I was wondering if there was a specific cost, damage, weight, and other properties for a machete as a weapon in 5e. The Player's Handbook doesn't have anything listed for it. I've also been trying to look at the D and D wiki online to see if I can base the stats off another weapon, but I can't reach a consensus there, either. Some say it should be 1d8 slashing while others say 1d6, and they also have weapon variants listed for both scimitars and handaxes that are similar to machetes. Any advice?
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\$\begingroup\$ Related \$\endgroup\$– Derek StuckiNov 29, 2017 at 13:32
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4 Answers
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It's a scimitar.
Don't let the name fool you - what D&D calls a scimitar is more properly a machete, parang or kukhri. It's a light weapon that can be used with finesse.
answered Nov 28, 2017 at 22:45
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5e isn't particularly comprehensive with it's weapon categorizations, but it doesn't particularly care to be, either.
I'd probably take the stats from hand axe over scimitar. Machetes that I've used have been short chopping tools that rely on their weight to aid the work. They work more like a very broad-bladed axe than a knife. I'd not consider them a weapon you could use with finesse. However, they've also been gardening or trail machetes, not weapons of war.
That's really all you're deciding here. "Can it actually be used with finesse?" If yes, then scimitar, else, probably hand axe.
answered Nov 28, 2017 at 23:07
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2\$\begingroup\$ Hand axes, though, have the "thrown" property, which is not necessarily appropriate for a machete. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 28, 2017 at 23:11
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\$\begingroup\$ @PhilBoncer It's much more appropriate than finesse, in my opinion. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 28, 2017 at 23:21
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3\$\begingroup\$ Haven't you ever seen someone carve a tiki totem with a machete? That's finesse. ;) So OK, if it matters that much, make a new entry on your table for "machete", and give it the same stats as a scimitar except it doesn't have the finesse property. And probably costs less. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 28, 2017 at 23:58
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4\$\begingroup\$ Scimitars are military weapons; machetes are tools with incidental martial applications. I would think a machete would be equivalent to a simple melee weapon, maybe a sickle. I think giving it finesse overstates its suitability for use with martial technique, and making it a military weapon means that untrained farmers and foresters aren't going to be proficient with it (as they would be with pitchforks and axes). So: your answer can be improved by adding simple vs. martial as another factor to decide. \$\endgroup\$– MarqNov 29, 2017 at 9:44
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3\$\begingroup\$ @PhilBoncer I've seen someone carve an angel out of ice with a chainsaw. The Veiled Virgin was carved with a hammer and chisel. Doesn't mean they're finesse weapons. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 29, 2017 at 13:30
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D&D 5e is not that finely detailed. A glaive has the same stats as a halberd. A battle axe is exactly the same as a longsword except for weight and cost. Call it a scimitar, and you'll be fine.
answered Nov 28, 2017 at 23:01
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Scimitar is probably the closest match, but looking at how machetes are used it's not a very good one.
I would argue that it should be a simple weapon (used almost exclusively by farmers and such) that does d6 slashing damage and is not a finesse weapon (they are generally balanced towards the end of the blade for stronger chopping power, not really nimble when used as a weapon). It should also be quite cheap.
