Surrounded on all sides the warrior simply smiled. In a flash, he started swinging his sword two-handed, carving an opening in the mob of his enemies. The next minute he had a shield on his arm blocking an attack and swinging his Longsword in response.
What is a Longsword 5e?
The Longsword is one of the most recognizable weapons in the world. They’re named not for their longer blade, but for their longer grip.
Historically, this allowed them to be used with two hands and allowed for more powerful swings at the cost of using both hands. They were popularly used during the late medieval and early Renaissance periods.
Longsword 5e Stats
| Cost | 15gp |
| Damage | 1d8 Slashing |
| Weight | 3 lbs |
| Special Properties | Versatile (1d10) |
The Longsword is one of the standard weapons in DnD.
Who Can Use the Longsword in 5e?
There are a few classes and races that start with proficiency with longswords. Any class that has Martial proficiency can use longswords effectively.
There are also a few races that start out specifically with Longsword proficiency regardless of their class. Wood Elves and High Elves also gain Longsword proficiency upon character creation through their Elf Weapon Training ability.
In addition, when choosing a subclass players will sometimes be granted additional proficiencies and there are a few that grant Longsword Proficiency.
The following classes and races start with Longsword Weapon Proficiency.
- High Elves
- Wood Elves
- Barbarian
- Bard
- Fighter
- Paladin
- Ranger
- Rogue
- Battle Smith Specialist (Artificer)
- Tempest Domain (Cleric)
- Twilight Domain (Cleric)
- War Domain (Cleric)
- Way of the Kensei (Monk)
- Hexblade Patron (Warlock)
- Bladesinging (Wizard)
As you can see, most characters will have access to Longsword proficiency one way or another, making it one of the most common and popular weapons in DnD.
How to Use a Longsword in 5e
The Longsword has the Versatile property which means that it can be wielded both one-handed and two-handed. The standard damage wielded one-handed is 1d8, and it increases to 1d10 when wielded in both hands.
This is one of the major advantages of the Longsword. By carrying a shield you’ll be able to deal a respectable 1d8 and have a +2 AC. If you need an extra damage boost all you need to do is sling your shield over your shoulder and start hacking away with the improved 1d8.
Players using a longsword will be able to easily swap between defense and damage depending upon the upcoming fight.
If you’re looking for more versatility and have the gold to spare, like most standard weapons they can be silvered by any standard blacksmith. This adds a coating of silver to the weapon at the cost of 100gp. It doesn’t add any extra damage, but the silver weapons tend to bypass normal damage resistance and are able to hit creatures that require a magical weapon.
Longsword 5e FAQs
Can Dexterity be used instead of Strength?
Unless you have a special ability saying otherwise, the Longsword can’t use Dexterity when calculating Damage or Attack rolls. This is because it does not have the Finesse ability. If you beg or bribe your DM you might be able to get away with it, but as the rules are written you must use your strength.
Certain characters have special abilities to use different ability modifiers. Hexblade, for example, would be able to use its Charisma modifier when calculating attack roles because of its special abilities.
How much does a longsword cost?
The standard cost according to the Player’s Handbook is 15gp and if a player wants it Silvered, it should only cost an extra 100gp.
Can I dual-wield longswords?
Absolutely! Not well, but you can do it. Longswords don’t have the Light property and aren’t suited for dual wielding, but a particularly inventive or determined player can build a dual-wielding swordsman.
This, of course, will negate the Versatile property of the weapon since you won’t be able to two-hand the weapon…unless you have 3 or more hands.
How much do longswords weigh?
Historically, longswords averaged about 2-3.5 lbs or 1-2 kg. So if a character can swing around less than 5lbs, they should be able to swing a longsword regardless of race, gender, or class.
Before starting GameCows with his wife Kendra, he used to teach English Language Arts in the US. He combined his love of gaming with education to create fun game-based learning lessons until he eventually decided to run GameCows with Kendra full-time. He’s known for pouring over rulebooks in his spare time, being the rule master during game night, and as the perma DM in his DnD group. Bryan loves board games, writing, traveling, and above all his wife and partner in crime, Kendra.