Weapon Mastery

Every martial character has access to Weapon Mastery — a set of special properties tied to specific weapon types.

Eight martial classes gain Weapon Mastery. Most activate 2 weapon masteries; Fighter activates 3, and Barbarian, Fighter, and Monster Hunter gain further choices as they level.

CLASS	GAINED AT	ACTIVE MASTERIES
Fighter	Level 1	3, +1 at Levels 4 and 10 (5 total)
Barbarian	Level 1	2, +1 at Levels 4 and 10 (4 total)
Monster Hunter	Level 1	2, +1 at Levels 5 and 11 (4 total)
Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Illrigger	Level 1	2
Gunslinger	Level 2	2

Mastery Properties

PROPERTY	WEAPONS	EFFECT
Cleave	Greataxe, Halberd	On a hit, make an additional attack against a second creature adjacent to the first.
Graze	Greatsword, Glaive	Even on a miss, deal damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
Nick	Dagger, Scimitar, Sickle, Light Hammer	On a hit with a Light weapon, make one extra attack without consuming your Bonus Action.
Vex	Handaxe, Rapier, Shortsword, Hand Crossbow, Shortbow, Pistol	On a hit, gain Advantage on your next attack against the same target.
Slow	Club, Javelin, Longbow, Light Crossbow, Musket, Whip	On a hit, reduce the target's Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
Topple	Battleaxe, Quarterstaff, Maul, Trident	On a hit, force a Constitution save or knock the target Prone.
Push	Greatclub, Warhammer, Pike, Heavy Crossbow	On a hit, push the target 10 feet away from you.
Sap	Flail, Longsword, Mace, Morningstar, Spear, War Pick	On a hit, the target has Disadvantage on its next attack roll.

How It Works

Each weapon type has one Mastery property assigned to it. When your class grants Weapon Mastery, you activate one property per weapon you're proficient with — chosen in the level-up screen. Those choices are permanent: unlike the tabletop 5.5 rules, you can't swap them on a Long Rest.

That makes Mastery a build decision rather than a daily one — pick for the weapons you actually expect to carry from that level on: Cleave for crowd control, Vex for consistent damage, or Topple to set up your allies.

Class synergies:

• Fighter — Tactical Master (Level 9): Can use a Mastery property for any weapon they're holding, even if it isn't that weapon's assigned property.
• Rogue — Cunning Strike (Level 5): Interacts with Slow and Sap for extended debuff applications.