Weapons in Dungeons & Dragons are particularly needed by classes that do not want or cannot rely on spells. There are also weapons for ranged attacks to hit an opponent, but the categories cause confusion.
What confuses the player about the weapon categories? In Dungeons & Dragons, there are certain weapon categories that contain information about handling and functionality. The player handbook of 2024 explains this as follows:
Category: Each weapon belongs to one of two categories: Simple Weapon or Martial Weapon. Proficiency with weapons is usually associated with one of these categories.
[…]
Proficiency with weapons: Anyone can wield a weapon, but you must have proficiency in handling it to add a proficiency bonus to attack rolls with that weapon. The traits of a player character may include weapon proficiency.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook (2024)
The player and Reddit user plumb-phone-official is now wondering in a Reddit post why bows are classified as “simple weapons” while crossbows are classified as “martial weapons,” when historically it should actually be the other way around. He finds that crossbows are inferior to traditional bows in many ways and are only easier to learn and can be used for cover.
However, he overlooks a small but quite important detail that could clarify his confusion.
Here you see the presentation of the tabletop role-playing game “Daggerheart” by Critical Role:
Weapons should (not) be thought of in categories
What was overlooked in the question? The player forgets a small aspect that could clarify his question. Bows and crossbows can actually occur in both categories: simple and martial weapons.
The player’s handbook lists the following bows and crossbows in this regard:
- Simple Ranged Weapons: Shortbow (1d6 piercing), Light Crossbow (1d8 piercing)
- Martial Ranged Weapons: Longbow (1d8 piercing), Hand Crossbow (1d6 piercing), Heavy Crossbow (1d10 piercing)
Additionally, it must be mentioned that crossbows need to be loaded, which can use an action, bonus action, or reaction.
What insights does the community mention? A large discussion arose in the community regarding the player’s question. The core point that can be filtered from the comments to answer the player’s question is that martial weapons require more precise training to be used properly, while simple weapons can also be learned by “ordinary” citizens:
“The shortbow is more like a hunting bow, which can be assumed to be learned by people in a non-military context, and light crossbows are easy to use,” explains Babbit55 on Reddit and received over 800 upvotes for it, “Longbows are military, they are war bows. Heavy crossbows […] are not easy to learn and operate, at least not compared to a light crossbow.”
But why is a hand crossbow also considered a martial weapon? For that, Ok-Comparison-2093 has a fitting answer on Reddit, which explains it:
“I suspect hand crossbows are martial weapons since they are a kind of strange specialized tool for assassins. Most soldiers wouldn’t learn to use them because they have a worse range and lower damage output; their only real advantage is their concealability. […] So you definitely need additional training to use them effectively.”
If you cannot or do not want to comprehend the whole issue around simple weapons, martial weapons, or weapons in general and instead want to focus on arcane arts, you still have to take care of proper planning and preparation. Spellcasting classes should also consider which spells are the most sensible, including the pact-happy warlocks among you: Warlocks in Dungeons & Dragons almost only use one spell, while they overlook an overpowering alternative
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