Wizards of the Coast has revealed that revised versions of the three core Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks are being released in 2024, which fans are already referring to this as the 5.5 edition of D&D, as it's going to be upgrading the existing rules, based on feedback from the audience. This will give the developers the chance to give the weapons rules an overhaul, as they lack the punch that they had in previous editions.

The rules regarding weapons have become less strict over the course of D&D. There was a time when Wizards were restricted to only five weapons, while Clerics could only use blunt weapons, as it was against the rules for them to use blades. One of the main benefits of playing a Fighter was that they were free to use whatever armor or weapons they liked. As time went on, the rules became less strict, and the classes were given more leeway to use the weapons they wanted.

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In the current edition of D&D, the weapon system has been streamlined even more. The classes are given free weapons at creation, making it easier for new players to quickly roll up their new heroes. There are also fewer limitations on what weapons the classes can use. The problem is that the weapons in Dungeons & Dragons 5e themselves aren't as interesting as they could be. The upcoming D&D 5.5 Player's Handbook has the chance to fix this, by introducing new rules for the weapons, as well as adding some new ones to the game.

D&D 5.5 Can Make Existing Weapons More Diverse

D&D Blacksmith Character Builds For Working-Class Campaigns

The biggest issue with the current weapons in D&D is that some of them are almost identical, save for their price and weight. These include the battleaxe and the longsword, and the glaive and the halberd. There are also some weapons that are outclassed by others. There's no reason to choose the war pick over the rapier, for example, as the rapier has the Finesse quality and only costs an additional 20gp.

The same goes for choosing the flail over the warhammer, since the warhammer has the Versatile (1d10) quality and only costs 5gp more. There are lots of potential weapon qualities that could be added to make weapons more diverse in D&D 5.5, some of which were used in previous editions. These could include weapon qualities that improve the chance of tripping/shoving an enemy, weapons that can pull riders off mounts, weapons that work better against unarmored foes, and weapons that work better against armored enemies.

D&D 5.5 Should Bring Back Masterwork Weapons

D&D Blacksmith Builds Forge Domain Cleric-2

One surprising element of D&D that was cut in the fifth edition is the idea of masterwork weapons. In the third edition, a masterwork weapon was considered to have been made by a skilled smith or was crafted from a superior metal or wood than the standard weapons that most characters would encounter. In practice, this meant that the weapons had a +1 to hit, but not to damage, and they would cost more to purchase.

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The idea of masterwork weapons worked because it was a great way of rewarding the players at lower levels without giving them magical weapons. It was also handy for players to keep a masterwork weapon on them after acquiring magical weapons, as they still retained their bonus in environments where magic didn't function, such as in an area under the effects of an antimagic field spell. Having masterwork weapons return for D&D 5.5 would be a great way to revitalize the way weapon crafting works in the game.

D&D 5.5 Can Fix Slings To Make Them More Viable

Dungeons & Dragons Sling Cover

The weapon that has suffered the most in the fifth edition is the sling. In the days of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, they were beloved by Mages around the multiverse. The weapon selection available to spellcasters was minuscule in AD&D, with the poor mage only having access to the dagger, quarterstaff, dart, knives, and sling.

The sling was a great choice because its ammo was inexpensive. It could also easily be found everywhere, further incentivizing it as a weapon of choice for players. The sling fell from grace in the third edition of D&D, when spellcasters gained access to crossbows. In 5e, the sling is all but useless, as access to battle cantrips in Dungeons & Dragons (which can be cast repeatedly) means there is little reason for spellcasters to even own ranged weapons.

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The revised rules for D&D 5.5 can make the sling better and give it a much-needed boost, by increasing its damage dice, giving it the Finesse quality, giving it bonus damage on critical hits, or even giving it some special quality - such as dealing extra damage against unarmored foes. The sling saved many Mages in the days of AD&D and is still a great choice in the old Baldur's Gate games. Its legacy should live on in the new 5.5 Player's Handbook.

D&D 5.5 Should Bring Back Exotic Weapons

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One of the best ideas from the third edition that was left behind in 5e was exotic weapons. These belonged to a third classification of weapons, which were either extremely rare, or difficult to use. In mechanical terms, exotic weapons in D&D were stronger than standard weapons or possessed unique traits that made them stand out. The catch was that the player had to spend a Feat in order to use them, to reflect the extra training they have undertaken to use such an obscure weapon. The other catch was that exotic weapons were also harder to find, which meant that magical versions were extremely rare.

D&D has gradually been adding more fantastical races and character classes to the game. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight added new races, like the fairy and the harengon, the latter of which are humanoid rabbits. Meanwhile, Eberron: Rising From The Last War added the Artificer class, which is like a magical version of Iron Man, and Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft added the College of Spirits subclass for Bards, turning them into Persona-users. Despite all of these fantastical concepts, the characters are running around with the same old longswords and greataxes. The exotic weapons have the chance to make these bizarre Dungeons & Dragons characters stand out even more from the crowd.

Next: What Dungeons & Dragons Rules Could Be Updated For D&D 5.5