D&D (2024) Rogues can now Sneak Attack with all thrown weapons - Tridents, Spears, Handaxes, they all work!

[mellored]

This is incorrect. It either says Ammunition or Thrown. It does not say Ranged in the table headings.

Yes. On the left, there are 2 sections.
Simple Melee Weapons.
Club...
...
Simple Ranged Weapon.
Dart..
...

 

[Maxperson]

I am clicking on THE WORD IN THE SNEAK ATTACK DESCRIPTION. That leads you directly to "Range." That is in fact what WOTC says it means. There isn't any doubt that's what happens. The only doubt is people claiming they did that by mistake. But I didn't look in the wrong place - that is the correct place to look according to DNDBeyond. Not the headers - WOTC points it to that Range definition. I thought posting the actual graphic of it happening would make that clear.

The mistake you are making is in assuming that the link means all weapons with range can be used with sneak attack.

That link can, would, and does lead there because ranged weapons and daggers use range, so of course it would go to that spot. That link does not equate to all weapons with the range property being usable for sneak attack, though.

Links do not absolve you(general you) from knowing and understanding the written rules. It is in my opinion silly to think that WotC would both limit sneak attack to finesse(agile weapons) and also big unwieldy polearms that you can throw. Those two things are at odds with one another.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't know. Remember, melee attack and melee weapon attack were different in 5e. Those seemed to be the same to most people I know who read it.

“Melee attack,” by itself, was never a thing in the 2014 rules. There were melee weapon attacks, and melee spell attacks. What was confusing about it was that not all “melee weapon attacks” were attacks with melee weapons. The primary example being unarmed strikes, which are attacks and are not spells, so would fall under the “melee weapon attack” category, despite being definitionally an attack you make without a weapon.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think this whole mess could have been avoided if, instead of using the term "Range," they used the term "Distance" to denote how far you could throw a weapon or shoot ammunition.

Better yet, separate the “ranged weapon” category into missile weapons and firearms. With firearm as a unique category, you have a hook to hang special rules on, such as the fact that their ammunition is destroyed upon use (which the 2014 DMG specifies and the 2024 PHB neglects to). Or, making firearm proficiency a separate thing from simple and martial melee and missile weapon proficiencies.

 

[Mistwell]

Yes. On the left, there are 2 sections.
Simple Melee Weapons.
Club...
...
Simple Ranged Weapon.
Dart..
...

This thread would go so much better if everyone read the whole thing before replying.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I am clicking on THE WORD IN THE SNEAK ATTACK DESCRIPTION. That leads you directly to "Range." That is in fact what WOTC says it means. There isn't any doubt that's what happens. The only doubt is people claiming they did that by mistake. But I didn't look in the wrong place - that is the correct place to look according to DNDBeyond. Not the headers - WOTC points it to that Range definition. I thought posting the actual graphic of it happening would make that clear.

How can you click it. For me only the word finesse is clickable.

And even then, you are looking in the wrong place.

 

[Mistwell]

The mistake you are making is in assuming that the link means all weapons with range can be used with sneak attack.

I am not making that mistake. IF it's a mistake, WOTC's programmers are the ones who made it. Not. me.

That link can, would, and does lead there because ranged weapons and daggers use range, so of course it would go to that spot. That link does not equate to all weapons with the range property being usable for sneak attack, though.

It does. Because that entire section has nothing to do with a specific weapon at all. It is in fact the very definition of when you can make a sneak attack, where they tell you directly that you can do it with a finesse weapon or a ranged weapon, and then they tell you the definition of a ranged weapon is the definition of a range weapon.

If you don't like that, take it up with WOTC.

Links do not absolve you(general you) from knowing and understanding the written rules. It is in my opinion silly to think that WotC would both limit sneak attack to finesse(agile weapons) and also big unwieldy polearms that you can throw. Those two things are at odds with one another.

I understand it just fine. I have no issue with a trident being used as a ranged weapon applicable to sneak attack and do not find it silly. You do have such a problem. OK, take it up with WOTC for defining it that way in DNDBeyond. To me it makes good sense.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

No man, you click on the word in the sneak attack ability itself and it takes you to the Range definition, which includes Ammunition OR Thrown weapons. This is from the Sneak Attack entry itself. That's what WOTC programmed it to be on DNDBeyond. Which is why I said all this debate aside, that's the current rule until they fix it.

No man. This is the finesse property you click on.

Correction:
Indeed in the book itself in the source section it does. In the games rules section under classes however it does not. I was looking there.

So this must be a mistake in one place.

I am 100% sure the PHB section has it wrong.

 

[pukunui]

This thread would go so much better if everyone read the whole thing before replying.

So many threads!

 

[Mistwell]

No man. Thisnis the finesse property you click on.

No, it's not. Go try it yourself. Damn, do I need to make a video? No really, multiple people in this very thread have tried it and posted the word Ranged in that paragraph takes you to the definition of Range which includes weapons with either the Ammunition property or Thrown property. My screen shot is real. Why would the Finesse property pop up with the definition of Range?