Oathbow (Shortbow)
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
3.75
Attack bonus
+5
Average normal hit: 6.5 · Average critical hit: 10 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Simple weapon
- Damage type
- Piercing
- Normal / long range
- 80 / 320 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +0
- Weight
- 2 lb
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Very Rare
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Weapon damage is before applicable ability modifiers; extra effects require the stated conditions.
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 Oathbow does
- Dexterity can drive this simple weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 1d6 weapon damage averages 3.5 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- The normal range is 80 feet and the maximum is 320 feet; attacks beyond normal range have Disadvantage. The calculator lets you model the attack mode separately.
- 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.
When you nock an arrow on this bow, it whispers in Elvish, "Swift defeat to my enemies." When you use this weapon to make a ranged attack, you can utter or sign the following command words: "Swift death to you who have wronged me." The target of your attack becomes your sworn enemy until it dies or until dawn 7 days later. You can have only one such sworn enemy at a time. When your sworn enemy dies, you can choose a new one after the next dawn. When you make a ranged attack roll with this weapon against your sworn enemy, you have Advantage on the roll. In addition, your target gains no benefit from Half Cover or Three-Quarters Cover, and you suffer no Disadvantage due to long range. If the attack hits, your sworn enemy takes an extra 3d6 Piercing damage. While your sworn enemy lives, you have Disadvantage on attack rolls with all other weapons. This is the Shortbow variant.
Full item details & properties
Magic properties
- Activation
- Utter or sign command words when making a ranged attack to name the target.
- Consumable
- No
- Conditions & limits
- Weapon damage is before applicable ability modifiers; extra effects require the stated conditions.
- Sworn enemy
- One target until death or dawn 7 days later; after its death choose another only after next dawn. Ranged attacks against it have Advantage, ignore Half/Three-Quarters Cover and long-range Disadvantage; hit adds 3d6 Piercing.
- Oath drawback
- While the sworn enemy lives, attack rolls with all other weapons have Disadvantage. Total Cover is not bypassed.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 1d6 piercing
- Weapon class
- Simple Ranged
- Range
- 80 / 320 ft. (normal / long)
- Ammunition
- Arrow
Properties
Ammunition(Range 80/320; Arrow)
You can use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from it. The type of ammunition required is specified with the weapon's range. Each attack expends one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). After a fight, you can spend 1 minute to recover half the ammunition (round down) you used in the fight; the rest is lost.
Two-Handed
A Two-Handed weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.
Weapon mastery
Vex
If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.
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
Weapon of Warning (Shortbow)3.75 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d6 piercing · +0 magic attack · 80 ft. rangeNot specified · 2 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Oathbow (Longbow)4.35 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d8 piercing · +0 magic attack · 150 ft. rangeNot specified · 2 lbUses the same attack ability; compare handling and damage
Shortbow3.75 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d6 piercing · +0 magic attack · 80 ft. range25 GP · 2 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Oathbow FAQ
Does Oathbow 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.