What Is Weapon Mastery?
Weapon Mastery is a new system introduced in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, designed to enhance the capabilities of martial classes. Unlike spellcasting, which gives magic users a wide variety of tactical choices, martial classes have often been limited to just swinging a weapon or making an attack. With Weapon Mastery, each simple or martial weapon has unique properties that skilled warriors can trigger, adding depth and variety to melee and ranged combat.
Think of it this way: if spellcasters get access to an arsenal of spells, martial characters now get their own set of combat maneuvers through Weapon Mastery. These properties make different weapons feel distinct and tactical, rewarding players who understand how to use them effectively.
How Does Weapon Mastery Work?
Starting at level 1, every martial class (Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue) gains access to Weapon Mastery. This means they can harness special abilities granted by the weapons they wield. Instead of every sword or axe being just another way to roll damage dice, they now come with unique effects that allow for creative combat tactics.
One of the biggest changes is the ability to draw or put away weapons as part of your action. If you do have multiple actions or a bonus action you are able to use multiple weapon masteries in one turn. This allows you for example to slow one enemy and push another one away from you in one turn.
Each weapon with a Mastery Property has a specific benefit that only applies when wielded by a character with the Weapon Mastery feature. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key Weapon Mastery properties:
Mastery Properties and Their Effects
Cleave
Weapons: Greataxe, Halberd
Do you want to get an extra attack every time you hit an enemy with a melee attack? With the cleave mastery you can make an extra attack against another creature within 5 feet of the first. This is a great tool for crowd control, allowing you to cut down multiple foes in a single swing. The second target takes damage equal to the weapon damage without any additional Ability Modifier damage unless it’s negative.
Imagine you being a fearsome barbarian and two foes terrorize a young boy in an alley. You swing your greataxe and give the first enemy a damaging strike. Now you are eligible to do a second strike against the second enemy for free.
Graze
Weapons: Glaive, Greatsword
We all know the feeling when we miss an attack. Well with the Graze Weapon Mastery these days are over. Even when you miss an attack, you still deal extra damage equal to the Ability Modifier you used to make the attack. This means the damage will scale with the Ability Modifier used to make the attack.
This mastery works great for fighters with Extra Attack or builds using Polearm Master or Sentinel.
Nick
Weapon: Dagger, Light Hammer, Scimitar
The dual wielding feature allows you to make an extra attack with your off-hand while wielding a light weapon in each hand. The Nick Mastery allows you to free up this bonus action. It grants an additional attack as part of your Attack action. Do keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean you are allowed to make an additional attack as your bonus action. You are however, free to use the bonus action within your capabilities. Picture this: You are a rogue with spellcasting abilities. With the Nick property you can make an attack with your right-hand dagger. Then you spin around your enemy and slash them with the dagger in your left hand. This is all one action. Now you can use your spell-casting abilities to finish them off with a Dragon’s Breath as a Bonus action.
Push
Weapons: Greatclub, Pike, Warhammer, Heavy Crossbow
Be the crowd controller you always wanted to be. The Push weapon mastery allows you move a creature 10 ft. in a straight line. This of course only counts on a hit. This feature is great for frontline fighters as adventurers who want to keep their distance to enemies. This highly tactical weapon mastery allows you to keep enemies away from characters with low health points or position them in a way that allows area of effect spells like fireball to hit them without getting yourself in danger. So whenever you are using the push weapon mastery be sure why you are using it, as it could also make way for enemies to escape you.
Sap
Weapons: Mace, Spear, Flail, Longsword, Morningstar, War Pick
The Sap Weapon Mastery is your little gift to an unaware enemy. With this new trick you impose disadvantage on the target’s next attack on a hit. This is the case for the next attack role before the start of your turn. This is a real game changer for any tank build. Imagine having an immense amount of hit points and your enemy has to roll with disadvantage on their attack role. I mean how are they supposed to defeat you in a 1 vs 1?
Slow
Weapons: Club, Javelin, Light Crossbow, Sling, Whip, Longbow, Musket
Rangers and Gunsmen pay good attention! This is your Weapon Mastery. On a hit you reduce a creature's speed by 10 feet until your next turn. As long as you keep hitting the same target with this awesome weapon mastery you can apply the effect to the enemy. This weapon property is a must-have for every ranged build or anyone playing with hit-and-run tactics. This is a great way of keeping your enemies at a distance while staying mobile as ever.
Topple
Weapon: Quarterstaff, Battleaxe, Lance, Maul, Trident
We all know that Dungeons and Dragons is a team game. If you are a real team player the Topple property is a great trick up your sleeve. On a hit you force a creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure they fall prone. This is perfect for setting up an enemy for one of your allies' attacks. It is most useful when you yourself have a high initiative. This allows your team to make the most out of a prone enemy.
Vex
Weapon: Handaxe, Dart, Shortbow, Rapier, Shortsword, Blowgun, Hand Crossbow, Pistol
This property is the ultimate asset for any assassins and rogues, who work a lot with sneak attacks. When you hit a target you gain advantage on your next attack against the same target. So you can hide from a foe in the shadows, shoot them with your pistol, rush up to them and strike them with advantage with your rapier. This will be insane damage for just one round.
Who Gets Weapon Mastery?
At level 1, the following classes get access to Weapon Mastery:
Barbarian (Simple and Martial Melee weapons)
Fighter (Simple and Martial weapons)
Paladin (Simple and Martial weapons)
Ranger (Simple and Martial weapons)
Rogue (Simple weapons and Martial weapons with Finesse or Light property)
Each class starts with a certain number of Mastery Properties:
Fighter: 3 weapon masteries at level 1
Barbarian: 2 weapon masteries at level 1
Rogue, Ranger, and Paladin: 2 weapon masteries at level 1
While martial classes get Weapon Mastery automatically, other characters can pick it up through feats or multiclassing. Just be aware that you need to be proficient with the weapon you are using. Otherwise the weapon mastery can not be applied to your weapon.
Is Weapon Mastery Any Good?
Absolutely. Before this update, martial combat was mostly just rolling attacks and dealing damage. Now, with Weapon Mastery, you have more tactical choices that make combat engaging and strategic. Here’s why Weapon Mastery is a game-changer:
More Tactical Combat – Instead of just swinging, you can choose weapons that help control the battlefield.
Encourages Weapon Variety – No more just picking the “best damage” weapon. Different weapons shine in different situations.
Enhances Team Play – Setting up allies with debuffs like Slow or Sap adds synergy to combat.
More Engaging for Martial Classes – Fighters, Barbarians, and Rogues feel more dynamic compared to casters.
How to Mix and Match Your Weapon Masteries
As you can draw and put away your weapons as part of your action or bonus action, you are able to do some cool combinations of Weapon Masteries.
Popular Weapon Mastery Combos
Crowd Controller (Cleave + Push)
As you remember the Cleave property allows you to make a second attack against another creature within 5 feet of your first hit. With the Push property you can move a creature 10 feet in a straight line. So you see how this is a great combination for a fight against multiple enemies at once.
Duelist (Vex + Nick)
Do you want to play a rogue in your next campaign? Then you should definitely consider this combination of Weapon properties. The Vex property allows you to get advantage on your next attack against the same target. While the Nick property allows you to do an extra attack with your off-hand as part of your action. You can already see how this combination is a true game changer to your dual-weapon fighting style. You make one attack, do a next attack with advantage, and you still have your bonus action to do some sweet magic or whatever you like. If this isn’t something to think about, I don’t know what is.
Defender (Sap + Slow)
If you do see yourself as a support character you are probably thinking about healing and buffing your allies. But being a support also means you can debuff your enemies. These two properties allow you to give enemies disadvantage on their next attack and also slow them in one turn. This will give your allies enough breathing room to deal their damage.
Skirmisher (Slow + Ranged Weapon)
We already spoke about the Slow property being a great addition to your ranged weapon. However, I just got to mention it here again. Keep your enemies at a distance, while staying mobile as ever.
Titan Slayer (Topple + Vex)
You come across the BBEG. Now you probably wish you had a trick up your sleeve against them. The titan slayer build is a great addition against larger enemies. It allows you to knock enemies prone and get advantage on your next attack. This is a great way to show the BBEG who is the real threat in the room
Learning More Weapon Masteries
Some subclasses allow you to access additional Weapon Mastery properties. For example, the Soulknife Rogue gets access to the Vex property. Additionally, Fighters and Barbarians gain access to more weapon masteries as they level up.
Final Thoughts
Weapon Mastery is a fantastic addition to D&D, giving martial classes a much-needed boost in tactical depth. Whether you’re a fighter swapping weapons mid-battle, a rogue setting up sneak attacks, or a ranger controlling the battlefield, there’s a Mastery Property that will fit your playstyle.
So, next time you pick up a weapon in D&D, think beyond just damage—Weapon Mastery makes every weapon choice meaningful!
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