What are the best DND weapons?
03/03/26 6:13pm
View hidden comment
This post was sourced from submitted reader questions and posted by wikiHow Editorial Staff.
wikiHow forums are moderated for quality. Learn more about our moderation policy here.
Submit Answer
Regarding which are the best D&D weapons, the real answer is a boring “whatever best fits your character build and backstory.” Maybe your sorcerer has a scimitar from his homeland that he enchants with green flames to increase damage. Or your rogue’s poison-tipped daggers are her weapon of choice.
That being said, with a blank character sheet, some weapons are a little more inherently useful than others. You want to make sure you have both a reliable melee and a ranged weapon. Short bows are excellent, as long bows need a bit more room to work. A great axe does the most damage (d12) of any basic weapon, so if your character can wield it, that’s a great choice.
View hidden comment
That being said, with a blank character sheet, some weapons are a little more inherently useful than others. You want to make sure you have both a reliable melee and a ranged weapon. Short bows are excellent, as long bows need a bit more room to work. A great axe does the most damage (d12) of any basic weapon, so if your character can wield it, that’s a great choice.
In a vacuum, the best melee weapons in D&D 5E are the greatsword and the maul. They have the highest base weapon damages at 2d6. The greataxe and lance can deal the same maximum damage since they use a 1d12, but they’ll have a lower average score than the greatsword and maul. For ranged weapons, the heavy crossbow is the objective winner, as it deals 1d10 damage per hit.
The math changes quite a bit when you take feats and class abilities into account. For example, a quarterstaff only does 1d6 bludgeoning damage, but if a Druid takes the Shillelagh spell, the staff does 1d8 damage instead, and the Druid can use their spellcasting ability as a modifier (instead of strength). As another example, if a Ranger takes the sharpshooter and crossbow expert feats, they can make a hand crossbow deal up to 32 base damage in one turn, instead of its traditional 1d6. It’s best to look carefully over your class’s features and abilities to determine which weapon might be the most optimal for you.
In terms of magic weapons, Blackrazor is often cited as the strongest option. It’s a sentient greatsword with +3 to attack and damage rolls, and it allows you to convert the hit points of defeated enemies to temporary health, alongside a few other powerful abilities. The Luck Blade is also another popular option. It allows you to reroll one attack per day, but it also comes with three charges of the Wish spell, which is considered to be the most broken spell in the game.
What do you think? Is there a stronger magic weapon out there? Is there a class, feat, and weapon combo you found that’s better than a sharpshooting Ranger?
View hidden comment
The math changes quite a bit when you take feats and class abilities into account. For example, a quarterstaff only does 1d6 bludgeoning damage, but if a Druid takes the Shillelagh spell, the staff does 1d8 damage instead, and the Druid can use their spellcasting ability as a modifier (instead of strength). As another example, if a Ranger takes the sharpshooter and crossbow expert feats, they can make a hand crossbow deal up to 32 base damage in one turn, instead of its traditional 1d6. It’s best to look carefully over your class’s features and abilities to determine which weapon might be the most optimal for you.
In terms of magic weapons, Blackrazor is often cited as the strongest option. It’s a sentient greatsword with +3 to attack and damage rolls, and it allows you to convert the hit points of defeated enemies to temporary health, alongside a few other powerful abilities. The Luck Blade is also another popular option. It allows you to reroll one attack per day, but it also comes with three charges of the Wish spell, which is considered to be the most broken spell in the game.
What do you think? Is there a stronger magic weapon out there? Is there a class, feat, and weapon combo you found that’s better than a sharpshooting Ranger?
What’s on your mind? Ask anything.
Get advice and feedback from experts and wikiHow readers just like you.
Ask a Question
