D&D 5E Do I get sneak attack if I throw a Rapier or whack someone with my heavy crossbow

[Paul Farquhar]

Right, but according to the tweet from Crawford the thrown rapier would qualify because it's a finesse weapon.

It's not. When it becomes an improvised weapon it is JUST an improvised weapon. It looses any original properties. They only apply when you use the weapon as designed.

The thrown dagger keeps it's "finesse" trait because it is not an improvised weapon.

 

[Umbran]

So, I think hurling a goblin at someone would be a STR attack, personally.

What if it is a really skinny goblin, with a pointy head?

A handaxe is not a Ranged weapon (see PHB p148: the weapons are clearly categorized as Melee or Ranged weapons). A handaxe has the thrown property and when throwing it the PC would make a ranged attack, but that does not qualify it for sneak attack per RAW.

Sneak Attack clearly states (PHB p96) that the weapon must be a finesse or ranged weapon. It does not say “ranged attack”.

Confusing because WotC is using the same term (“ranged”) for two related but different things here.

I agree with Maxperson on this one. The chart is an assist, not a definition. If you take the chart as definition, it negates the text Maxperson quoted, making the rules overall self-contradictory, but if you go with Maxperson's text as definition, they just chose not to double-list items in a chart. The latter is more self-consistent.

 

[Oofta]

It's not. When it becomes an improved weapon it is JUST an improvised weapon. It looses any original properties. They only apply when you use the weapon as designed.

The thrown dagger keeps it's "finesse" trait because it is not an improvised weapon.

In other words, ask your DM.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Note that if an improvised weapon kept the original weapon's properties you would have to load a crossbow in order to hit someone with it...

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Which leaves us back at such stupidity as a thrown rapier gets sneak attack, but a weapon designed for precise throwing(handaxe) does not. Thankfully, this is a rulings over rules edition.

No, because the dagger has BOTH finesse and thrown properties. The rapier does not.

 

[Charlaquin]

It doesn't matter what any of us say. Your DM will make a ruling if you attempt the action. Our responses here will have no impact.

Well, you heard it folks. All discussion here is meaningless. Time to shut down the forums and go home.

 

[Maxperson]

No, because the dagger has BOTH finesse and thrown properties. The rapier does not.

Irrelevant. Sneak Attack says Finesse OR Ranged weapon. There is no RAW requirement for it to be both. By RAW the rapier gets it, or else daggers don't.

Edit: Heck, if it has to be both then only darts get sneak attack. No other ranged weapon does.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Being thrown and having the thrown property are two different things. If they weren't, every weapon would be listed as thrown and have a range.

For an improvised weapon to have the thrown property, it has to be similar enough to a weapon with the thrown property to qualify. Or have a very generous DM.

Which gets back to my point about improvised weapons. They are neither ranged weapons, thrown weapons, nor finesse weapons. In fact, unless an improved weapon resembles an actual weapon (to gain those properties), they have no properties in and of themselves.

That being the case, throwing any improved weapon would not use DEX nor STR.

Likewise, using an improvised weapon to make a melee attack would not use STR, either, as an improvised weapon is not a melee weapon.

FWIW, I am not arguing this is how I would view thing, just a (very) strict reading of the RAW.

Well, you heard it folks. All discussion here is meaningless. Time to shut down the forums and go home.

I wish that had been the case for the last couple days in the climbing tower thread.

 

[TwoSix]

Well, you heard it folks. All discussion here is meaningless. Time to shut down the forums and go home.

Slow down, I still have some things to say about halflings.

 

[billd91]

A handaxe is not a Ranged weapon (see PHB p148: the weapons are clearly categorized as Melee or Ranged weapons). A handaxe has the thrown property and when throwing it the PC would make a ranged attack, but that does not qualify it for sneak attack per RAW.

Sneak Attack clearly states (PHB p96) that the weapon must be a finesse or ranged weapon. It does not say “ranged attack”.

Confusing because WotC is using the same term (“ranged”) for two related but different things here.

Meh, this was the kind of RAW/RAI mindset problem that plagued previous editions. If I'm running, having a rule-defined range qualifies a weapon as a ranged weapon whether it's in the Ranged Weapon section of the weapon table or not. Because it's kind of weird to define it as ranged and yet not ranged.