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

[DND_Reborn]

Ranged isn’t a weapon property.

An improvised weapon is not a ranged weapon. You can only add DEX to attacks made with ranged weapons. Ranged weapons are a group, not a property.

Attack Rolls and Damage​

You add your Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and your damage roll when attacking with a ranged weapon, such as a sling or a longbow. You can also add your Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and your damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon that has the finesse property, such as a dagger or a rapier.

Throwing an improvised weapon gives it a range, but does not make it a ranged weapon.

 

[Charlaquin]

An improvised weapon is not a ranged weapon. You can only add DEX to attacks made with ranged weapons. Ranged weapons are a group, not a property.



Throwing an improvised weapon gives it a range, but does not make it a ranged weapon.

Agreed.

 

[Hriston]

Well, I disagree. If you throw an improvised weapon, it has a range and is, in fact, thrown. But if that's your logic, no worries.

Also, by your logic, it wouldn't use DEX, either, because it does not have the "ranged" property, either.

You are making a ranged weapon attack with it, so it uses Dexterity.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

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.

If you are throwing a melee weapon, yes the weapon needs both the thrown and finesse properties to qualify for sneak attack. Because thrown by itself does not qualify. See my response to Umbran above.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

You are making a ranged weapon attack with it, so it uses Dexterity.

Thrown handaxes, for example, use Str. Only thrown finesse weapons get the choice of Dex or Str. Therefore, I'd rule that thrown improvised weapons use Str.

EDIT: I stand corrected... it would be Dex for ranged attacks with improvised weapons. Only weapons with the thrown property use Str and only finesse weapons with the thrown property get to choose Dex or Str.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Agreed.

It is an interesting strict reading IMO.

It basically means unless an improvised weapon is similar enough to a real weapon (thus becoming that weapon), you should never add your STR nor DEX modifier to attack or damage rolls.

You are making a ranged weapon attack with it, so it uses Dexterity.

Yes you are making a ranged (improvised) weapon attack, but that doesn't make it a ranged weapon. You must use a ranged weapon or a finesse weapon with the thrown property to use DEX. An improvised weapon has no properties and is neither a ranged nor melee weapon, it is an improvised weapon.

See post #61 for particulars.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Therefore, I'd rule that thrown improvised weapons use Str.

Personally, I would agree.

But by a strict reading of the rules, you wouldn't, because although you "throw" it, it lacks the thrown property.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Personally, I would agree.

But by a strict reading of the rules, you wouldn't, because although you "throw" it, it lacks the thrown property.

EDIT: Therefore, I'd rule that a ranged attack using an improvised weapon uses Str.
Better?

EDITED EDIT: I was wrong.... it's Dex... see below...

 

[Hriston]

Thrown handaxes, for example, use Str. Only thrown finesse weapons get the choice of Dex or Str. Therefore, I'd rule that thrown improvised weapons use Str.

That’s because a handaxe has the thrown property. A dead goblin does not have the thrown property, therefore making a ranged weapon attack with one defaults to the normal rules for ranged weapon attacks, which is that they use Dexterity.

 

[Charlaquin]

It is an interesting strict reading IMO.

It basically means unless an improvised weapon is similar enough to a real weapon (thus becoming that weapon), you should never add your STR nor DEX modifier to attack or damage rolls.


Yes you are making a ranged (improvised) weapon attack, but that doesn't make it a ranged weapon. You must use a ranged weapon or a finesse weapon with the thrown property to use DEX. An improvised weapon has no properties and is neither a ranged nor melee weapon, it is an improvised weapon.

See post #61 for particulars.

Whether a weapon is a melee weapon or a ranged weapon doesn’t actually matter for the purposes of determining whether you add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the attack and damage roll. What matters is whether it’s a ranged weapon attack or a melee weapon attack (we know from Unarmed Strikes that an attack doesn’t need to be made with a melee weapon to count as a melee weapon attack; it follows logically that the same is true of ranged weapons and ranged weapon attacks).

From the combat section:

The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the Finesse or Thrown property break this rule.