D&D: Five of the Weirdest Weapons in 5E
Magic weapons are a staple of D&D, especially 5E. But these five weapons are among the weirdest you’ll find in any book.
Magic weapons are a staple of fantasy adventures. And especially in D&D, where’s they expect you to be shining with magical weapons by the time you hit level 5. You might have a sword that can cut off an enemy’s head with a single stroke. Or…you might end up with one of these weirder magic weapons.
Devotee’s Censer
To start with, this is a magical flail. Which is rare enough in D&D, where most weapons are greatswords, halberds, or hand crossbows. The Devotee’s Censer is an incense-filled flail. Not only does it deal 1d8 extra radiant damage, but it also can emanate a cloud of incense out to 10 feet. You and any other creatures in the incense regain 1d4 hit points at the start of each turn.
This means you’ll heal your enemies and your friends, but hey, when you’re a Paladin that’s just how you roll.
Lash of Shadows
Out of the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, the Lash of Shadows is one of the weirder magic weapons out there. It’s a sentient magical whip that’s been touched by Zehir, an evil serpent god. It’s also inhabited by a marilith. As a result, it has a short temper and only experiences extreme emotions, being most happy when dealing harm.
Which is weird enough to start with. But when you whip someone with it, you can poison someone (assuming they fail their save). You’ll have a total of four options to choose from, but you can only use each option once per day.
Sling Bullets of Althemone
When was the last time you looked twice at magical ammunition, let alone ammunition for a sling? But here we are. One of the best but more unusual magic items introduced in Mythic Odysseys of Theros, these sling bullets have a variety of different effects.
- Banishment – A creature hit by this bullet must save or be banished
- Fulguration – Creatures hit by these bullets are struck for 2d8 extra lightning damage, creatures within 10 feet must save or take 1d8 thunder damage
- Stunning – These bullets deal an extra 1d10 force damage and stun their targets until the end of your next turn
- Tracking – These bullets mark creatures with a glowing rune that will let you follow a creature for 24 hours
Trident of Fish Command
This is a magical trident. While you hold it, you can command fish. Or any other beast with an innate swimming speed. If that isn’t weird enough for you, I don’t know what else to tell you.
Dyrrn’s Tentacle Whip
Finally, we come to Dyrrn’s Tentacle Whip. This is one of the strangest yet. It’s a symbiotic weapon, a living creature that’s been shaped by the Dal Quori of Eberron into a weapon. After painfully embedding tendrils into your arm, you gain a magical whip.
It deals 1d6 extra psychic damage and stuns targets on a natural 20, plus, you can retract the whip into your arm. As long as you’re attuned to it, that is. But you can’t de-attune from it voluntarily. You’ve got a symbiont now and forever until death do you part.
What are your favorite examples of weird weapons in 5E?
