Introducing the Great Weapons Master feat in Dungeons & Dragons 5e, a potent option for melee combatants seeking to maximize their damage output. While it offers immense power, the feat comes with its share of risks and considerations. Delve into the world of Great Weapons Master 5e and discover its intricacies.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of using the feat, calculate its average damage output, discuss strategies for mitigating accuracy penalties, and examine how it interacts with critical hits. Additionally, we’ll provide examples of character builds that synergize with Great Weapons Master and compare it to other relevant feats.

Great Weapon Master Feat

The Great Weapon Master feat in 5e is a powerful option for melee combatants who want to deal devastating damage with their weapons. It allows characters to wield larger weapons with greater proficiency, but it comes with a penalty to attack rolls.

The feat has both benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to take it.

Damage Output

The Great Weapon Master feat can significantly increase a character’s damage output. The feat allows characters to add their Strength modifier to their damage rolls when they use a heavy weapon that has the two-handed property. This can result in a significant increase in damage, especially for characters with high Strength scores.

For example, a character with a Strength score of 16 would deal an average of 1d12 + 5 damage with a greatsword. With the Great Weapon Master feat, the character would deal an average of 1d12 + 10 damage with the same weapon.

Accuracy

The Great Weapon Master feat comes with a -5 penalty to attack rolls. This can make it more difficult to hit targets, especially at higher levels. However, there are several ways to mitigate the accuracy penalty.

• Use the Great Weapon Fighting Style. This fighting style, which is available to fighters, grants a +2 bonus to attack rolls when using a heavy weapon with the two-handed property.
• Take the Sharpshooter feat. This feat, which is available to fighters and rangers, grants a +10 bonus to attack rolls when attacking at long range with a ranged weapon. It also grants a +5 bonus to attack rolls when attacking at close range with a heavy weapon with the two-handed property.

• Use magic items. There are a number of magic items that can improve a character’s accuracy, such as the +1 Longsword or the +3 Greatsword.

Critical Hits

The Great Weapon Master feat interacts with critical hits in a unique way. When a character with the feat scores a critical hit with a heavy weapon with the two-handed property, they can roll an additional damage die. This can result in a significant increase in damage, especially for characters with high Strength scores.

For example, a character with a Strength score of 16 would deal an average of 1d12 + 10 damage with a greatsword on a critical hit. With the Great Weapon Master feat, the character would deal an average of 1d12 + 15 damage on a critical hit.

Character Builds

The Great Weapon Master feat is a good choice for a variety of character builds. It is especially well-suited for characters who want to deal high damage with melee weapons.

Some good character builds for the Great Weapon Master feat include:

• Half-Orc Fighter: Half-Orcs have a natural +2 bonus to Strength, which makes them a good choice for Great Weapon Master builds. Fighters get access to the Great Weapon Fighting Style, which helps to mitigate the accuracy penalty of the feat.

• Goliath Barbarian: Goliaths have a natural +2 bonus to Strength and a +1 bonus to Constitution, which makes them a good choice for Great Weapon Master builds. Barbarians get access to the Rage ability, which gives them a +2 bonus to Strength and advantage on Strength checks.

• Variant Human Paladin: Variant Humans can take any feat at 1st level, which makes them a good choice for Great Weapon Master builds. Paladins get access to the Divine Smite ability, which allows them to deal additional damage to undead and fiends.

Comparison to Other Feats, Great weapons master 5e

The Great Weapon Master feat is one of the best feats for melee combatants in 5e. It can significantly increase a character’s damage output, and it can also interact with critical hits in a powerful way.

However, there are other feats that can be good choices for melee combatants, depending on their specific needs. Some of the most popular feats for melee combatants include:

• Sharpshooter: This feat is similar to the Great Weapon Master feat, but it is designed for ranged weapons. It grants a +10 bonus to attack rolls when attacking at long range with a ranged weapon. It also grants a +5 bonus to attack rolls when attacking at close range with a heavy weapon with the two-handed property.

• Polearm Master: This feat grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls when using a polearm. It also allows characters to make an additional attack with a polearm as a bonus action.
• Sentinel: This feat grants a +2 bonus to attack rolls against creatures that are within 5 feet of an ally that they have attacked. It also grants advantage on opportunity attacks against creatures that are within 5 feet of an ally that they have attacked.

Frequently Asked Questions: Great Weapons Master 5e

Can I use Great Weapons Master with any weapon?

No, the feat only applies to weapons with the two-handed property.

Does the-5 penalty to attack rolls apply to all attacks made with a two-handed weapon?

Yes, the penalty applies to every attack made with a two-handed weapon, regardless of whether you use the Great Weapons Master feat.

How do I mitigate the accuracy penalty of Great Weapons Master?

There are several ways to mitigate the penalty, such as using the Bless spell, having advantage on attack rolls, or taking the Sharpshooter feat.