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Flame Tongue Greataxe

D&D 5e · 2024·Weapons·Rare·Requires attunement

Weapon damage
1d12 slashing

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

5.55

Attack bonus

+5

Average normal hit: 9.5 · Average critical hit: 16 · Critical chance: 5%.

Category
Martial weapon
Damage type
Slashing
Reach
5 ft.
Magic attack bonus
+0
Weight
7 lb
Attunement
Required
Rarity
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 Flame Tongue Greataxe 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 1d12 weapon damage averages 6.5 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.
  • The extra damage is conditional: while ablaze. Enable it only when that condition is met; otherwise compare the weapon’s ordinary hit.
  • This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
While holding this magic weapon, you can take a Bonus Action and use a command word to cause flames to engulf the damage-dealing part of the weapon. These flames shed Bright Light in a 40- foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 40 feet. While the weapon is ablaze, it deals an extra 2d6 Fire damage on a hit. The flames last until you take a Bonus Action to issue the command again or until you drop, stow, or sheathe the weapon. This is the Greataxe variant.
Full item details & properties

Magic properties

Activation
Bonus Action and command word while holding to ignite or extinguish.
Consumable
No
Conditions & limits
Displayed damage is before applicable ability modifiers. Conditional extra damage applies only when its trigger and target requirements are met.
Flames
Bright Light 40 ft.; additional Dim Light 40 ft. Flames end when extinguished, dropped, stowed, or sheathed.

Weapon details

Damage
1d12 slashing
Weapon class
Martial Melee
Damage while ablaze
1d12 slashing + 2d6 fire

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

Cleave

If you hit a creature with a melee attack roll using this weapon, you can make a melee attack roll with the weapon against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes the weapon's damage, but don't add your ability modifier to that damage unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.

You need a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks this property for you.

Tags & related references

SlashingCleaveRare →Command IgnitionExtra Fire DamageFlameLight SourceMagicalMartial WeaponMelee WeaponRequires AttunementHeavy →Two Handed →Weapon →

Compare alternatives

Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.

Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.

Flame Tongue Greataxe FAQ

Does Flame Tongue Greataxe 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.

Rules source: System Reference Document 5.2.1 ↗

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 ("SRD 5.2.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. Equipment tables transcribed and visually checked by JustRoll; prices converted to GP; mechanics and tags structured for the catalogue; item summaries paraphrased by JustRoll. The original Open5e import snapshots are retained unchanged.

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0