Siege Weapons

T
hese weapons have been engineered for large-
scale warfare against enemy armies and Siege Weapon Attributes
settlements. What sets them apart from other
In addition to the common attributes of size, weight, AC, HP,
weapons is their size and the number of
and damage immunity, these weapons have the following
creatures required to operate them effectively
(generally more than two). These weapons additional attributes and considerations:
range from highly sophisticated cannons and
rocket launchers to crude catapults and giant slingshots.
Hit Points
Regardless of their form, they are all large enough that A weapon has hit points that can be restored through repairs.
moving them is a slow process and labor-intensive enough to When its hit points reach 0, the weapon becomes inoperative
use that they require a team of creatures to operate them and irreparably damaged.
effectively. Many weapons have a damage threshold. Any source of
damage less than this threshold only inflicts superficial
Repairing Weapons damage and doesn't lower the weapon's hit points.

If a weapon has taken damage but still has at least 1 hit point, Weapon DC
a creature can spend 1 hour or more attempting to repair the
damage. The creature must have the necessary tools and The weapon's DC is used whenever a creature makes a check
parts for the repairs. After 1 hour of repair work, the creature to fix mishaps, when a creature is repairing the weapon, or
makes an Intelligence check, adding its proficiency bonus to the weapon forces a creature to make a saving throw.
the check if it is proficient with the required tools. If the
check succeeds, the weapon regains 2d4 + the creature's Challenge Rating
Intelligence modifier + the creature's proficiency bonus hit When players face enemies equipped with fully functioning
points. If the check fails, the weapon does not regain any hit siege weapons, the encounter's challenge rating (CR) should
points, but the repair can be attempted again using the same be calculated as if the weapon is an additional creature with
tools and replacement parts. its own CR.

1
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
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 Ammo / Fuel Load
This function is used to reload the weapon's ammunition up
Weapons may require ammunition, such as bullets, or fuel, to its full capacity. It requires the creature loading it to have
such as flammable chemicals, to make attacks. This part of
immediate access to the weapon's ammunition. If a creature
the stat block includes the cost of the ammo and the number
doing the loading is hit by an opportunity it provoked by
of charges it has, which represents the number of times the
doing this, it drops the ammo and wastes its action.
weapon can be used before it needs to be reloaded.
Fire
Functions This function is used to aim and fire the weapon at a target
By default, siege weapons have three different functions, chosen by the creature performing the function.
which can each be activated as an action by its operators:
Prep, Load, and Fire. Each function can only be performed Passive Traits
once per round unless it states otherwise. Creatures within This section describes any traits of the weapon has that don't
reach of a creature performing one of these functions can require actions to utilize.
make opportunity attacks against them.

Prep Mishaps table

Siege weapons need to be prepped in different ways between Some weapons can suffer a malfunction when certain
being fired. This preparation could be cranking a ballista or functions are used. When such an event occurs, it will suffer a
cleaning the barrel of a cannon. Many siege weapons have mishap and need to roll on its Mishap Table to determine
multiple Prep functions that must be performed before they what adverse effect it suffers.
can be used again. In these cases, the different Prep actions A creature can attempt to resolve a mishap by using its
can be done by different creatures within the same round. action to make an ability check based on the nature of the
Unless stated otherwise, all the Prep functions must be mishap. The creature making the check can be any member
completed before the weapon can be loaded. of the weapons team or anyone else within reach of the
weapon. If the creature is proficient with the tools required
Art Credit for repairs and has them at hand, it adds its proficiency bonus
to the check. A successful check ends the mishap. Mishaps
Unleash Shell - Campbell White, Wizards of the Coast
that do not have a Repair Check Type cannot be repaired.
Goblin Artillery - Alex Horley-Orlandelli, Wizards of the
Coast

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Example Siege Weapons
Hex Lightning Cannon
Howling Skull Huge siege weapon (8,500 pounds lb.)

Catapult Weapon DC 17
Huge siege weapon (1,200 pounds lb.) Armor Class 18
Hit Points 150 (damage threshold: 10)
Weapon DC 15
Armor Class 15 Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Hit Points 100 (damage threshold: 5) Ammo Hex Lighting Core (6 rounds, 1,000g).
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Ammo Cursed Skull (1 round, 10gp) Functions
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Load. The weapon is loaded with a Hex Lightning
Core. This must be done before it is prepped.
Magical Weapon. Any damage dealt by the howling
skull catapult counts as magical damage. Prep (2) The weapon is prepped to fire its next shot.
This prep must be done while it is loaded. It must be
Screaming Skull. Each howling skull catapult has 30 prepped two times before it can fire.
pieces of ammunition built into it that can be
removed as needed. This ammunition lets out Fire. The weapon fires a line of lightning that forms a
horrifying screeches that can be heard up to 300 line 4d4 x 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, which
feet away as long as it is within 30 feet of the blasts out from it in the direction of user's choice.
catapult. Any non-undead creature that starts its Each creature in the line must make a DC 17
turn within 30 feet of any screaming ammunition Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 36 (8d8)
and can hear it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much
throw. damage on a successful one. The lightning ignites
flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn
On a failure, the creature is frightened until the end or carried. If three or more of the d4s rolled have
of its next turn. If it fails the save by 5 or more (DC the same number, the weapon has a mishap. If it has
10), while the creature is frightened, it can't take half its health or less, it has a mishap if two or more
reactions and must take the Dash action on each of d4s roll the same number. If a mishap occurs,
its turns and move away from howling skull catapult resolve it before having the weapon fire.
by the safest available route.

Functions
Load. The weapon is loaded with a Cursed Skull. It Hex Lightning Mishaps
must be prepped two times before it is loaded. It Mishap
must be loaded before it can fire. d6 Name Mishap Effect
Prep (2) The weapon is prepped to fire its next shot. The cannon explodes, preventing it from
This prep must be done two times before it is firing and destroying it. Each creature
loaded. within 15 feet of it must succeed on a
1 Meltdown
Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d8)
Fire. The howling skull catapult fires a skull that is priercing damage plus 21 (6d8) radiant
set ablaze and rains down at a point of the user's damage
choice within 120 feet and shatters. Each creature
in a 15-foot radius centered on that point must 2-3 Electrical The cannon takes 71 (8d8) + 35)
make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed Feedback lightning damage.
save, a creature takes 14 (4d6) fire damage plus 14
The cannon does not fire and must be
(4d6) piercing damage. Each non-undead creature Sputtering
4-5 fully prepped again before it can be
within 30 feet of the point must then make a saving Fizzle
fired.
throw against the effects of the Screaming Skull
feature. Unfathomable energies send the cannon
spinning wildly. The cannon fires in a
Energy random direction, and the length of its
6
Overload blast is 300 ft (no roll needed). To
determine the direction, roll a d8 and
assign a direction to each die face.

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Change Log
1.0.0
Document release

Referenced Content
Howling Skull Catapult 1.0.0
Hex Lightning Cannon 1.0.0

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.