“Swift defeat to my enemies.” the voice whispered in the wind. Looking around the merchant could see nothing, but the voice nagged at him.
Suddenly, he looked down and there was an arrow sticking out of his chest.
“That’s odd”, the merchant thought as he began to fall. He was dead before he felt a thing.
Table of Contents
Oathbow 5e Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Longbow |
| Rarity | Very Rare (requires attunement) |
| Weight | 2 lbs. |
| Estimated Value | 3,500 gp |
| Damage | 1d8 Piercing |
| Range | 150/600 ft |
| Properties | Ammunition, Range (150/600), Heavy, Two-handed |
Oathbow 5e Description
According to the Dungeon Master’s Guide page 183, the Oathbow works as follows:
When you nock an arrow on this bow, it whispers in Elvish, “Swift defeat to my enemies.” When you use this weapon to make a ranged attack, you can, as a command phrase, say, “Swift death to you who have wronged me.” The target of your attack becomes your sworn enemy until it dies or until dawn seven days later.
You can have only one such sworn enemy at a time. When your sworn enemy dies, you can choose a new one after the next dawn.
When you make a ranged attack roll with this weapon against your sworn enemy, you have Advantage on the roll. In addition, your target gains no benefit from cover, other than total cover, and you suffer no Disadvantage due to long range.
If the attack hits, your sworn enemy takes an extra 3d6 piercing damage. While your sworn enemy lives, you have Disadvantage on attack rolls with all other weapons. Proficiency with a longbow allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
How Oathbow 5e Works
The Oathbow is an amazing weapon for those who can use a Longbow. It packs an incredible punch and is perfect for taking down high HP enemies, like dungeon bosses.
After speaking the activation phrase, you’ll get Advantage on all attack rolls using the Oatbow against your sworn enemy, regardless of range or cover. That means you can make attacks with Advantage up to 600ft consistently against a sworn enemy.
In addition, the extra 3d6 damage stacks with others. If you have a Rogue using their sneak attack or a Fighter with multiple attacks you can potentially deal damage in the triple digits on a single turn.
Oathbow 5e FAQs
If I use the Oathbow on targets other than my sworn enemy, do I have Disadvantage on the attack?
No. While using the Oathbow against a target other than your sworn enemy the Oathbow works like a regular Longbow.
If using a weapon other than the Oathbow and your sworn enemy is alive, the Weapon would grant Disadvantage.
How much is Oathbow worth?
The Oathbow is worth approximately 3,500 gp.
Does Oathbow require attunement?
Yes, the Oathbow requires attunement to use its special features.
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.