Dancing Greatsword
D&D 5e · 2024·Weapons·Very Rare·Requires attunement
Base weapon damage before your ability modifier. Use the calculator to include hit chance and critical hits.
Damage calculator
Hit chance
55%
Expected damage / attack
5.85
Attack bonus
+5
Average normal hit: 10 · Average critical hit: 17 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Martial weapon
- Damage type
- Slashing
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +0
- Weight
- 6 lb
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Very Rare
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Displayed damage is before applicable ability modifiers. Conditional extra damage applies only when its trigger and target requirements are met.
Calculator assumptions & rules
One attack against a creature. Natural 1 misses; natural 20 hits and doubles damage dice, not flat modifiers. Expected damage includes misses and critical hits. Advantage uses the higher of two d20s; Disadvantage uses the lower. Magic bonuses shown on the item are counted once.
Uses only the weapon’s ordinary hit and the listed on-hit extra dice, when enabled. Class features, Sneak Attack, fighting styles, mastery effects, damage on a miss, special critical-hit effects, ongoing damage, resistance and immunity are excluded. Check the full rules below for additional effects.
Changing calculator inputs does not change the item’s rules or create a new page URL.
What Dancing Greatsword does
- Strength can drive this martial weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 2d6 weapon damage averages 7 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- This weapon needs two hands when you attack, so a wielded shield conflicts with that attack setup.
- This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
You can take a Bonus Action to toss this magic weapon into the air. When you do so, the weapon begins to hover, flies up to 30 feet, and attacks one creature of your choice within 5 feet of itself. The weapon uses your attack roll and adds your ability modifier to damage rolls. While the weapon hovers, you can take a Bonus Action to cause it to fly up to 30 feet to another spot within 30 feet of you. As part of the same Bonus Action, you can cause the weapon to attack one creature within 5 feet of the weapon. After the hovering weapon attacks for the fourth time, it flies back to you and tries to return to your hand. If you have no hand free, the weapon falls to the ground in your space. If the weapon has no unobstructed path to you, it moves as close to you as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if you grasp it or are more than 30 feet away from it. This is the Greatsword variant.
Full item details & properties
Magic properties
- Activation
- Bonus Action to toss and command; Bonus Actions for subsequent movement and attacks.
- Consumable
- No
- Conditions & limits
- Displayed damage is before applicable ability modifiers. Conditional extra damage applies only when its trigger and target requirements are met. Graze on a miss uses only the applicable ability modifier; it does not trigger on-hit or attack-d20-20 effects.
- Dancing attacks
- Bonus Action: fly up to 30 ft. and attack one creature within 5 ft.; uses your attack roll and adds your ability modifier to damage.
- Movement & return
- Subsequent Bonus Actions move it up to 30 ft. to a spot within 30 ft. of you and can include an attack. After the fourth attack it returns; if no hand or path is available it falls as described. Grasping it or exceeding 30 ft. ends hovering.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 2d6 slashing
- Weapon class
- Martial Melee
Properties
Heavy
You have Disadvantage on attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it's a Melee weapon and your Strength score isn't at least 13 or if it's a Ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn't at least 13.
Two-Handed
A Two-Handed weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.
Weapon mastery
Graze
If your attack roll with this weapon misses a creature, you can deal damage to that creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage is the same type dealt by the weapon, and the damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier.
You need a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks this property for you.
Tags & related references
Compare alternatives
Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.
Same base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Greatsword of Sharpness5.85 expected damage / attack55% hit chance2d6 slashing · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 6 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Dancing Longsword4.35 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d8 slashing · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 3 lbUses the same attack ability; compare handling and damage
Frost Brand (Glaive)7.05 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d10 slashing + 1d6 cold · +0 magic attack · 10 ft. reachNot specified · 6 lbUses the same attack ability; compare handling and damage
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Dancing Greatsword FAQ
Does Dancing Greatsword require attunement?
Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.
Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?
The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.