Pathfinder 2e Weapon Damage Comparison (Averages)
Pathfinder 2e weapon damage averages, from dagger 2.5 up to greatsword 6.5. Core Rulebook dice with linked converter tool. See all 13 top weapons here.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dagger Cheapest row here. Agile, finesse, thrown 10. | 2.5 damage | Simple knife, 1d4 piercing | Archives of Nethys Dagger ID 3 / Core Rulebook p.280: Damage 1d4 P |
| Shortbow Deadly d10. Range 60. | 3.5 damage | Martial bow, 1d6 piercing | PathDB Shortbow / Core Rulebook: Damage 1d6 P, range 60 |
| Rapier Deadly d8, disarm, finesse. | 3.5 damage | Martial sword, 1d6 piercing | Archives of Nethys Rapier ID 36 / Core Rulebook p.281: Damage 1d6 P |
| Shortsword Agile, finesse, versatile S. | 3.5 damage | Martial sword, 1d6 piercing | Archives of Nethys Shortsword ID 43 / Core Rulebook p.281: Damage 1d6 P |
| Light Hammer Agile, thrown 20. | 3.5 damage | Martial hammer, 1d6 bludgeoning | Archives of Nethys Light Hammer ID 29 / Core Rulebook p.281: Damage 1d6 B |
| Hand Crossbow Range 60. Reload 1. | 3.5 damage | Simple crossbow, 1d6 piercing | Archives of Nethys Hand Crossbow ID 427 / Player Core p.280: Damage 1d6 P |
| Longsword Versatile P. One gp. | 4.5 damage | Martial sword, 1d8 slashing | Archives of Nethys Longsword ID 31 / Core Rulebook p.281: Damage 1d8 S |
| Battle Axe Sweep trait. | 4.5 damage | Martial axe, 1d8 slashing | Archives of Nethys Battle Axe ID 16 / Core Rulebook p.280: Damage 1d8 S |
| Warhammer Shove trait. | 4.5 damage | Martial hammer, 1d8 bludgeoning | Archives of Nethys Warhammer ID 47 / Player Core p.278: Damage 1d8 B |
| Longbow Deadly d10, volley 30, range 100. | 4.5 damage | Martial bow, 1d8 piercing | Archives of Nethys Longbow ID 436 / Player Core p.280: Damage 1d8 P |
| Halberd Reach, versatile S. | 5.5 damage | Martial polearm, 1d10 piercing | Archives of Nethys Halberd ID 26 / Core Rulebook p.280: Damage 1d10 P |
| Greatsword Tied top here. Two hand. | 6.5 damage | Martial sword, 1d12 slashing | Archives of Nethys Greatsword ID 24 / Core Rulebook p.280: Damage 1d12 S |
| Greataxe Tied top here. Sweep. | 6.5 damage | Martial axe, 1d12 slashing | Archives of Nethys Greataxe ID 21 / Core Rulebook p.280: Damage 1d12 S |
About this converter
Pathfinder 2e weapon dice average to half plus one half: 1d4 is 2.5, 1d6 is 3.5, 1d8 is 4.5, 1d10 is 5.5 and 1d12 is 6.5. Daggers sit at 2.5 with agile and finesse. Shortbows, rapiers, shortswords, light hammers and hand crossbows sit at 3.5. Longswords, battle axes, warhammers and longbows sit at 4.5. Halberds reach 5.5 with reach, and greatswords plus greataxes top at 6.5 two handed. Traits, range and hands decide picks as much as dice.
How to use it
Pick two weapons and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 greatsword against daggers to see the two point six to one gap. Averages use die size plus one over two.
Averages ignore runes, traits and crits. Deadly adds dice on crits, fatal swaps dice, and striking runes add whole dice, so built damage runs far above these base rows. Legacy Core Rulebook pages 280 to 282 match Remaster Player Core pages 275 to 280. Maul at 1d12 bludgeoning mirrors the top rows but stays out since its page was not rechecked.
FAQ
What is the average of 1d12 in Pathfinder 2e?
6.5. Greatsword and greataxe both roll 1d12 for 6.5 base.
How much does a longsword average?
4.5 from 1d8 slashing, with versatile piercing. One handed martial.
Why pick a dagger over a greatsword?
Traits. Dagger is agile, finesse and thrown at 2.5, while greatsword needs two hands for 6.5.
Do runes change these numbers?
Yes. Striking runes add full dice on top, so these rows are base dice only.
Sources
- Archives of Nethys Weapons (IDs 3, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29, 31, 36, 43, 427, 436: damage dice and traits)
- Pathfinder Core Rulebook pp.280-282 (Legacy weapon tables)
- Pathfinder Player Core pp.275-280 (Remaster weapon tables, same dice)
- PathDB / Demiplane Nexus (Shortbow 1d6, Longbow range 100 cross-check)
Last verified: 2026-10-01 · 13 entries
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