DND Scythe Stat Block
| Scythe Attributes | Stat Details |
|---|---|
| Damage | 2d4 |
| Attack Bonus (if proficient) | +2 |
| How many hands | Two-handed |
| Type | Melee-weapon |
| Category | Simple |
| Weapon Group | Heavy Weapon |
| Range | 10 feet |
| Cost | 18 gold pieces |
| Weight | 10 lbs |
Is There a Scythe in DND?
There is no official scythe in the latest edition of DND.
However, there is a sickle, glaive, and halberd—which are associated weapons with similar combat properties.
Just because there is no official scythe in DND doesn’t mean your character can not fight with one. Thanks to many homebrew scythe stat blocks and earlier edition information, you can use a scythe in your D&D adventures.
What Is a DND Scythe? (Description)
A scythe in DND is a large, curved blade on a long pole. It is primarily a cutting weapon, with a sharpened edge on both sides of the blade. The pole gives the wielder leverage for swinging and cutting.
Scythes are often used for harvesting crops. There is a long history of their utility in farming.
In DND, a scythe is a basic two-handed, heavy-bladed melee weapon.
Types of Scythes in DND
There are a surprising number of scythe variants in DND.
Here is a list of some of the most popular types of scythes:
- Great Scythe
- Flame Scythe
- Cresent Scythe
- Harvest Scythe
- One-Handed Scythe
- Masterwork Scythe
- War Scythe
- DND 3.5 Scythe
- DND Scythe 5e
- Magic Scythe
- Grim Scythe
Now that we know the major types, we can go further to describe them.
What Is a Great Scythe?
A great scythe is a larger variant of the standard Scythe.
Great Scythe Stats (Homebrew)
| Great DND Scythe Attributes | Stat Details |
|---|---|
| Damage | 3d4 |
| Attack Bonus (if proficient) | +2 |
| How many hands | Two-handed |
| Type | Melee-weapon |
| Category | Great weapon |
| Weapon Group | Heavy Weapon |
| Range | 10 feet |
| Cost | 20 gold pieces |
| Weight | 20 lbs |
What Is a Flame Scythe?
A flame scythe is a scythe where the blade is ringed in flames. It is said to be used by fire elementals.
However, as a magic item, it is possible for any character to wield it.
A flame scythe deals an extra 1d6 fire damage on a hit.
What Is a Crescent Scythe?
A crescent scythe is curved like a sickle and has a sharp, crescent-shaped blade.
It is designed for slicing enemies.
As a weapon, it is considered a martial weapon for all characters.
What Is a Harvest Scythe in DND?
A harvest scythe is also known as a dark harvest scythe in Dungeons and Dragons.
A harvest scythe is a large, curved blade on a long pole. It is used for cutting crops and has a sickle-like shape.
The dark harvest scythe is all black, ordained with feathers and skulls.
On a critical hit (a natural roll of 20 on a 20-sided die), the dark harvest scythe will steal the soul of the opponent.
In other words, a critical hit is an automatic kill hit unless the enemy successfully rolls a save against a difficulty class of 36.
The dark harvest scythe possesses 150 charges.
Even after the 150 charges are used, a character can still wield the weapon as a standard (but cooler-looking) scythe.
What Is a One-Handed DND Scythe?
A one-handed scythe is a type of melee weapon that is similar to a short staff but with a curved blade on one end.
It is designed to be used with one hand and can be effective against both animals and people.
Characters with dual-wielder proficiency can use two of these weapons in battle.
What Is a Masterwork Scythe?
A masterwork scythe is a finely crafted replica of a standard scythe. It grants you a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
You cannot turn a regular scythe into a masterwork scythe.
Like all other masterwork weapons, a masterwork scythe must be hand-crafted from scratch.
What Is a DND War Scythe?
A war scythe is an improvised military weapon used in battle.
It consists of a long, curved blade attached to the end of a metal or wooden shaft. The blade is sharpened on both sides and the tip can be serrated.
A war scythe can be used to slash and stab opponents.
Essentially, a war scythe is a standard scythe in DND used in large-scale clashes between warring enemies.
What Is a DND 3.5 Scythe?
The 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons (DND) Player’s Handbook listed a scythe as a standard melee weapon.
The stats of a DND 3.5 edition form the basis of the stats at the top of this article.
There is no official DND Scythe for the 5th edition. Yet, I’ve provided a proxy in this post.
What Is a Magic Scythe?
A magic scythe is any scythe imbued with some form of magic.
For example:
- Paralysis
- Blindness
- Sleep
- Temporary insanity
These are some of the common effects found on magic scythes.
A magic scythe is also a weapon that is sometimes used to harvest magic.
It is said that the first magic scythe was created by a powerful wizard looking for a way to collect and store magic.
The wizard found that if he carved symbols of power into a scythe, it would draw in magic like a magnet.
What Is a Grim Scythe?
A Grim Scythe is a transmutation cantrip available to spellcasting characters in DND.
The spellcaster can cast the spell on themselves as a bonus action, as long as they have a quarterstaff and some hayseed.
Grim Scythe lasts for only one round at a time.
During the duration of the spell, the quarterstaff grows a spectral blade at one end. The spellcaster can use the now bladed weapon to attack.
To roll for the attack or damage, you go by the spellcaster’s magical ability instead of other attributes such as strength. The Grim Scythe deals 1d10 of necrotic damage.
If the spellcaster releases the quarterstaff, the spell ends.
Grim Scythe Source: Grimlore’s Grimoire Copyright 2018, Grimlore Entertainment; Trevor Armstrong.
What Does a DND Scythe Do? (Benefits and Advantages)
In DND, a scythe is a farm tool repurposed as a combat weapon. It is a two-handed heavy slashing weapon.
The scythe typically does slashing or piercing damage during an attack.
Since it is classified as a two-handed weapon, the character wielding it cannot hold any other weapon at the same time.
They can also not handle a shield, climb, or swim effectively while wielding a scythe.
The scythe has reach, meaning that the character can attack an opponent up to 10 feet away without putting themselves in direct melee range (five feet).
Though the scythe is a fun and intimidating weapon, it does have some disadvantages.
What Does a DND Scythe Not Do? (Disadvantages)
The first downside is that a scythe is a slow weapon.
The second is that the scythe is a two-handed weapon, which limits the character’s options for other equipment or actions.
The third and final disadvantage is that the scythe is a reach weapon, meaning that the character might experience difficulty using it against an opponent who is directly adjacent to them (under five feet).
How Much Damage Does a Scythe Do in DND?
A standard scythe causes 2d4 damage in DND.
If a character is proficient with a scythe, they gain a +2 attack bonus. This does not add to their damage rolls, however.
A great scythe extends the damage to 3d4.
Dungeon Masters (DMs) can homebrew a scythe of any damage for their own players in their own campaigns.
Who Can Use a DND Scythe?
Many DND classes possess natural proficiency with melee weapons.
Here is a simple list of DND scythe classes:
- Clerics
- Fighters
- Druids
- Barbarians
- Bards
- Shamans
- Sorcerers
- Ardents
- Seekers
- Warlocks
- Paladins
- Artificers
- Swordmages
- Warlords
How To Use a Scythe in DND
Operating a scythe in DND is pretty simple. As a two-handed weapon, you’ll need to carry it in your hands or somehow secure it to your character.
This can be done with an over-the-shoulder strap or even tying it to your back.
The weapon must be wielded with two hands in order to take advantage of the reach and attack damage.
You can also use feats or other abilities to boost your attack.
When an enemy is within melee range, you can use an action or bonus action to attack with your scythe. To make an attack, you’ll need to roll a d20 and add your strength modifier and proficiency bonus, if you have one.
If you make a hit, the damage for a scythe is typically 2d4 of slashing damage.
A critical hit on a scythe doubles the normal damage dice rolls (4d4 instead of 2d4).
Are Scythes Good Weapons?
Scythes are agricultural tools designed for harvesting crops, not warfare.
Therefore, scythes are not particularly well-suited for combat. For one thing, they are unwieldy, and it is difficult to swing a scythe with precision.
Additionally, scythes are not very durable, and they are easily damaged in battle.
Swords, on the other hand, are much easier to handle and are built to withstand a lot of wear and tear.
In addition, swords can be used for a variety of different attacks, whereas scythes are really only good for slashing.
As a result, scythes don’t make very good combat weapons.
Here is a good, realistic video about how scythes might work in battle:
DND Scythe Builds
You can use a scythe as the centerpiece for building a character in Dungeons and Dragons.
Two common builds include a scythe fighter and a scythe warlock.
Scythe Fighter
There are a few different ways you could build a D&D scythe fighter but one of the most effective would be to focus on Strength and Constitution, with some Dexterity for good measure.
You’ll want to choose feats that compliment your fighting style.
Here is one example of a scythe fighter build:
- Start with the base fighter class.
- Add in the feats, Power Attack and Cleave.
- Select the skills, Intimidate and Perception.
- For your race, choose something with bonuses to Strength and Constitution like a Half-Orc or a Goliath.
- Your starting equipment should include full plate armor and, of course, a scythe.
For a different kind of build, focus on a barbarian with dual one-handed scythes.
Scythe Warlock
A D&D Scythe Warlock is a great build for maximizing damage potential while also providing good battlefield control.
You can build this character as a devastating melee combatant or a ranged spellcaster.
It depends on both the needs of your party and your personal preferences.
The key features of this build are the use of warlock invocations to gain extra attacks, eldritch blasts to deal lots of damage, and the ability to summon powerful allies to help in combat.
The scythe can also be applied to great effect in melee combat, slicing through your enemies with ease.
What Is the Reaper’s Blade Feat with a Scythe in DND?
The Reaper’s Blade feat gives your character bonus damage when wielding a scythe.
The bonus damage is:
- +2 at levels 1-10
- +3 at levels 11-15
- +4 at levels 16-20
One requirement of the feat is that the character worships the evil deity known as Nerull (also called The Reaper).
What Is a DND Scythe Trap?
A Scythe Trap is a mechanical device often found in dungeons and other dangerous areas.
It consists of a large, curved blade mounted on a hinge.
When triggered, the Scythe Trap swings down and slices through anything in its path. Scythe Traps are notoriously difficult to avoid, and they can cause significant damage to adventurers who are not careful.
However, these traps can often be disabled.
A player character with the Disable Device skill would need to make a successful Disable Device check.
Scythe Traps are often used in conjunction with other traps, such as pit traps or pressure plates.
When combined, these traps can be extremely deadly.
Adventurers who find themselves in a Scythe Trap should exercise caution and dispatch the trap as quickly as possible.
Are Scythe Polearms?
A scythe is a polearm. It is a long, curved blade mounted on a pole. This makes it a two-handed weapon that can be used to great effect in combat.
Polearms are versatile weapons that can be used for melee combat.
They can also prove effective against multiple opponents, as the reach of the weapon can allow you to hit multiple targets.
Other polearm weapons include Partizans and Tridents.
Final Thoughts: Scythe in DND
Scythes are a fun and unusual choice for a weapon in DND.
If you’re new to playing D&D, here are my recommended resources:
| Recommended D&D Resources | Price |
|---|---|
| D&D Core Rulebook Set | Check the latest price |
| D&D Rules Expansion Set | Check the latest price |
| D&D Dice Set | Check the latest price |
| D&D Accessories Bag | Check the latest price |
For more about other D&D items and feats, check out the hand-picked articles below.
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