Heavy
Small creatures have disadvantage with heavy weapons. No restriction for Medium or larger. Includes greatswords, greataxes, heavy crossbows, longbows.
Heavy (Weapon Property)
Heavy weapons are large and unwieldy. Small creatures have disadvantage when attacking with them.
Mechanical effect: A Small or Tiny creature has disadvantage on attack rolls with a heavy weapon. The weapon's size and bulk make it difficult for smaller bodies to wield effectively.
Medium and larger creatures: No penalty. Heavy is only a restriction for Small and Tiny creatures.
Heavy weapons in the SRD:
| Weapon | Damage | Other Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Glaive | 1d10 slashing | Reach, two-handed |
| Greataxe | 1d12 slashing | Two-handed |
| Greatsword | 2d6 slashing | Two-handed |
| Halberd | 1d10 slashing | Reach, two-handed |
| Maul | 2d6 bludgeoning | Two-handed |
| Pike | 1d10 piercing | Reach, two-handed |
| Heavy crossbow | 1d10 piercing | Ammunition, loading, two-handed |
| Longbow | 1d8 piercing | Ammunition, two-handed |
Character creation impact: Halflings and gnomes (Small size) should generally avoid heavy weapons. This is a meaningful constraint for builds that want Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master.
Great Weapon Master feat: Works with heavy weapons specifically — when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 HP with a melee attack using a heavy weapon, you can make one additional melee attack as a bonus action. You can also take -5 to your attack roll to add +10 damage.