pharmapolt.blogg.se - Homebrew better unarmed strike 5e

The damage type for this weapon is bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing depending on what is appropriate for the type of weapon created, e.g. Alter Self (spell) – You can use this spell to give yourself a natural weapon that will deal 1d6 + Str, as well as adding +1 to the natural weapon’s Attack Bonus and damage, and this weapon is considered magical.This feature also allows you to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, as long as you meet the requirements of the Martial Arts feature. Monk – At 1st level, the Monk’s Martial Arts feature allows you to use Dexterity for your unarmed strikes and allows you to use a d4 for damage, leveling up as a Monk provides a larger die size at every new tier, letting you to go as high as a d10 at 17th level.Note – I won’t get into additional damage modifiers that are compatible with unarmed strikes (like Divine Smite and Hunter’s Mark) here, this list is purely to improve the unarmed strike in its base form.Īnything marked with * is not considered as making an unarmed attack but is included within the list for completeness as it fits the imagery of an unarmed strike. This not only increases your average and maximum damage but also allows you to benefit from the additional damage critical hits can provide. One of the easiest ways to improve your Unarmed Strike is to change the damage from a flat 1 to a die. How can you improve your Unarmed Strike damage? This also applies to spells like Magic Weapon, you wouldn’t be able to use it to enhance your unarmed strikes like you could with a weapon like a longsword. Improved Divine Smite requires you hit a creature with a melee weapon, thus you wouldn’t benefit from the additional damage on unarmed strikes. This is important, as some spells and abilities only require a melee weapon attack, whereas others may require an attack with an actual melee weapon.ĭivine Smite requires you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, so you can use it with an unarmed strike.

Spells like Shocking Grasp and Vampiric Touch use melee spell attacks.Īn unarmed strike isn’t a spell or magical feature and is used with the attack action, so it has to fall under melee weapon attack, even though you’re not using a real weapon.

Melee spell attack – An attack created by a spell or feature, that uses your spellcasting modifier for the attack roll and the damage modifier if there is one.

On rare occasions a spell might specify this kind of attack instead of a spell attack, like Booming Blade. The Attack action uses this kind of attack if you are within melee range.

Melee weapon attack – A physical attack that uses Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution for the attack and damage modifiers unless you have a feature that allows a mental ability score to be used instead.

This is weird and confusing but stems from melee attacks having to fall into one of two categories: like the Path of the Beast Barbarian’s natural weapons.

If you have a negative Str modifier then you will do 0 damage on a hit with your unarmed strike unless you can add damage to it from elsewhere, such as the Hex spell.Īn important distinction is that whilst unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks, your body does not count as a weapon unless you have a feature that explicitly says it does, e.g. As the damage for unarmed strikes is a flat number not a die, they do not gain additional damage from critical hits. You’re always proficient with your unarmed strikes, which are melee weapon attacks, and deal 1+ your Strength modifier. How do Unarmed Strikes work in 5E?Īn unarmed strike is an attack with a part of your body, such as a punch, kick, headbutt, or any other forceful blow. 149), so let’s go through the ins and outs of socking it to ‘em.

Sometimes you may find yourself without a weapon to hand, playing a hand-to-hand specialist like a Monk, or really wanting to headbutt the individual in front of you, all of which means you’ll want to make an Unarmed Strike ( PHB, p.