry land. Bone armor that has a very specific benefit for undead or necromancers, but is otherwise pretty terrible in combat. I'd hate to see any armor that provides a legitimately better option in most circumstances to what already appears in the PH.

4) No. I don't need to see the 30 different polearms from the 1e AD&D Unearthed Arcana appendix. And I especially don't need to see double-axes, double-swords, urgroshes, or any other weapon which has a much greater chance of slicing your friend's (or your own) head off than provide a real advantage against your opponent.

Lest I sound too much like a killjoy, please note that all above statements are couched in terms of: "this is my opinion, and pertain to my game only". If your group's enjoyment is enhanced by double-axes and bec-de-corbins and buster swords and dual-wielded uzis, then that's cool. My own preference is for any new options to be something cultural or flavorful, rather than offering a mechanical improvement (or even carefully-balanced-and-equal alternative) to the widely used options already in the PH. Those options are widely used because they're generally regarded as the pinnacle of weapon and armor development in the D&D world.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I don't want D&D to be particularly granular, so I mostly support cultural variations on the base armor and weapon types. But I'd still buy a product that had lengthy fluff descriptions of the variations.

5E isn't missing anything, but I would still welcome more gear. Pathfinder's Ultimate Equipment is worthy of emulation.

 

[Minigiant]

Would be fair if I didn't answer.

I'd want to add exotic weapons to the martial category. Therefore they'd match the other weapons and not cause powercreep. The crazy and silly weapons could return too if people want. More polearms too.

We could add a exotic weapon master fighter martial archetype for those who want power. A monsterhunter ranger who specializes in nets, lassos, and bolas too.

Shields would come in 3 varieties: Buckler, Shield, and "Tower Shield". You could but spikes on the normal shield but not the rest.

I'd be okay with piecemeal armor or adding armgaurds as an armor. You can't have a gladiator without one of those.

This game is biased to dance and needs proficiency. Just like real life, if you don't know how to dance your dancing stinks. How else can you attract the demoness disguised as a countess at the ball if you can't strut your stuff well? Or at least tell her a joke.

So my list looks like:
Bolas
Lasso
Cestus
Spiked Gauntlet
Chain
Gnomish/repeating crossbow
Atlatl
Hooked Hammer
Urgosh
Double Axe
Two Bladed Sword
Dire Flail
Heavy Pick
Chakram
Shotput
War Scythe
Weaponmaster martial archetype
Monsterhunter ranger archetype
Armguard armor
Gladiator martial archetype
Skeleton keys
Suction cup gloves
Buclers
Heavy/large shields
Dance proficiency
Comedy proficiency
Comedy props
Siege weapon proficiency
Rope proficiency
Trap proficiency

 

[Prism]

I have added the double weapons into my game but not as exotic weapons as I don't want to invent a new feat. So martial weapons however, to make the best use out of them you need polearm master for the Urgosh (otherwise its just a battleaxe in two hands) and dual wielder for the double weapons (otherwise you can either one side or the other on any attack)

For shields I think I'd like to see a buckler but no others

I have added a few armour materials and treatments like blueshine to my game and made some DMG ones like adamantine and mithril non magical, but don't really need any more types

 

[fuindordm]

I don't need any double weapons in the game for sure, but I've already presented my players with the option of picking up a kuo-toa mancatcher and learning to use it through the same rules as gaining a tool proficiency. They didn't take me up on it.

I think it's fair in general to say that "All Martial Weapons" proficiency means "All Martial Weapons common in your home culture" and doesn't include certain exotic weapons used by monsters, or found in other cultures. And it's also fair to say that even your own culture might have some rarely used weapons which are just difficult to learn and/or restricted to a certain profession (e.g. sword-breaker) which are sufficiently unlike standard weapons that they fall outside the category.

So yes, I'm fine with introducing an exotic weapon category and making fighters spend money+time or a feat to learn them, but it shouldn't include any "slightly larger version of weapon x" or "stick with weapon x on one end and weapon y on the other".

Shields--we could use a tower shield but that's about it, and it probably wouldn't see much use.

Armor--armor made of exotic materials is probably more interesting than extra mundane armors.

Tools--Wik's idea of an expanded description of each toolkit and what you can do with it is a very good one. That would make a good ENsider article!

 

[Minigiant]

I have added the double weapons into my game but not as exotic weapons as I don't want to invent a new feat. So martial weapons however, to make the best use out of them you need polearm master for the Urgosh (otherwise its just a battleaxe in two hands) and dual wielder for the double weapons (otherwise you can either one side or the other on any attack)

Double weapons in my game are martial heavy special weapons. They deal 1d6 on each head allowing warrior types to have an offhand attack that as the Strength mod. They also work with Heavy Weapon Master feat and is a stealth fix for "two weapon fighters".

The hooked hammer isn't heavy so gnomes can use them. It's "small" so Medium creatures have disadvantage.