Hey everyone!

After a lot of feedback, discussions, and balancing adjustments from the community, I’ve just finished Version 3 of my expanded Armor & Weapons system for D&D 5e, developed for my homebrew setting Terrae™.

This system aims to provide multiple viable equipment paths instead of a single universally optimal setup for everyone.

The goal is not realism at all costs, but rather to create equipment choices that actually matter during character creation and gameplay, while still remaining compatible with core 5e rules.

Features:

- Expanded weapon list

- Expanded armor and shield list

- New weapon properties

- Damage-type-based critical hit effects

New in Version 3:

- Major armor rebalance based on community feedback

- Clearer distinction between armor categories

- Reworked tower shield mechanics and restrictions

- Updated weapon names and identities

A huge thank you to everyone who commented on Versions 1 and 2. A large part of V3 exists thanks to community feedback 😄

Hey everyone!

I just finished Version 2 of my expanded Armor & Weapons system for D&D 5e, developed for my homebrew setting Terrae™, and wanted to share it with the community for feedback and balancing ideas.

This project started as a way to make martial combat feel more tactical and flavorful without completely rewriting 5e’s core mechanics.

Features

• Expanded weapon list
• Expanded armor list
• New weapon properties
• Revised shield mechanics
• Revised Strength prerequisites for armors
• Damage-type-based critical hit mechanics

Je travaille sur un système d'armes enrichi pour le Manuel des Joueurs de Terrae™, mon univers de D&D 5e maison.

J'ai toujours trouvé que beaucoup d'armes de la 5e édition manquaient d'identité. Dans la version de base, de nombreuses armes sont mécaniquement très similaires. Une glaive, une hallebarde, une épée longue ou une hache de guerre peuvent sembler interchangeables, et les joueurs choisissent souvent simplement le meilleur dé de dégâts ou la meilleure allonge.

J'ai donc commencé à développer un système d'équipement alternatif visant à donner plus d'identité aux armes.

Le système comprend :

• un choix plus étendu d'armes
• de nouvelles propriétés pour les armes
• des effets de coup critique basés sur le type de dégâts

L'objectif n'est pas de complexifier inutilement les combats, mais de rendre les choix d'équipement plus significatifs et immersifs. J'aimerais beaucoup avoir vos retours sur le système.

N'hésitez pas à utiliser ou adapter les idées pour vos propres jeux.

I’ve been working on an expanded weapon and armor system for the Player Handbook of Terrae™, my homebrew D&D 5e setting.

I always felt many weapons in 5e lacked identity. In vanilla 5e, a lot of weapons are mechanically very close to each other. A glaive, halberd, longsword, or battleaxe can end up feeling interchangeable, and players often just pick the best damage die or reach option.

So I started building an alternative equipment system focused on giving weapons and armor more identity.

The system includes:

• expanded weapon, armor, and shield options
• new weapon properties
• different shield types
• critical hit effects based on damage type

The goal is not to make combat overly complicated, but to make equipment choices feel more meaningful and flavorful.

I’d love to get feedback on the system.
And feel free to use or adapt any ideas for your own games.