Are there any ways to change the properties of weapons beyond paying to make them silvered or laced with adamantine? The player's handbook does not mention being able or unable to add, remove or alter weapon properties beyond silvering so I was wondering whether there are any rules about changing weapon properties that I may have overlooked in other guide books.
For example: Could the light property be added to a rapier for use in two-weapon fighting or could you alter the ammunition property of a crossbow to accept arrows as well as bolts? If so, can you restore properties that you have removed?
As to say, the only rules regarding changing weapon properties that I know of are the ones for silvering a weapon so if there are more, could you point me in the right direction
No, as far as I know there are no RAW ways to alter weapon properties other than adding materials for the purple of overcoming silver resistance. I suppose what a crossbow fires is fairly irrelevent if it does the same damage, but then again I tend to ignore ammunition cost/purchasing.
The DMG has rules for more poisons than the one in the PHB adventuring table, and rules for harvesting poison from downed enemies. Xanathar's has rules for crafting poison (provided the poison has a gp cost, and no raw is provided for handling recipe knowledge or access to raw materials beyond presumed gp cost). Tasha's has the Poisoner feat, which iirc comes with rules for making a particular weak poison given that you paid a feat to learn it.
There are no rules I know of for coating an arrow or axehead in pitch, although the alchemist's fire and torch rules could serve as a basis for homebrewing something, since a torch is functionally a club coated in pitch (although torches aren't light) and alchemist's fire burns until doused.
I don't know of any other RAW for modifying a weapon (unless you want to count making a magic weapon) or for examples of modified weapons. I can tell you I, as a GM, would let anyone proficient in glassblowing make acid smash-globes compatible with slings, for the same cost as their vial equivalent. Those vials are tiny. They'd need to buy the acid separately, or make it with alchemist's supplies.
Weapon properties are the inherent capabilities of a weapon, so are not normally changeable.
There are certain class abilities or feats which allow you to ignore one or more specific weapon properties on weapons that you are using, but these abilities don't remove the property from the weapon, they merely allow a specific character to ignore that property.
If you want a weapon with different properties, then you will have to choose a different weapon.
You may also be able to sell your GM on letting you upgrade weapons that otherwise have no or very little excuse for existing. For example, tridents are wastes of money, carrying capacity, and proficiency complexity compared to spears. Depending on your view of tridents and whether you can be bothered with custom weapon properties, Light, Reach, Finesse, and Special are all ways to help address this.
Are there any ways to change the properties of weapons beyond paying to make them silvered or laced with adamantine? The player's handbook does not mention being able or unable to add, remove or alter weapon properties beyond silvering so I was wondering whether there are any rules about changing weapon properties that I may have overlooked in other guide books.
For example: Could the light property be added to a rapier for use in two-weapon fighting or could you alter the ammunition property of a crossbow to accept arrows as well as bolts? If so, can you restore properties that you have removed?
As to say, the only rules regarding changing weapon properties that I know of are the ones for silvering a weapon so if there are more, could you point me in the right direction
No, as far as I know there are no RAW ways to alter weapon properties other than adding materials for the purple of overcoming silver resistance. I suppose what a crossbow fires is fairly irrelevent if it does the same damage, but then again I tend to ignore ammunition cost/purchasing.
The DMG has rules for more poisons than the one in the PHB adventuring table, and rules for harvesting poison from downed enemies. Xanathar's has rules for crafting poison (provided the poison has a gp cost, and no raw is provided for handling recipe knowledge or access to raw materials beyond presumed gp cost). Tasha's has the Poisoner feat, which iirc comes with rules for making a particular weak poison given that you paid a feat to learn it.
There are no rules I know of for coating an arrow or axehead in pitch, although the alchemist's fire and torch rules could serve as a basis for homebrewing something, since a torch is functionally a club coated in pitch (although torches aren't light) and alchemist's fire burns until doused.
I don't know of any other RAW for modifying a weapon (unless you want to count making a magic weapon) or for examples of modified weapons. I can tell you I, as a GM, would let anyone proficient in glassblowing make acid smash-globes compatible with slings, for the same cost as their vial equivalent. Those vials are tiny. They'd need to buy the acid separately, or make it with alchemist's supplies.
Weapon properties are the inherent capabilities of a weapon, so are not normally changeable.
There are certain class abilities or feats which allow you to ignore one or more specific weapon properties on weapons that you are using, but these abilities don't remove the property from the weapon, they merely allow a specific character to ignore that property.
If you want a weapon with different properties, then you will have to choose a different weapon.
You may also be able to sell your GM on letting you upgrade weapons that otherwise have no or very little excuse for existing. For example, tridents are wastes of money, carrying capacity, and proficiency complexity compared to spears. Depending on your view of tridents and whether you can be bothered with custom weapon properties, Light, Reach, Finesse, and Special are all ways to help address this.