The question is what is stated in the title. I should clarify tho, when I say Woodsman's Axe I'm thinking the typical two handed design with a heavy broad head. On one hand, I understand the view that it would be a Martial Weapon, as it could easily be considered analogous to a battleaxe, however, a Woodsman's Axe is a tool, it is not inherently meant for combat, and tools such as sickles are considered simple weapons. How would you rule on such a case? Would you let a player with Simple Weapon Proficiency apply it to a Woodsman's Axe? Would you consider it just be a reflavored battleaxe? A Handaxe that's just a little longer? Or something else in the middle? 

As a two-handed axe, it would be decidedly martial.

It's one thing to be a tool, and another to be used efficiently as a weapon. Light weapons can be wielded without to much trouble, but heavy weapons are inherently cumbersome.

However, it's not difficult to justify giving a character a single weapon proficiency as part of their background.

Makes sense, I had figured, I've previously counted pitchforks as stand-ins for tridents and such, but I recently overheard this discussion in a campaign I was in between a DM and Player so I was curious what the community felt. 

A pitchfork ain't a trident, I mean sure you can use the damage dice in melee but it ain't a thrown weapon for sure, nor would I give it the pole arm master benefits on account that it's not built with that sort of balance in mind.

If in the lore of your world, if woodsmen are the sorts who go into "those" sorts of woods where they may have to use their tool to defend themselves from wolves and fey and the like, sure give them the battle ax proficiency and go save Red Riding.  Folks not of the woodsmen tradition are stuck with it as just tool usage.

Well no shit a Pitchfork ain't a trident, I meant in terms of damage dice for melee lol

It's worth noting an axe for war is very different from an axe for tree felling. A tree felling axe is much heavier than a war axe, with a thicker, wedge-shaped blade. They would be used in very different circumstances.

A woodsmans axe is used to swing hard, easily, repetitively on a stationary target. It's no good for blocking, and if you miss with it you'll be wildly off balance. The whole design is about putting maximum force on the delivery end, and relies on all of that energy being absorbed by hitting the tree - if you swing at nothing, expect that swing to keep going for a full circle!

A War axe is lighter and designed to swing fast more than hard. It's meant for making swings which, if they miss, will be easily adjusted to make the next swing.

I would give a woodsmans axe the greataxe damage profile, but it's not martial!

Quote from ThorukDuckSlayer >>

It's worth noting an axe for war is very different from an axe for tree felling. A tree felling axe is much heavier than a war axe, with a thicker, wedge-shaped blade. They would be used in very different circumstances.

A woodsmans axe is used to swing hard, easily, repetitively on a stationary target. It's no good for blocking, and if you miss with it you'll be wildly off balance. The whole design is about putting maximum force on the delivery end, and relies on all of that energy being absorbed by hitting the tree - if you swing at nothing, expect that swing to keep going for a full circle!

A War axe is lighter and designed to swing fast more than hard. It's meant for making swings which, if they miss, will be easily adjusted to make the next swing.

 

I would give a woodsmans axe the greataxe damage profile, but it's not martial!

While I wouldn't go into these details with my players generally, the logic pathing is the same.  Damage die wise, I'd go with Battleaxe because Greataxe is a war weapon while hand axes are already simple weapons with most classes having proficiency in them.  A greataxe really has one design in 5e, but battleaxes can be used one handed or two handed, and in my head that's kind of how I envision someone using that weapon.  The VAST majority of the time two handed, but sometimes one handed if they aren't just going full tilt at a tree, or get those initial cuts in before taking big full swings.  Gives the player a bit of versatility of the d8 one handed, d10 two handed, but still maintains the theming of their past.

I wouldn't give them the one-handed option. Perhaps the best way to represent it is as a 2-handed simple weapon with a D10 damage profile.

If you compare pictures of war axes to woodcutting axes, the weight is very clearly different. The handle alone on a wood axe is 2-3 times thicker than on a war axe, because it's built for hitting something very solid. The heads as well are heavy to hit that solid object really hard. swinging 2 handed as a weapon is reasonable, swinging one handed isn't so much.

I'm pretty strong, but I think I'd struggle to realistically wield a wood axe one handed. 

Hmm. I guess it's functionally close to a maul, which is a 2 handed martial weapon. A mace is one handed, 2ft long at most and easily swung in loops to maintain momentum from a missed attack, making the next on "the backswing".

I stand by my reasoning that it shouldn't be versatile. 2 handed only.

There are at least two competing theories.

I subscribe to the theory that Martial Weapons are/should be those that are designed with offense, defense, and bipassing armor in mind. Simple weapons are/should be those that are tools used for hunting or labor.

RAW, weapons like the Spear and Trident are in the wrong catagories for what I've described... and as I've described it, a Wood Felling Ax would be a simple weapon.

The other theory involves who's allowed to make the weapon / how easy it is to find. This is why spears are simple and tridents fit for combat aren't. Any blacksmith can make you a crosspeen hammer, or a broadax. Not all blacksmiths can make an effective sword.

Lastly, for a Felling Ax, I'd say to reskin a Pick ax. Felling Axes (especially the old ones) are much heavier and aren't nearly as curved because they are designed to hack and not slice. The target isn't moving, and it takes waaaaay more effort to sink into hard wood than squishy meat or crack relatively thin bone. Axes for combat on the other hand are much lighter weight and much more circular in shape, assuring that you always hit at a right angle, can swing faster/more regularly, and slice through gambeson with your follow through.

Felling Ax. D6 slashing, two-handed, heavy. Weighs 6lbs.

But woodsmen are not trained in using a two-handed axe in combat, which involves rapid springs, blocking blows with the haft, etc. whilst also making sure that when you get the chance to swing at the enemy that the axe is aligned correcly in your hands for the sharp edge of the axe head to hit your opponent.

If anything I guess it should be an improvised weapon with a decent damage profile. It's not built for use in combat and as such it's not going to be something you're proficient in. All the same, if it does connect, that limb's coming off.

Quote from Farling >>

But woodsmen are not trained in using a two-handed axe in combat, which involves rapid springs, blocking blows with the haft, etc. whilst also making sure that when you get the chance to swing at the enemy that the axe is aligned correcly in your hands for the sharp edge of the axe head to hit your opponent.

 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're describing AC and Extra Attack, niether of which are impacted in game by any weapon.

Just take the greatclub (simple, two-handed, 1d8) and change its damage to slashing.

If you want to do more damage with your weapon, grab a martial proficiency. It’s a game. It’a designed to restrict higher damage weapons to martial classes.

Man this thread is super depressing.  Saga's the only one with a reasonable answer @_@

It's a woodcutting axe, folks.  Have any of you held a woodcutting axe, and then a combat axe?  Whole different beasts.  

Gotta disagree with you on this one Yurei, I like ThorukDuckSlayer’s answer better. That’s precisely what I did when a PC was using a Woodcutter’s Axe. I treated it as an “improvised battleaxe" so the profile was the same as a battleaxe, but the PC didn’t add proficiency to the attack rolls. (Actually, first I treated it as battleaxe with disadvantage on attack rolls, but that was too punishing so I dropped the disadvantage, but also the PB. It was more... “right” after that.

(And yes, I have held both. And I’ve actually chopped firewood.)

Don't think through martial vs. simple. Think through USE.

Using anything as a tool is extremely different than using it in battle. Give me a stick, I'll poke something with it. I might move a snake with it or push a stained rag on the floor. I might throw it at my sister or smack a friend with it. Give it to an arnis master (filipino martial art) and it becomes a weapon of complete destruction in a breathtaking display of flash and ruin.

A spear is simple as a tool. I can poke things. Maybe even stick a fish and provide food. Using it with shield as Spartans might have is an entirely different story.

Did I answer the question, not sure. Just ask a different one. "Before I say whether you can wield a Greataxe with or without proficiency, tell me how and what you're using it for?" As written, a greataxe is a martial weapon. If you only have proficiency in simple weapons but intend to use the greataxe to beat the hell out of a door, go for it. No disadvantage. Have fun! If you intend to use the greataxe to win a war, that's a very, very different story.

Bear in mind that nothing prevents you from using a weapon you aren't proficient with. I don't have any real issues with calling a wood axe a martial weapon and just noting that using it as a tool is based on your tool proficiency with woodcutters tools.

please take note that the Viking war axe isn't much larger then a handaxe, while yes there were the larger ones but most of the axes the viking's used in combat were the ones they used for chopping wood for use in homes. just do a google search for viking war axe.

Quote from Ecothunderbolt >>

The question is what is stated in the title. I should clarify tho, when I say Woodsman's Axe I'm thinking the typical two handed design with a heavy broad head. On one hand, I understand the view that it would be a Martial Weapon, as it could easily be considered analogous to a battleaxe, however, a Woodsman's Axe is a tool, it is not inherently meant for combat, and tools such as sickles are considered simple weapons. How would you rule on such a case? Would you let a player with Simple Weapon Proficiency apply it to a Woodsman's Axe? Would you consider it just be a reflavored battleaxe? A Handaxe that's just a little longer? Or something else in the middle? 

 Simple, D6 slash, two handed.  My rule is to find a close match and down grade if a tool. If it a weapon just reflavor it. Like the +1 spear a kobold friend of mine has. Which is actual a normal size +1 rapier.