Can you throw a handaxe without training in any ranged weapon style?

[pwnedd]

Barbarians are only skilled in using simple/military melee weapons. Do they suffer any penalty when using something like a handaxe which can be thrown?

 

[Shin Okada]

It is called proficiency, not style.

But anyway, Handaxe is classified as a One-Handed Military Melee Weapon. Thus a Barbarian is proficient in it. If you are proficient in a certain type of weapon, you can add proficiency bonus to any weapon attacks using it. Whether an attack is ranged or melee (or close or area) is irrelevant.

 

[pwnedd]

Cool. I thought that was the case. Thanks for the response!

 

[MatthewJHanson]

What Shin Okada said.

Plus you can use a weapon that you are not proficient with, you just do not gain the proficiency bonus. So your barbarian could use a long bow, but he would not get the +2 proficiency bonus to attack rolls.

 

[Zaran]

I wonder why they did not give barbarians the training to use bows in the first place. Seems like most would know how to do that even if it wasn't their specialty. Much like the Fighter.

 

[Herschel]

Because Barbarians are melee and strength characters. Their ranged weapons of choice would be javelins and spears (or other versatile heavy thrown weapons).

 

[Mengu]

Because Barbarians are melee and strength characters. Their ranged weapons of choice would be javelins and spears (or other versatile heavy thrown weapons).

I've seen plenty of 16-18 dex barbarians. I think they would be competent with a bow if they were trained. Of course, they won't be near as competent as slayers.

 

[Herschel]

One of the four builds favors high Dex, and that's not a "traditional" barbarian build. If they want a bow, feat it in.

 

[RLBURNSIDE]

I'd like to know

what encounter powers I can steal from Barbarian for heavy thrown weapons. It sucks that rangers get really sub-optimal Heavy Thrown attacks. Quick Throw is kind of...why?

If they're gonna support heavy thrown weaponry they need to...you know, support it. I don't even know of a single class that actually favors this fighting style in a good way (using Str as the attack stat).

Seriously, a hand ax is heavy thrown and uses Str, except when you're a ranger, or whatever. The rules don't make sense. Another reason why Essentials are better designed, though weaker. With powers that key off ranged basic attacks, it is possible to use Strength and heavy thrown weapons with multi-attacks. (I think)....I'll ask this in another thread.

 

[WalterKovacs]

what encounter powers I can steal from Barbarian for heavy thrown weapons. It sucks that rangers get really sub-optimal Heavy Thrown attacks. Quick Throw is kind of...why?

If they're gonna support heavy thrown weaponry they need to...you know, support it. I don't even know of a single class that actually favors this fighting style in a good way (using Str as the attack stat).

Seriously, a hand ax is heavy thrown and uses Str, except when you're a ranger, or whatever. The rules don't make sense. Another reason why Essentials are better designed, though weaker. With powers that key off ranged basic attacks, it is possible to use Strength and heavy thrown weapons with multi-attacks. (I think)....I'll ask this in another thread.

It was only in MP3 that they started to support the "melee + heavy thrown" ranger with both powers that were Dex but melee or Str but ranged attacks (admitedly, any str based ranger would probably need at least an ok Dex for their AC unless they spent the feats on heavier armor)

As for ranged weapon powers that use Str, I believe the MP2 Warlord got a bunch of ranged attacks to support their "lead from the rear" build. They were able to use bows, but the attacks were still STR based.