Simple Weapons 5e

In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, everyone wants to be the mighty hero, swinging their big axes through hundreds of foes at the same time. But let’s face it, DnD would be very boring if everyone had the one mighty weapon in their hand. That is why many characters and most NPCs carry simple weapons in 5e.

Simple weapons are accessible for every character regardless of their lineage, class, background, or any feats. They don’t require any specific training, and your character can use them at will. So if you're planning on playing a character that does not primarily focus on combat, have a spell-oriented character or a supporting role; simple weapons are your way to go.

If you are just here to know which simple weapon is the best one, it is the spear. You can just stop here if that is all you wanted to know. If you want to know how we came to that answer and what other options are out there, we are going to take a deep dive into Simple Weapons in DnD 5e.

List of simple weapons in Dungeons and Dragons

Simple Melee Weapons

Club	1 sp	1d4 bludgeoning	2 lb.	Light
Dagger	2 gp	1d4 piercing	1 lb.	Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
Greatclub	2 sp	1d8 bludgeoning	10 lb.	Two-handed
Handaxe	5 gp	1d6 slashing	2 lb.	Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Javelin	5 sp	1d6 piercing	2 lb.	Thrown (range 30/120)
Light hammer	2 gp	1d4 bludgeoning	2 lb.	Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Mace	5 gp	1d6 bludgeoning	4 lb.	—
Quarterstaff	2 sp	1d6 bludgeoning	4 lb.	Versatile (1d8)
Sickle	1 gp	1d4 slashing	2 lb.	Light
Spear	1 gp	1d6 piercing	3 lb.	Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)

Simple Ranged Weapons

Crossbow, light	25 gp	1d8 piercing	5 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed
Dart	5 cp	1d4 piercing	1/4 lb.	Finesse, thrown (range 20/60)
Shortbow	25 gp	1d6 piercing	2 lb.	Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed
Sling	1 sp	1d4 bludgeoning	—	Ammunition (range 30/120)

So you see that, for example, crossbows are simple weapons while guns aren’t. No matter which character you want to play, you can use any of these weapons in this table.

Simple Weapons vs. Martial Weapons

As you already know, simple weapons do not require any proficiency and are often used by commoners. Most NPCs and untrained characters won’t be proficient in martial weapons. These weapons need proficiency in their respective fields.

Also, martial weapons are far less available in common Dungeons and Dragons settings. Oftentimes small villages do not have even one martial weapon or at least just very few. This raises the price of martial weapons. Compared to simple weapons, martial weapons are far more expensive.

Simple weapons do not have the same damage potential as martial weapons. Of course you can be lucky and deal 8 points of damage with your spear while dealing only 2 points of damage with your greataxe. These are exceptions. Usually you will deal more damage with your martial weapon than you would with a simple weapon.

Changes from the 2024 Player’s Handbook

You have read that every character, regardless of their lineage, class, background, or feat, can use simple weapons. Here you might have thought to yourself, “This isn’t true!”

With the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, it is. With this new ruleset D&D introduced the concept that every character can use simple weapons. Previously only certain classes (e.g. Sorcerer, Warlocks, Wizards) could use only certain simple weapons.

Otherwise, the rules stayed quite similar. The biggest change in this field is the weapon mastery feature. However, this is a huge change to all weapons in D&D and isn’t necessary only for simple weapons.

What is the best simple weapon?

And now to the big question: What is the best simple weapon?

Like with everything in life, the answer is: It depends. If you don’t want to put too much thought into it, just go for a spear.

Overall, it is the best simple weapon in the whole game for various reasons. It deals a lot of damage, and with the versatile feature, you can increase this damage to 1d8. It is not heavy (3 lb.) and it is cheap (1 gp). However, the biggest plus is the thrown feature. When playing a low-level character that isn’t focused on fighting, chances are you don’t have too many ranged attacks. Spears will do the trick here.

However, if you want to put more thought into it, there are certain questions you will have to ask yourself. First, you should think about the background of your character. Imagine you are playing a young wizard who used to be a farmer who discovered their magical abilities while working on the field someday. Chances are they will use a sickle they brought from their farm to remind them of where they came from.

Second, you have to think of your class. There are certain weapons that work better with certain classes. It is highly unusual for a rogue to sneak around in a house with a greatclub. The features of a greatclub do not necessarily walk hand in hand with the abilities of a rogue.

At last you have to ask yourself how you want to play your character. Rogues are a great example of that. With their high dexterity, rogues are hard to hit. That makes them good frontline fighters, as they can easily dodge attacks. However, when attacking from a distance, chances are you can hide in combat and use your sneak attack to deal sweet extra damage. Depending on how you want to play, you will need to choose a different simple weapon.

In general, these 4 are the best simple weapons.

Spear

We already talked about this in the beginning of this section. They are cheap, they deal good damage, and they can be thrown. What else do you want? If you add this with the Piercer Feat, which can allow you to deal extra damage, plus you can increase your strength or dexterity by 1. Also Polearm Master allows you to do an extra attack with the opposite end of your javelin as a bonus action. In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the Sap property gives enemies disadvantage for attacks against you when you hit them. This works well if you do get hit often, as this decreases the chances drastically. However, you will struggle against enemies with multi-attacks.

Quarterstaff

The quarterstaff deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage, which - thanks to the versatile feature - can be increased to 1d8 when wielded with two hands. This fearsome simple weapon is a classic for monks and wizards and works great with the Polearm Master feat. Furthermore, you can add the Crusher feat to this weapon, which allows you to move a creature you hit to an occupied space 5 feet back. Also, you can add +1 to your Strength or Constitution modifier. With the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the topple mastery property gets added to this stack. This allows you to attempt to knock an enemy prone each time you hit them. This works great with other characters, who will attack with advantage against a prone foe.

Dagger

To be honest, every character can benefit from a dagger. It is no harm for your character to carry a dagger with you. If you need to cut off a rope, intimidate an NPC, or throw a weapon on a fleeing enemy, the dagger is your best friend. This weapon is great for infiltrations, and characters with a stealthy dexterity build can make good use of them. With the Nick property from the latest addition, you can create hugely powerful dual-wielding builds.

Light Crossbows

Do you want the damage output of longbows, but don’t want to be proficient in them? The light crossbow is here for you. This great ranged simple weapon matches the damage of longbows. However, it has a shorter range. This weapon is great for ranged builds that don’t get access to martial weapon proficiencies. With the Crossbow Expert feat, you will do yourself a great favor. You get rid of the issue that you can only shoot once per turn. The newest Slow mastery property reduces the enemy speed by 10 feet. So if you are creating a run-and-gun build, this mastery is a must-have with light crossbows. It allows you to slow enemies while staying away from them.

Crafting Simple Weapons

With the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, Dungeons and Dragons introduced the concept of crafting simple weapons. Despite this, you are now able to craft mundane items, potions of healing, and spell scrolls.

Crafting simple weapons will require proficiency with certain tools, raw materials, and time. If you do have the crafter feat, you can create a Club, Greatclub, or Quarterstaff at the end of a long rest. Weapons crafted this way will fall apart at the end of the next long rest.

If you do want to create simple weapons, here is what you need to have.

Item	Tool Proficiency	Crafting Cost	Crafting Time
Club	Carpenter’s Tools or Woodcarver’s Tools	5 CP	1 day
Greatclub	Carpenter’s Tools or Woodcarver’s Tools	1 SP	1 day
Quarterstaff	Carpenter’s Tools or Woodcarver’s Tools	1 SP	1 day
Sling	Leatherworker’s Tools	5 CP	1 day
Dart	Wood Carver’s Tools	2 CP	1 day
Light Crossbow	Wood Carver’s Tools	12 GP	3 days
Shortbow	Wood Carver’s Tools	12 GP	3 days

Conclusion: Simple Weapons 5e

All in all, every character should carry at least one simple weapon, as they can be of great use to them. We know that everyone wants to have a mighty weapon. But remember to think about if this actually makes sense with your character with their unique backgrounds and feats. Simple weapons are a great addition to your arsenal and allow you to do things you normally wouldn’t be able to.