Alright, I want to ask a question. I really like the idea of scythes and having one for my warlock would be awesome. I'm hoping this'll blow up so it gets woc and dndb staffs attention.
I feel like you could homebrew it as any polearm easy enough. Like, I wanted my ranger to wield a curved sword but didn't wanna turn my nose up at the d8 rapier damage, so I just got my DM's permission to flavor my "rapier" as a saber.
Realistically a poll and a thread on this board isn't going to shape D&D design in the future at that granular level. You may to read up on this thread on how to work with your DM to make your Warlock a scythe wielder:
tl;dr "war scythes" were actually a thing and best represented by a glaive (that opens the martial weapons problem). Double bladed scimitar may be another analog if you want to BS the notion that the scythe can be a finesse weapon and lean into DEX. The IRL analog to the reaper's scythe would be a really bad weapon more likely to harm the wielder than any opponent, but if you want to go for the "flavor", I'd find some way for the warlock patron to grant proficiency with the double bladed scimitar and you're probably what you want.
Or wait till 2024 and see if they add a reaper scythe to the exotic weapons list.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Not exactly a "scythe" but the Bec De Corbin would be used much the same way as the fantasy "reaper" style scythe. (which would be a piecing weapon and not a slashing because of its design). Reskin the Pike and that would be all you need there.
BUT since this is very much a fantasy game I don't know why a DM would not allow a "traditional" reaper scythe. It would just be a glaive but look different.
I know there will be a lot of people that disagree, but I wish WotC would make the weapon entries a bit more generic such as
Pole Arm, 1d10 Bludgeoning, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Pole Arm, 1d10 Piercing, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach
Pole Arm, 1d10 Slashing, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Then in the description list the "historical" weapons that would fall under those rules. It isn't like the weapons listed in the PHB actually match up with "historical" weapons very well anyway but maybe then people would feel more comfortable with the idea that not every weapons needs to have its own special listing in the PHB and that they can use their imaginations more. Plus, there are a metric crapload of pole arms and it would be crazy to give each of them their own separate listing when they would all be pretty much the same from a game mechanics stance.
IIRC, I made it a 2d4 Slashing weapon with the Two-Handed, and Reach property. It was also a simple weapon.
I thought 2d4 would be fun because right now the only 2dx weapon we have is 2d6, but I wanted the damage to be a bit lower as a simple weapon (which do not get higher than a 1d8 damage die). I made it a simple weapon because i) there are no simple weapons with the Reach property and ii) a scythe is a tool used in farming (i.e. alot of people lacking martial training know how to use a scythe).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews!Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Scythes--the farming tool--were almost never used as weapons historically because they are abjectly terrible weapons. The blade faces the wrong way, they're heavy, and the balance is just not great for cutting at enemies. They might have been used by angry mobs (which are not really discerning about their weapon choice), but, for militias actually looking to defend themselves, they'd rotate the blade some 90 degrees and make something that was more akin to a glaive (or the war scythe noted above).
That said, there are plenty of reasons one might want a scythe, particularly if playing a class that tends to hold a weapon more for flavor than substance, like a warlock. If designing a scythe, I think the Fourth Edition version of the weapon would work:
A scythe in 4e was a simple melee two-handed weapon that dealt 2d4 damage on a hit. It did not have the reach property because that's not how scythes work--the blade is on the inside of the curve, which means you would have to get it all the way behind the person you were trying to hit at range, then bring the blade toward you. So, while you could poke them with the dull edge of the blade from more than 5 feet away, you would not be doing much in the way of cutting (unless you wanted to overextend yourself as you swung around a pretty unwieldy piece of equipment).
I know there will be a lot of people that disagree, but I wish WotC would make the weapon entries a bit more generic such as
Pole Arm, 1d10 Bludgeoning, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Pole Arm, 1d10 Piercing, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach
Pole Arm, 1d10 Slashing, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
There are a lot of people who play D&D that don't know the first thing about historical weapons and don't really intend to learn. The system as it is now gives you a default name and reference point for each weapon type, but also gives you complete freedom to reflavor any existing weapons however you wish.
More mechanical weapon options would be great - it's probably in the top 3 of my wishlist - but what we have now easily covers a scythe. It's either a greatsword, a longsword wielded two-handed, or a glaive depending on how you envision it working.
Would love if the weapon tables killed all the specific weapons and just had categories. Like, "expert weapons -> expert melee weapons -> expert melee weapons, pure offense = 2d6, two hands. Ex: oversized hammer, chainsaw."
But anyway. Yeah, make the scythe its own thing. Plenty of people want it. Tridents are just spears, so scythes can just be... Idk, greatswords. I feel like only Warlocks want them, so pick whatever the best thing would be for a Warlock lol.
I actually like this idea! Maybe the scythe design would be altered a bit- scythes historically are used for farming and such, so they're only sharp on one side, but perhaps a scythe sharpened on both edges would work?
Pole Arm, 1d10 Bludgeoning, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Sure, go ahead and try swinging a ten pound weight (comparable to a "light" sledgehammer) on the end of a ten foot handle. Tell me how that works out for you in terms of being able to actually hit anything with any significant amount of force that's stationary without literally spinning your entire body around while leaning backwards as counterbalance. Then try it with a twenty pound head.
Pole Arm, 1d10 Bludgeoning, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Sure, go ahead and try swinging a ten pound weight (comparable to a "light" sledgehammer) on the end of a ten foot handle. Tell me how that works out for you in terms of being able to actually hit anything with any significant amount of force that's stationary without literally spinning your entire body around while leaning backwards as counterbalance. Then try it with a twenty pound head.
Taking into the account that the +9 to hit is likely do to the +3 strength and +6 proficiency of the angel, you're talking about a a weapon that does 2d4+1 damage, which is fairly close to a Glaive wielder's 1d10 damage and giving it some embedded oomf from something like great weapon master.
The necrotic damage is clearly due to the supernatural nature, not an inherent proprety of a mundane scythe.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Pole Arm, 1d10 Bludgeoning, Heavy, Two-Handed and Reach.
Sure, go ahead and try swinging a ten pound weight (comparable to a "light" sledgehammer) on the end of a ten foot handle. Tell me how that works out for you in terms of being able to actually hit anything with any significant amount of force that's stationary without literally spinning your entire body around while leaning backwards as counterbalance. Then try it with a twenty pound head.
You should look up historical pole arms, specifically the Lucerne hammer
I am willing to bet any real life peasant who was using a scythe in combat dropped it the moment they were able to pull a sword off of a dead soldier. They are awful as weapons and are really more about the symbolism rather than practical killing tools. My necro wizard has one, but I do not remember the last time I used it. It’s supposed to just be spooky, in my opinion.
I am willing to bet any real life peasant who was using a scythe in combat dropped it the moment they were able to pull a sword off of a dead soldier. They are awful as weapons and are really more about the symbolism rather than practical killing tools. My necro wizard has one, but I do not remember the last time I used it. It’s supposed to just be spooky, in my opinion.
True, but I think alot of D&D 5e is more about fun flavor and symbolism more than realism anyway. Id be all for having scythes as an official weapon just for the part of the playerbase that wants to play an edgy reaper of souls to its fullest capacity
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews!Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Taking into the account that the +9 to hit is likely do to the +3 strength and +6 proficiency of the angel, you're talking about a a weapon that does 2d4+1 damage, which is fairly close to a Glaive wielder's 1d10 damage and giving it some embedded oomf from something like great weapon master.
The necrotic damage is clearly due to the supernatural nature, not an inherent proprety of a mundane scythe.
Looking at that statblock, it looks as though its PB is actually +5, not +6? That would, along with the damage modifier, suggest it's actually a +1 Scythe, meaning it's 2d4 for a normal one.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Alright, I want to ask a question. I really like the idea of scythes and having one for my warlock would be awesome. I'm hoping this'll blow up so it gets woc and dndb staffs attention.
And...?
I feel like you could homebrew it as any polearm easy enough. Like, I wanted my ranger to wield a curved sword but didn't wanna turn my nose up at the d8 rapier damage, so I just got my DM's permission to flavor my "rapier" as a saber.
Realistically a poll and a thread on this board isn't going to shape D&D design in the future at that granular level. You may to read up on this thread on how to work with your DM to make your Warlock a scythe wielder:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/84245-scythes
tl;dr "war scythes" were actually a thing and best represented by a glaive (that opens the martial weapons problem). Double bladed scimitar may be another analog if you want to BS the notion that the scythe can be a finesse weapon and lean into DEX. The IRL analog to the reaper's scythe would be a really bad weapon more likely to harm the wielder than any opponent, but if you want to go for the "flavor", I'd find some way for the warlock patron to grant proficiency with the double bladed scimitar and you're probably what you want.
Or wait till 2024 and see if they add a reaper scythe to the exotic weapons list.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Not exactly a "scythe" but the Bec De Corbin would be used much the same way as the fantasy "reaper" style scythe. (which would be a piecing weapon and not a slashing because of its design). Reskin the Pike and that would be all you need there.
BUT since this is very much a fantasy game I don't know why a DM would not allow a "traditional" reaper scythe. It would just be a glaive but look different.
I know there will be a lot of people that disagree, but I wish WotC would make the weapon entries a bit more generic such as
Then in the description list the "historical" weapons that would fall under those rules. It isn't like the weapons listed in the PHB actually match up with "historical" weapons very well anyway but maybe then people would feel more comfortable with the idea that not every weapons needs to have its own special listing in the PHB and that they can use their imaginations more. Plus, there are a metric crapload of pole arms and it would be crazy to give each of them their own separate listing when they would all be pretty much the same from a game mechanics stance.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I once homebrewed a scythe for a campaign.
IIRC, I made it a 2d4 Slashing weapon with the Two-Handed, and Reach property. It was also a simple weapon.
I thought 2d4 would be fun because right now the only 2dx weapon we have is 2d6, but I wanted the damage to be a bit lower as a simple weapon (which do not get higher than a 1d8 damage die). I made it a simple weapon because i) there are no simple weapons with the Reach property and ii) a scythe is a tool used in farming (i.e. alot of people lacking martial training know how to use a scythe).
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Scythes--the farming tool--were almost never used as weapons historically because they are abjectly terrible weapons. The blade faces the wrong way, they're heavy, and the balance is just not great for cutting at enemies. They might have been used by angry mobs (which are not really discerning about their weapon choice), but, for militias actually looking to defend themselves, they'd rotate the blade some 90 degrees and make something that was more akin to a glaive (or the war scythe noted above).
That said, there are plenty of reasons one might want a scythe, particularly if playing a class that tends to hold a weapon more for flavor than substance, like a warlock. If designing a scythe, I think the Fourth Edition version of the weapon would work:
A scythe in 4e was a simple melee two-handed weapon that dealt 2d4 damage on a hit. It did not have the reach property because that's not how scythes work--the blade is on the inside of the curve, which means you would have to get it all the way behind the person you were trying to hit at range, then bring the blade toward you. So, while you could poke them with the dull edge of the blade from more than 5 feet away, you would not be doing much in the way of cutting (unless you wanted to overextend yourself as you swung around a pretty unwieldy piece of equipment).
There are a lot of people who play D&D that don't know the first thing about historical weapons and don't really intend to learn. The system as it is now gives you a default name and reference point for each weapon type, but also gives you complete freedom to reflavor any existing weapons however you wish.
More mechanical weapon options would be great - it's probably in the top 3 of my wishlist - but what we have now easily covers a scythe. It's either a greatsword, a longsword wielded two-handed, or a glaive depending on how you envision it working.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I'd rather then just make a grid. Along the top is damage. Along the side are keywords that are added.
In the cells are the names of many things that fit.
Scythes are really cool but extremely underpowered and has little variety with other weapons (damage-wise)
Would love if the weapon tables killed all the specific weapons and just had categories. Like, "expert weapons -> expert melee weapons -> expert melee weapons, pure offense = 2d6, two hands. Ex: oversized hammer, chainsaw."
But anyway. Yeah, make the scythe its own thing. Plenty of people want it. Tridents are just spears, so scythes can just be... Idk, greatswords. I feel like only Warlocks want them, so pick whatever the best thing would be for a Warlock lol.
I actually like this idea! Maybe the scythe design would be altered a bit- scythes historically are used for farming and such, so they're only sharp on one side, but perhaps a scythe sharpened on both edges would work?
Sure, go ahead and try swinging a ten pound weight (comparable to a "light" sledgehammer) on the end of a ten foot handle. Tell me how that works out for you in terms of being able to actually hit anything with any significant amount of force that's stationary without literally spinning your entire body around while leaning backwards as counterbalance. Then try it with a twenty pound head.
isn't that an olympic sport tho lmao
As an obtainable weapon there isn't one however there are some creatures that use them. This is the scythe pulled from the deathpact angel:
Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) necrotic damage.
A Greatsword or Glaive can easily be reflavored as a Synthe so for me there's no need for one.
Taking into the account that the +9 to hit is likely do to the +3 strength and +6 proficiency of the angel, you're talking about a a weapon that does 2d4+1 damage, which is fairly close to a Glaive wielder's 1d10 damage and giving it some embedded oomf from something like great weapon master.
The necrotic damage is clearly due to the supernatural nature, not an inherent proprety of a mundane scythe.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
You should look up historical pole arms, specifically the Lucerne hammer
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I am willing to bet any real life peasant who was using a scythe in combat dropped it the moment they were able to pull a sword off of a dead soldier. They are awful as weapons and are really more about the symbolism rather than practical killing tools. My necro wizard has one, but I do not remember the last time I used it. It’s supposed to just be spooky, in my opinion.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
Answers: physical books, purchases, and subbing.
Check out my life-changing
True, but I think alot of D&D 5e is more about fun flavor and symbolism more than realism anyway. Id be all for having scythes as an official weapon just for the part of the playerbase that wants to play an edgy reaper of souls to its fullest capacity
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Looking at that statblock, it looks as though its PB is actually +5, not +6? That would, along with the damage modifier, suggest it's actually a +1 Scythe, meaning it's 2d4 for a normal one.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.