Weapons play an important role in combating the foes of Eberron. From the tiny kobold to the mighty dragon, weapons are instrumental in driving back the forces that seek to defeat you!
Acquiring Weapons
Like armor and other equipment, weapons can be acquired in several ways in game:
- Quest rewards from NPCs
- Weapons found in chests
- Purchases from in-game vendors
- Purchases made using the auction house
- Weapons crafted by players
It's important to compare your current weapons against a new weapon you’re considering wielding. You can do this by inspecting the item, and looking at the side-by-side comparison of the two weapons. But how can you tell if the abilities of the new weapon are better than your current one? Understanding weapon properties is the best way to help you make decisions on weapon choices.
Weapon Types
Weapons come in many shapes and sizes, including daggers, greatswords, clubs, axes, and much more! There are different kinds of weapons including:
- One-handed – These weapons can be wielded in one hand. Through feats or class features, you can even wield two one-handed weapons at the same time to increase your damage output against your enemies!
- Two-handed – These weapons require two hands, and yield greater damage than one handed weapons, but prevent you from holding more than one thing at once.
- Ranged – These weapons require ammunition, and allow you to strike your foes from a distance.
- Thrown – These weapons can be hurled at enemies
- Shield - These weapons are held in the off-hand to both defend and attack with!
- Unarmed – These weapons help character strike better with their hands and feet
Each weapon type provides a different combat experience, and some classes perform better with certain styles. A character with high Strength would be well suited to wielding a two-handed weapon, as Strength improves the amount of damage dealt from melee attacks. A character with high Dexterity would be better suited to using ranged weapons, as Dexterity increases the effectiveness of ranged attacks. There’s more to weapons than merely what type they are; there are other important elements of weapons that can also impact the outcome of combat.
Shields
Shields are a type of weapon that can be used to bash enemies, but also can be used to protect your character! They have similar properties to armor – you need to be proficient with the shield type in order to wield it. Unlike armor, they are held in the hand like a weapon. The protection they provide is in addition to any armor you’re wearing! There are several types of shields
- Bucklers – These are very small and are great for characters who can’t use very heavy equipment!
- Small shields – These shields are light and protective
- Large shields – These shields are heavier but provide more protection. You’ll need training to use these shields!
- Towershields – These are very large and heavy, but provide excellent protection. They require special training to use though.
By using your shift key, you can perform a “shield block”. This increases the protection provided by your shield, and can often block special enemy attacks mid-combat. If you can’t dodge out of the way, block with your shield! Not all classes can innately use shields, so if you’re interested in using shields, be sure to have the proper class training!
Damage and Damage Types
- Piercing: Weapons that have sharp points inflict this type of damage
- Slashing: Weapons that can slice things can inflict this type of damage
- Bludgeoning: Weapons that are blunt and heavy can crush things, and inflict this type of damage
There are creatures in Xen’drik that are resistant to some damages. In some cases, they can be affected more or less by different weapon damage types. Material that the weapon is made of can also give added benefits to your attacks. Some creatures are more susceptible to certain materials, like adamantine or cold iron. You can see the damage and material type on the item description when you inspect it.
Your weapon might also be imbued and be able to inflict additional magical damage, such as fire or ice damage, or even other special properties like blinding or stunning opponents! Any special properties your weapon has are listed in the item’s description, and can also be seen when you inspect the item.
Speed
The speed of a weapon indicates how quickly your character can swing the weapon in combat. The higher the speed, the more quickly your character is able to deliver attacks using the weapon, but speed alone will not help you best your enemies.
When inspecting weapons, it is important to look at the DPS score of the weapon. DPS is “Damage Per Second,” a measure of how much damage your character is able to do to targets each second. This is measured by both the speed of the weapon and the amount of damage dealt by the weapon.
Other Weapon Properties
Remember that weapons will need to be repaired as they take wear and tear from combat or defeats. Your weapon’s durability score determines how much item damage it can take before it needs to be repaired. You can repair your weapons by visiting a vendor and paying a fee to have them restored to their full durability once more.
Weapons can also provide bonuses to your character abilities, such as special abilities, spell casting, and more! Inspect your item to see what benefits it can grant you!
Customizing Weapons
Many users enjoy giving weapons a more personalized feel. You can customize weapon abilities, through the crafting system! To learn more, be sure to read our article on Crafting Basics!
