How much damage does GWM add?

How Much Damage Does GWM Add?

In Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, Great Weapon Master (GWM) is a martial archetype that allows fighters and paladins to specialize in dealing massive damage with their heavy melee weapons. But just how much damage does GWM add to a character’s attacks?

The Basics of GWM

Before we dive into the numbers, let’s quickly review the basics of GWM. The Great Weapon Master archetype is a subclass of the Fighter and Paladin classes, and it’s designed to excel at dealing massive damage with heavy melee weapons. When you take the GWM archetype, you gain access to a number of features that enhance your ability to deal damage, including a bonus to your attack and damage rolls, the ability to reroll attack and damage rolls, and a feature that allows you to deal extra damage when you hit a creature that is vulnerable to your attack.

The Damage Bonus

So, how much damage does GWM add to a character’s attacks? The answer is that it depends on the situation. When you’re fighting a creature that is vulnerable to your attack, GWM gives you a bonus to your damage roll equal to your proficiency bonus (which is typically +2 or +3). This means that if you’re proficient with your heavy melee weapon and you hit a creature that is vulnerable to your attack, you’ll deal an additional 2-3 points of damage.

But what about when you’re fighting a creature that isn’t vulnerable to your attack? In this case, GWM still gives you a bonus to your damage roll, but it’s a smaller one. When you’re fighting a creature that isn’t vulnerable to your attack, GWM gives you a bonus to your damage roll equal to your proficiency bonus minus 1. This means that if you’re proficient with your heavy melee weapon and you hit a creature that isn’t vulnerable to your attack, you’ll deal an additional 1-2 points of damage.

The Reroll Feature

In addition to the damage bonus, GWM also gives you the ability to reroll an attack or damage roll. This can be a huge advantage in combat, as it allows you to take advantage of lucky rolls and avoid unlucky ones. When you use the reroll feature, you can reroll an attack or damage roll once per turn, and you can use this feature even if you’re not proficient with your heavy melee weapon.

The Vulnerable Target Feature

Finally, GWM gives you a feature that allows you to deal extra damage when you hit a creature that is vulnerable to your attack. When you hit a creature that is vulnerable to your attack, you deal an additional 2-3 points of damage, depending on your proficiency bonus. This feature can be a huge advantage in combat, as it allows you to deal massive damage to creatures that are already weakened.

Conclusion

In conclusion, GWM adds a significant amount of damage to a character’s attacks, especially when fighting vulnerable targets. The damage bonus, reroll feature, and vulnerable target feature all work together to make GWM a powerful and effective archetype. Whether you’re a fighter or a paladin, GWM is a great choice for anyone who wants to deal massive damage with their heavy melee weapons.

Table: GWM Damage Bonus

Table: GWM Reroll Feature

Table: GWM Vulnerable Target Feature

Important Points

• GWM adds a significant amount of damage to a character’s attacks, especially when fighting vulnerable targets.
• The damage bonus, reroll feature, and vulnerable target feature all work together to make GWM a powerful and effective archetype.
• GWM is a great choice for anyone who wants to deal massive damage with their heavy melee weapons.