Magical Weapon Aesthetics
Diversified Option Tables
Many magical weapons could be any weapon in a category, or any weapon at all. This section adds tables so the DM can generate a magical weapon, armor, shield, or piece of ammunition using the new varieties introduced in The Warrior's Codex, and opens more options for weapon designs.
Most of the magical weapons in the Dungeon Master's Guide are swords, but characters often use weapons other than swords. There is no reason, for example, that a frost brand couldn't be a boar spear, halberd, or even a heavy crossbow, rather than a sword. So long as the necessary properties match—such as slashing damage for a vorpal weapon—there is no need to be limit magical weapons. When you place or generate loot and roll a magical weapon, consider using the tables below to determine which weapon it should be.
For example, if you roll a sword of sharpness on Magic Item Table H, roll on the tables below to determine the type and weapon that the new item should be. So long as the weapon can deal slashing damage, you can make a new weapon—such as a halberd of sharpness or a hooksword of sharpness—without issue.
Afterward, use the Aesthetics section below to add more backstory, personality, and unique design to the new weapon.
Alternatively, if a magical weapon that you rolled can belong to a category of items, use the appropriate table to determine the specific weapon. For example, if you roll a berserker axe, roll on the axe table to find which type of axe it should be. You can also use the tables for shields, ammunition, and armor, found after the weapon tables, to do the same.
Tables
Weapon Type
| 1d10 | Weapon Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Spears |
| 2 | Polearms/Staves |
| 3 | Bludgeons |
| 4 | Knives |
| 5 | Axes |
| 6 | Swords |
| 7 | Other melee |
| 8 | Ranged—tension |
| 9 | Ranged—propulsion |
| 10 | Ammunition |
Spears
| 1d6 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boar spear |
| 2 | Javelin |
| 3 | Shortspear |
| 4 | Harpoon |
| 5 | Spear |
| 6 | Trident |
Polearms/Staves
| 1d8 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Glaive |
| 2 | Guisarme |
| 3 | Halberd |
| 4 | Lucerne |
| 5 | Pike |
| 6 | Ranseur |
| 7 | Quarterstaff |
| 8 | Pollaxe |
Bludgeons
| 1d10 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Club |
| 2 | Goedendag |
| 3 | Greatclub |
| 4 | Light hammer |
| 5 | Mace |
| 6 | Flail |
| 7 | Maul |
| 8 | Morningstar |
| 9 | War Pick |
| 10 | Warhammer |
Knives
| 1d4 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Dagger |
| 3-4 | Parrying dagger |
Axes
| 1d6 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Handaxe |
| 3-4 | Battleaxe |
| 5-6 | Greataxe |
Swords
| 1d12 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arming Sword |
| 2 | Bastard Sword |
| 3 | Greatsword |
| 4 | Longsword |
| 5 | Shortsword |
| 6 | Sabre |
| 7 | Scimitar |
| 8 | Shotel |
| 9 | Estoc |
| 10 | Rapier |
| 11 | Gauntlet-sword |
| 12 | Hooksword |
Other melee
| 1d4 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chain whip |
| 2 | Garotte |
| 3 | Whip |
| 4 | Cestus |
Ranged weapons—tension
| 1d8 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shortbow |
| 2 | Longbow |
| 3 | Recurve bow |
| 4 | Greatbow |
| 5 | Light crossbow |
| 6 | Heavy crossbow |
| 7 | Hand crossbow |
| 8 | Sling |
Ranged weapons—propulsion
| 1d6 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arquebus |
| 2 | Handgonne |
| 3 | Blowgun |
| 4 | Dart |
| 5 | Boomerang |
| 6 | Net |
Shields
| 1d6 | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Buckler |
| 2 | Lantern shield |
| 3 | Long shield |
| 4 | Pavise |
| 5 | Shield |
| 6 | Tower shield |
Ammunition
| 1d10 | Ammunition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Barbed quarrel |
| 2 | Blowgun needle |
| 3 | Bodkin arrow |
| 4 | Broadhead arrow |
| 5 | Bullet |
| 6 | Field Arrow |
| 7 | Grapeshot |
| 8 | Hunting bolt |
| 9 | Quarrel |
| 10 | Sling bullet |
Light Armor
| 1d6 | Type |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Leather |
| 3-4 | Gambeson |
| 5-6 | Padded jack |
Medium Armor
| 1d10 | Type |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Hide |
| 3-4 | Breastplate |
| 5-6 | Brigandine |
| 7-8 | Cuirass |
| 9-10 | Half-plate |
Heavy Armor
| 1d4 | Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scale |
| 2 | Hauberk |
| 3 | Splint |
| 4 | Full plate |
Aesthetics
Inspired by the section that begins on page 141 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, this section has no mechanical effect at all. Instead, it adds more options when determining the history and appearance of magical items in your campaign, to help make each feel unique. Two identical +2 weapons, for example, can feel entirely different if they boast different appearances (compare a +2 elven greatsword and a +2 orcish greataxe), the histories to match, and different quirks and minor properties.
This section adds aesthetics for more creators, with multiple options for most groups, and additional details about the item's creation, history, or past owners. It does not expand on the quirks or minor properties of the weapons.
Instead, this section is for fun and inspiration! Modify and draw inspiration from the ideas presented here as you see fit, and feel free to apply them to more items than weapons.
Aesthetic Options
To choose an aesthetic, roll a d100, divide the result by 2, and choose the result from the table. Round the number up.
- Humans. The weapon is made from brightly-polished steel trimmed with gold or silver, and studded with gemstones. It has straight, clean edges, and has simple, but elegant, patterns.
- Dwarves. The weapon is made from thick, heavy bronze. Layers of concentric hexagons form the body of the weapon, while the handle is made from cast iron.
- Dwarves. The weapon is carved from a single piece of stone, with great weight. Rubies are embedded in the rock. Bronze or brass trim provides additional color.
- High elves. Made from polished steel with grips of fine wood or ceramics, elegant filigree in precious metals or delicate pigments are worked through the weapon’s design, which arcs gently from one segment to the next in a single elegant curve.
- High elves. Gold and silver paneling covers the handles of this weapon, which curl up in elegant arcs that remind the eye of creeping vines or cresting waves.
- Wood elves. Made from magical heartwood that never dulls or breaks, the grip of this weapon is elegantly carved with deep grooves. The entire surface is painted with bright colors, and the feathers of exotic birds or the teeth of mighty beasts decorate it.
- Wood elves. The rock-hard bone of an exotic creature forms the core of this weapon. The bone might be sharpened, or blades of long obsidian or flint form the edges. Turquoise and other semiprecious stones cover its surface. Leather from the creature that lost the bone forms the grip.
- Dark elves. A single piece of obsidian, shaved down layer by layer to a smooth, polished surface, forms this weapon. Dark rubies and amethysts decorate its handle of matte black metal.
- Dark elves. A blade of dark steel that ripples when the light runs across it emerges from a handle of grainy dark wood wrapped in black silk.
- Sun elves. Like the high elves, weapons made by sun elves flow like water from one arc of the handle and blade to the next without pause. It is unadorned and made from simple metals and woods, but its simplicity belies its perfect balance and impeccable construction.
- Sun elves. Otherwise unadorned, the golden hilt of this weapon catches the light and fills the mind with meditative calm whenever beheld.
- Halflings. This weapon is humble and plain, with a leather grip that sits comfortably in your palm.
- Halflings. All the nonmetal parts of the weapon are made from the wholesome wood of the halflings’ pastoral forests, painted a pleasant blue or green with twirling gold lines.
- Orcs. This unbalanced weapon’s construction from a wooden core and spikes of bone, teeth, or metal shrapnel conceal its grim efficacy. While crude, blood flows from the jagged gashes left by this weapon’s serrated edges.
- Orcs. This bone weapon is embedded with points or blades made of chipped flint or teeth of wild beasts. Trophies hang from its handle, tied by a leather cord. These trophies might be beautiful, like precious stones or stolen jewelry, or grisly, like parts taken from enemy orcs.
- Goblins. The bones and teeth of another goblin form the handle and points of this weapon, which contains a core made from the shards of another magical item, lost to time. If shaken, the pieces rattle inside.
- Goblins. The weapon is rusty and ancient, but has never dulled. Rough twine around the handle helps you grip it, while the pitted surface is caked with dried blood.
- Dragons/Dragonborn. The weapon is covered in the brilliantly-colored scales of a dragon, whose hard edges form the blade. When swung, it glides through the air, and a gemstone of matching color sits in the pommel. The hilt is made of semiprecious metal.
- Dragons/Dragonborn. A core of perfect steel is surrounded by a carved work of art made of precious stone, depicting a dragon wrapped around the haft or blade.
- Yuan-ti. With a hilt made of jade and decorated with emeralds, the points and blades of weapons made by yuan-ti are conical spines that resemble the tips of snake fangs.
- Yuan-ti. This weapon is eerily smooth to the touch, for it is coated by a thin, membranous layer of bronze or mossy green snakeskin that covers all but the very tip.
- Merfolk/sahuagin. Made from carved whalebone with a rough coral grip, this melee piercing weapon is flexible and bendy, but razor-sharp.
- Merfolk/sahuagin. The elegant arcs of this weapon bring to mind the flowing of water. It is made from polished coral and decorated with pearls.
- Druids. This weapon is made from a piece of living wood, especially ash or oak. Green shots sprout, wither, and die along its surface. In spite of its material, it never rots or burns.
- Druids. Covered in totems from animals, monsters, or humanoids, this bone weapon is embedded with swirling druidic script that act as channels for the blood of creatures sacrificed with this weapon.
- Wizards. Studded with crystals, this meticulously-proportioned weapon is separated into multiple glowing parts that all float near each other, maintaining their shape.
- Wizards. Studded with gems, this weapon is a reservoir of latent magical energy. The multitude of gems embedded in its surface glow with unnatural brilliance, and the entire object vibrates.
- Warriors. Endowed with the physical or mental abilities of its creator, this weapon might resemble the mundane version of an item created by any race. Certain situations can endow a mundane item with magical might.
- Aberrations. Made from unrecognizable stone or unearthly metal and studded with uncut stones, this weapon features relief carvings of impossible intricacy and nonsense patterns. They are uncomfortable to look at.
- Aberrations. While this weapon appears with the aesthetic of another people, it is soft and warm to the touch, like living flesh.
- Fiends. This weapon, with harsh angles that resemble support struts connecting parts together, is made from a single piece of black cast-iron and covered in cruel spikes.
- Fiends. This weapon is made from the flexible bone of living beings. At least one skull appears in its design, within which glows the faint light of the tortured soul forced to inhabit the object.
- Fey. Made of an unknowable white or pink metal, this weapon is made of interconnected filigree from tip to tip, like an ice sculpture. Its spires appear incredibly delicate, but the weapon is just as unbreakable as the rest.
- Fey. Flowers bloom on the base of this elf-like weapon, which smell sweeter than honey but whose scent is impossible to remember. Its light design makes it easy for the wielder to perform complex maneuvers with it.
- Celestials. Bold and elegant, made from smooth white marble, platinum, gold, and decorated with a multitude of precious stones, this weapon has more value than any mortal needs. It is far lighter than its bulky construction should allow.
- Celestials. Holy symbols of the god that created this weapon are etched into patterns in this weapon’s surface, or as cutouts in the blade. It takes the shape of the race of the god that created it, but its craftsmanship is too perfect and the materials too valuable to have been made by any mortal smith.
- Undead. Made from a single piece of black steel, dull rubies like crystallized blood decorate this weapon. Skulls and other bones form the hilt.
- Undead. Wet to the touch, this weapon’s contact points are made from living bone, and exposed organs ooze and pulse with unlife.
- Elemental Air. Light as a feather, this weapon is made from the durable bones of the magical birds that sail eternal through the skies of the plane of air. Glass beads that appear to contain wisps of colored smoke decorate it.
- Elemental Air. This weapon is a roc talon, ground into the appropriate shape. Its edge never dulls, nor does its predatory black luster.
- Elemental Fire. The weapon is made from elegant arcs of polished brass and rose gold, and is set with rubies. Its reflections are tinted golden-red.
- Elemental Fire. The weapon is made from chipped obsidian or bubbled volcanic rock, with veins of magma flowing harmlessly within it. It is warm to the touch.
- Elemental Water. With points made of the bones of exotic fish and wrapped with mother-of-pearl, this elegant piercing weapon is long, slender, and razor-sharp.
- Elemental Water. Highly flexible, this weapon appears to bend or warp when swung through the air. Its metal parts are enameled deep blue, sea-green, or stormy grey, and a dark sapphire the size of an eye is set into it.
- Elemental Earth. Made of an uncast piece of heavy iron ore, It is far heavier than a normal weapon for its size, and might chip when it strikes a glancing blow. It never loses its edge, however.
- Elemental Earth. Carved in geometric terraces with heavy Terran runes scribed in its depths, this stone weapon reverberates like a quake whenever it strikes an enemy.
- Elemental Ice. The item is cold to the touch, and made of a transparent piece of blue-white ice, frosted at the edges. A piece of deep blue cord wrapped around the hilt shields unprotected hands from the chill.
- Elemental Ice. Made of delicate platinum filigree, this weapon has none of its apparent fragility. Instead, it cuts through enemy flesh effortlessly, and the wounds it leaves fill with tiny ice crystals. The points are tipped with diamond.
- Inevitables. Made from brass, unpolished steel, and titanium, a seam runs through this unadorned weapon as though it were a shell surrounding a mechanical interior. If listened to closely, you can hear the sound of clicking gears and hissing pistons.
- Vampires. Elegant and cruelly sharp, this weapon seems to shiver in delight when it draws blood. Its handle is made from black leather, its naked steel reflects crimson-tinted light, and the wounds it leaves bleed little, as though the blood has already been sucked away.
Creation
After determining the weapon's culture of origin and appearance, roll a d20 to determine who made the item, and how or why it came to exist.
- A master craftsman, at the request of a patron.
- A master craftsman, as their final magnum opus before they died.
- An amateur craftsman, who created it by accident.
- A spellcaster, who created it as a side effect of another project
- A smith, spellcaster, or mighty warrior who infused it with their power as they died.
- A mighty warrior whose feats endowed a mundane item with magic power.
- A mundane smith, in a faraway and exotic location, whose techniques gave it the power it has.
- A celestial or other god who blessed a mundane item to serve the needs of a devout follower.
- A great hero, who wandered the far planes and whose feats endowed the item with power.
- A smith, who foresaw a vision that the weapon would one day be used for heroics far beyond their other creations.
- A supernatural creature, whose natural powers give the weapon its abilities.
- A spellcaster, who created the weapon as part of an experiment or to solve a problem.
- A spellcaster, who created the weapon from the sacrifice of innocent bodies or souls.
- A spellcaster, who plans to use the weapon as a power source for a greater ritual.
- A mighty dragon, who created the weapon from parts of its own body as a gift to a creature who impressed it.
- A tyrannical lord, who had the weapon quenched in the blood of the unfortunate souls who crossed their path.
- An ancient clan or priesthood, who created the weapon to serve as a symbol as well as a practical purpose.
- The weapon was forged in the subterranean heat of a volcano.
- The magic of the creature that the weapon slew transformed it from a mundane weapon to a magical one, and it carries a fragment of that creature’s power within it.
- The weapon is a standard-issue item carried by a supernatural creature, such as a fey, fiend, or celestial. In the hands of a mortal, it has great power.
Story
After deciding who created the weapon and a few details about its creation, roll a d20 to determine how it came to its current location, before it fell into the hands of your party.
- It has mouldered in a collection, vault, or museum.
- It was buried in the tomb of its owner or creator.
- It was sealed away by enemies of its user to keep its power hidden.
- All entrances to the place it was stored collapsed or were sealed, leaving it alone.
- It fell into a river or sea, where it was lost.
- It was abandoned on a battlefield and buried in a shallow grave with its master and a thousand other dead.
- A beast swallowed the weapon, and its bones surround it and the rest of the treasure it consumed.
- The adventurer carrying it died in the wilderness or dungeon, and it became another piece of treasure.
- Its creator was terrified of their work and hid it away, hoping it would never be found.
- It has been used constantly for decades or centuries, and it has committed many deeds great or terrible.
- The descendants of its wielder kept it as a sign of prestige.
- It was taken as a trophy by the enemies of its wielder.
- Religious importance has been placed on it, and it is or was used for religious ceremony.
- It awaits its destined wielder in a hidden shrine.
- A monster coveted it for its storied history and added it to its hoard.
- It fulfilled its intended purpose, and now sits idle.
- Its owner was killed suddenly and it sits unrecognized with the rest of their possessions.
- It was stolen from its rightful place by bandits or robbers.
- A powerful benevolent being has taken it under its protection until the time is right.
- It was lost to the Astral Plane after the Bag of Holding that contained it was placed in another item, and recently returned to its current plane at a random spot.
After that, if you choose, you can roll on the tables of page 141 of the Dungeon Master's Guide to decide the weapon's quirks and special properties, if any. The table of minor beneficial and detrimental properties used by artifacts can provide even more mechanical inspiration, to make every item truly unique—though far more powerful.
This content is no longer up-to-date. It exists as part of a larger document, The Warrior's Codex, which can be found here