[RPG] Are there mechanics that will make improvised weapon attacks magical for a pure fighter

dnd-5efighterimprovised-weaponrymagic

I'm looking at the Tavern Brawler Feat and realizing that it is likely going to drop in effectiveness as a character levels up and encounters more monsters resistant/immune to non-magical attacks.

Are there ways for a pure fighter to be able to make an improvised weapon attack magical for the means of bypassing resistance/immunity?

Best Answer

Get yourself an Infernal Banner

The description of the Battle Standard of Infernal Power (a very rare magic item) from the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus adventure (p. 223) includes the following benefit:

While you hold the banner, your weapon attacks and those of all allied creatures within 300 feet of you count as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage immunities and resistances.

So if you, or one of your allies, is holding the banner your weapon attacks count as magical, even the improvised weapon attack you make with an old frying pan or dead goblin imp.

Use magic items as your improvised weapon

From the Monster Manual section on "Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities" (p. 8; emphasis mine; note errata):

a magical attack is an attack delivered by a spell, a magic item, or another magical source

This doesn't require the magic item to be a weapon (normally), so if you hit someone with, say, a Broom of Flying, it is an improvised weapon attack and it is magical.


There is some disagreement whether the above works (see here and here at your own risk), arguing that magic items don't count as magical weapons when used as improvised weapons. This I agree with; however, the resistance is against nonmagical attacks and, by the above quote, an attack is magical when delivered by a magic item.

Regardless of the rules-quarreling, I need only imagine a burly fighter wail at a golem with a Broom of Flying to know that attacks delivered through the medium of an enchanted broom is in fact, magical (in more ways than one).