Dexterity based melee questions

[Wan Yao]

I'm asking this specifically because I'm playing a Lolth-sworn Drow war cleric and ideally I want her to use the signature Drow weapon: a rapier.

I want to know if I have this right: "regular" melee weapons use Str for hit and damage; finesse weapons use Dex; and versatile weapons use whichever of the two is best. Correct?

All the war domain guides tell you stack strength, but is it possible to do what I want to do, i.e., stack dexterity and wield finesse and versatile weapons (and be good at ranged attacks, too)? Isn't it possible to do for any melee class?

Is there maybe something in war domain's powers that maybe I'm missing?

[Husker_85]

Close; finesse weapons use either dexterity or strength and versatile weapons use only strength. They're called 'versatile' because they do more damage when wielded with no weapon or shield equipped in the offhand, making them useful for duelist builds or sword-and-board.

[ShadowDark3]

You're correct about "regular" melee weapons, but have finesse and versatile a little muddled.

Versatile weapons also use strength for hit and damage, but can be used in either one or two hands, and use a larger damage die when used in two hands.

Finesse weapons can dexterity OR strength to hit and damage, and will use whichever score is higher.

[SpaceWombat]

Strength applies to any melee weapon. Finesse will use dex, but will still scale with strength if thats higher ( except range weapons ).

Versatile doesn't have anything to do with abilities. It just refers to it having different damage depending on if its one-handed or two-handed

[Wan Yao]

Originally posted by ShadowDark3:

You're correct about "regular" melee weapons, but have finesse and versatile a little muddled.

Versatile weapons also use strength for hit and damage, but can be used in either one or two hands, and use a larger damage die when used in two hands.

Finesse weapons can dexterity OR strength to hit and damage, and will use whichever score is higher.

Ok, right, I actually knew that. About versatile weapons. But got confused.

So, a Dex-based melee character (based on finesse weapons) is possible, right?

[Husker_85]

Originally posted by Wan Yao:

Ok, right, I actually knew that. About versatile weapons. But got confused.

So, a Dex-based melee character (based on finesse weapons) is possible, right?

Yes, a high dex, low strength character can still do competitive damage with finesse weapons. If you decide to use scimitars you'll find that you're probably the only person in your party than can even use them, so any scimitar the party picks up will get handed to you. But rapiers are super good and as long as you don't have a Bard in your party you probably won't have to share those either.

[psychotron666]

Versatile does more damage if used with an empty second hand. I don't think there is any versatile weapon that uses dex.

The one exception is that a monk at level 2 can make any weapon they are proficient with as a monk weapon, which can attack with dex. So you can use a long sword two handed (versatile) with dexterity if you're a monk and somehow have proficiency (either through racials like elf or multi classing).

[Cthulhu]

there is some weapon and even a pike or alberd whit finesse feature

[Zsrai]

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Versatile does more damage if used with an empty second hand. I don't think there is any versatile weapon that uses dex.

The one exception is that a monk at level 2 can make any weapon they are proficient with as a monk weapon, which can attack with dex. So you can use a long sword two handed (versatile) with dexterity if you're a monk and somehow have proficiency (either through racials like elf or multi classing).

There are 2 finesse long swords in the game, which are versatile, and also a pike and a glaive, IIRC.

[Dallas S]

Originally posted by Zsrai:

Originally posted by psychotron666:

Versatile does more damage if used with an empty second hand. I don't think there is any versatile weapon that uses dex.

The one exception is that a monk at level 2 can make any weapon they are proficient with as a monk weapon, which can attack with dex. So you can use a long sword two handed (versatile) with dexterity if you're a monk and somehow have proficiency (either through racials like elf or multi classing).

There are 2 finesse long swords in the game, which are versatile, and also a pike and a glaive, IIRC.

Ah that's some larian homebrew stuff then because there's nothing like that in 5e

[Kernest]

Originally posted by Dallas S:

Ah that's some larian homebrew stuff then because there's nothing like that in 5e

It's technically homebrew yes, but any DM making up their a special weapon could do the same.

It's not like they made all longswords Finesse or some blatant change like that.

[talemore]

What's a war domain guide?

You assume they know if you think versatile is strength-based it is not true.

Versatile means it can be used with one or two hands but there is a drow weapon who is both finesse and versatile.

All those guides tells to stack strength &depending on what?

If you use a ranged weapon like a thrown two handed spear it is depending on strength even when it is a ranged weapon.

You not provide enough to understand how you think. Why use strength on a war cleric, clerics don't use strength for their magic or weapons. They gain points who can be used for actions. These actions do not matter what yiu use it for. If you go for always tavern brawler, who write those guides has tunnel vision