Weapon, Special

What the Special Column Means

The Special column in the Weapons tables tells you what a weapon can do beyond its damage, range and weight. Those tables mainly use older Pathfinder-style terms. A word such as brace, trip or double is a rules clue, not an ability shared by every edition. Check the individual weapon description before using it.

Common Legacy Weapon Features

Brace: A weapon such as a spear can be readied against a charge. In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e, a successful hit with the appropriate readied weapon deals double damage to the charging attacker. It does not mean every spear attack deals double damage.

Disarm: A purpose-built disarming weapon may improve attempts to knock an opponent’s weapon away. Pathfinder 1e generally gives the disarm weapon feature a +2 bonus on the relevant combat maneuver check; D&D 3.5e uses the weapon’s own description and opposed-roll rules, so do not copy Pathfinder’s modifier across.

Double: Both ends of a double weapon can be used when fighting with two weapons, subject to that edition’s penalties and restrictions. It does not grant a free additional attack without the applicable fighting rules.

Monk: This labels a weapon eligible for particular monk class abilities in the legacy rules, such as flurry of blows where permitted. It is not an automatic bonus to every wielder.

Nonlethal: Look for the particular edition’s rules on inflicting nonlethal damage. Do not apply a Pathfinder or 3.5e nonlethal damage rule unchanged in fifth edition.

Reach: Many legacy reach weapons threaten an opponent 10 feet away when held by a Medium creature, but not an adjacent opponent. Check individual exceptions and the creature’s size.

Trip: A trip weapon is designed to help bring an opponent down. In older rules, dropping the weapon can sometimes prevent the wielder from being pulled down after a failed attempt; the details differ between Pathfinder’s maneuver system and 3.5e’s opposed checks.

See text: This is a direction to open the specific weapon entry. A table summary cannot capture all unusual handling, ammunition, mounted use or special interactions.

How the Four Rules Editions Differ

D&D 2024 (5.5e)

Modern properties such as Light, Finesse, Reach and Versatile appear alongside a separate Weapon Mastery column. The eight mastery options are Cleave, Graze, Nick, Push, Sap, Slow, Topple and Vex. You need a class feature or other rule granting mastery to use one; simply picking up the weapon is not enough. A 2024 spear has Sap as its mastery and remains a Versatile thrown weapon.

D&D 2014 (5e)

This version has standard weapon properties and a literal Special property for certain unusual items, with their own descriptions. It does not have the 2024 Weapon Mastery system. A 2014 spear is Thrown and Versatile; use its own range and damage rather than a Pathfinder brace tag.

Pathfinder 1e

The legacy column includes named features such as brace, disarm, double, monk, nonlethal, reach and trip. They interact with combat maneuvers, readied actions and class features. Check the weapon entry for exceptions before applying the bonus or maneuver.

D&D 3.5e

Descriptions spell out benefits such as setting particular weapons against a charge, making trip attempts with them or using both ends of a double weapon. This edition uses its own opposed disarm and trip rules, not Pathfinder’s combat maneuver bonus. The same word in two tables does not always imply identical resolution.

A Quick Example at the Table

A guard levels a spear while a rider charges. In a Pathfinder 1e or D&D 3.5e encounter, the guard may ready that spear to receive the charge and use the edition’s doubled-damage rule on a successful hit. In 2014 fifth edition, the spear’s Versatile and Thrown properties do not grant that legacy brace damage. In 2024, a character with the necessary Weapon Mastery feature may instead use the spear’s Sap effect after a qualifying hit. The same scene plays differently because the rules edition matters.