D&D 5E Thrown weapons and paradoxes.

[Bohemond D'Arlac]

I was wondering whether carrying a Net as contingency measure against flying opponents could be a good idea for my Str. based Eldritch Knight, and I checked the rules for thrown weapons on the PHB. I found out that only melee weapons with the Thrown property may benefit from the Str. mod; as a martial ranged weapon the Net can only be used with Dex. I noticed that there is only another ranged thrown weapon, i.e. the Dart, which also has the Finesse property.

As the definition of the Finesse property generically refers to attack rolls, with no differentiation between melee and ranged, it occurs to me that it Finesse would make it possible to use the Str. modifier in place of Dex. when attacking at range with the Dart. Is this counterintuitive reading correct?

 

[Thyrwyn]

Yep. Finesse allows either DEX or STR to be used. Also note that Darts can be used to make a melee attack without disadvantage since they do not have the Ammunition property.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Your reading is correct, in that thrown darts (like thrown daggers) can use strength or dex since they are finesse weapons, and nets cannot.

Further, I think it makes sense that a thrown net shouldn't use strength; it should be Dexterity. There's a problem, though, and it's not only the special rule allowing only one attack per round when using nets (p. 148). The range of the net is 5', which means you are in melee range. But it's a ranged weapon, which means that unless you have the crossbow expert feat, every attack made with a net is normally going to be with disadvantage. I can't believe that's intended, but it is what the rules say, i believe. So before using a net, you'd need to talk to your DM anyways.

I do think there is a use for strength with nets, though, and while I've not seen it in play, I would encourage you to talk to your DM to allow it:

I think you should be able to hold onto your net, and if you use it against an opponent within melee range, you should be allowed to hold on to the net. Then, instead of a DC 10 strength check, it can be an opposed strength check.

 

[bedir than]

I'm thinking of tweaking the range on the net to 10/20 and adding in the opposed strength you just mentioned but only if the thrower chooses to maintain a hold of it

 

[Thyrwyn]

Just 'cause it sounds weird you can throw the net 15' without disadvantage if you have the Sharpshooter Feat...

 

[miniaturehoarder]

The range of the net is 5', which means you are in melee range. But it's a ranged weapon, which means that unless you have the crossbow expert feat, every attack made with a net is normally going to be with disadvantage. I can't believe that's intended, but it is what the rules say, i believe. So before using a net, you'd need to talk to your DM anyways.

Seems fine to me, dropping fliers should not be easy IMHO. Mearls seems to agree...

Mythic @MythicApplsauce
@mikemearls Do nets (thrown) use STR or DEX for attack rolls? Are they exempt from close combat disadvantage, as normal range is only 5feet?
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Mike Mearls @mikemearls
@MythicApplsauce Dex, since you can't make melee attacks with it. still take disad in close combat despite range

 

[Kobold Stew]

Seems fine to me, dropping fliers should not be easy IMHO. Mearls seems to agree...

Except it's not dropping flyers; it's attacking someone within melee range. The tweet you post agrees with me on the interpretation of the rules; still doesn't make it sensible.

 

[Erik42]

The net probably should have been classified as a melee weapon really. If you look at how it was used by gladiators, they weren't tossing it more than a few feet at their opponents. Often, they would hold it and use it to try and disarm or trip their opponent. And it was a heavy thing, about 3m across and weighted. Strength would be more important to hit with it than dex, imo.

 

[ExploderWizard]

The net probably should have been classified as a melee weapon really. If you look at how it was used by gladiators, they weren't tossing it more than a few feet at their opponents. Often, they would hold it and use it to try and disarm or trip their opponent. And it was a heavy thing, about 3m across and weighted. Strength would be more important to hit with it than dex, imo.

It depends on the circumstances. In a one on one match the use you describe makes sense. In team combat, more options open up. In those circumstances a retiarius, while guarded by other fighters, could wield the net in both hands swinging it and throwing it quite a ways. In a single matchup he would be too exposed to hope to survive such a tactic.

if we apply this to 5E then we could rule that the range using the net two handed could be 20/30 but that such use would require your entire turn-no movement or reactions due to the time it takes to swing the net with enough force to throw it that far.

 

[Leatherhead]

I say we bring back the mancatcher, lasso, and bolas while we are tweaking with ranged ways to restrain things.