Kaden stood in the middle of the crypt, surrounded by skeletons. He had faced worse odds in his life, but this time was different. These skeletons weren’t like the enemies he was used to facing.
Kaden knew he was in for a tough fight. He had taken the weapon versatility feat to prepare for just such a situation. This allowed him to adapt to any conditions.
When the skeletons charged forward, Kaden met them head-on. He deftly blocked their attacks with his sword and then counterattacked.
Before long, the skeletons were nothing but bones on the ground.
Weapon versatility is a great feat to have in your arsenal, pun intended.
In this article, we will discuss what weapon versatility is and what benefits it offers. We will also provide guidance on who should take this feat and when they should do so.
Finally, we will give some examples of how weapon versatility can be useful in various situations.
Table of Contents
Weapon Versatility (Combat)
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: When wielding a weapon with which you have Weapon Focus, you can shift your grip as a swift action so that your weapon deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage instead of the damage type normally dealt by that weapon.
You may switch back to the weapon’s normal damage type or another damage type as a swift action. If your base attack bonus is +5 or higher, using this feat is a free action instead.
Source: Undead Slayer’s Handbook pg. 25
What Is Weapon Versatility?
With Weapon Versatility, characters can use their elite weapon skills to change the type of damage their weapon deals. Using a swift action, the damage type can be changed to either bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing.
This feat can be found in the Undead Slayer’s Handbook, published in 2014. It contains strategies for fighting the undead armies of vampires, liches, and zombies.
Learning to use weapon damage to your advantage is one of the many ways to battle the forces of the undead. For example, you can overcome a skeleton’s resistance to bludgeoning damage with weapon versatility.
How to Use Weapon Versatility
If you’re looking for a feat that can help you in a variety of situations, weapon versatility is the one for you! In order for your character to learn weapon versatility, they must have already taken the weapon focus feat.
The weapon focus feat一found in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook一gives your character a +1 proficiency with the weapon of their choice. This includes ranged weapons and unarmed strikes.
With weapon versatility, your character will take their mastery to another level, changing the damage type by shifting their grip during the heat of combat.
Weapon versatility is particularly useful when you know your GM is going to be using enemies with damage resistances.
If you’re in an adventure where the GM loves to toss a variety of enemies into every combat scenario, having weapon versatility could prove convenient, allowing your character to easily ignore resistances to damage types as they slash or smash their way to victory.
Weapon versatility improves as your character levels up. When your character has a base attack bonus of at least 5, you can change the damage type of your weapon with a free action instead of a swift action.
Who Should Take Weapon Versatility
If your character is committed to using a single type of weapon, weapon versatility may be an ideal feat. No matter which weapon they specialize in, the weapon versatility feat will help them get the most out of it.
With this feat, you can wield your favorite sword or draw your familiar bow with confidence knowing you’re ready for any situation.
While some characters may prefer to carry a bunch of different gear, this can be cumbersome and difficult to manage. Changing weapons during a fight can be dangerous. And while it’s great to go into a fight well-prepared, constant over-preparation can lead to problems.
That’s why weapon versatility is such an incredible feat for characters who know they will be fighting a variety of enemies. It gives them the ability to quickly adapt to any situation, using the weapon they are most comfortable with and dealing the most advantageous damage type.
Playing a Weapon Master
To wield a weapon to its full potential, you need to have weapon focus and weapon versatility as feats. The best class for such a character is probably a fighter.
Rangers would also be good candidates. As mentioned before, this feat is only worth it if you plan to focus on using a particular type of weapon.
A fighter wielding his family’s ancestral sword could take weapon versatility. This would let him change the damage type of his sword. Some rangers never part with their bows, but some creatures are resistant to piercing damage.
With weapon versatility, your ranger could prove that a true marksman knows no limits with weapon versatility.
The best weapons specialists know how to get the most out of their equipment. They can change the damage type to best suit the situation, whether it’s a sword, bow, or dagger.
Weapon versatility is a good feat for any character that wants an edge in combat. With this one feat, you can be prepared for almost any problem. When faced with enemies with resistance to certain types of damage, your character will have no problem overcoming them and dealing the amount of damage they need to win.
Versatile Combat
Weapon versatility gives characters more options when it comes to combat. This can be extremely helpful when your GM is tossing all sorts of enemies your way, creatures with different resistances and vulnerabilities.
But versatility doesn’t just come in handy during fights against the undead or other monsters. It can also help when your character is trying to solve a problem with more than one solution.
By changing the type of damage your weapon deals, you no longer have to rely on the same old tactics. You can switch things up on the fly, adapting to any situation that comes your way.
So if you want to make sure your character is always prepared for anything, take weapon versatility. It could be the difference between success and failure.
How to Improve Weapon Versatility
You can greatly improve your combat skills by finding a magic weapon. This will allow you to overcome a creature’s resistance to non-magic attacks. While you can use weapon versatility to ignore resistance to a particular type of damage, only a magic weapon can hurt an enemy with resistance to non-magical attacks.
Weapon Versatility in Pathfinder 2e
Weapon versatility is a feat from the first edition of Pathfinder. Those playing the second edition of Pathfinder can use other tricks to overcome a creature’s damage resistances. For starters, some weapons in Pathfinder 2e have the versatile trait.
With these weapons, you can change the type of damage every time you attack. Best of all, these weapons don’t require any special feats to use. You’ll just need to be proficient with them to take advantage of their versatility.
Additionally, many spells and class features in the second edition of Pathfinder deal multiple types of damage. With the right combination of magic and abilities, you can overcome any foe.
Fighting Until the End
Weapon versatility can be a great boon to your character in a variety of situations. When GMs throw a variety of enemies into every combat scenario, your character will easily be able to ignore resistances to damage types.
If you’re in an adventure and your character prefers a particular weapon or where the GM loves to keep you on your toes, having weapon versatility could prove to be a valuable asset.
