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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cernor" data-source="post: 6526614" data-attributes="member: 6780066">However, if you use only the bolded text to determine what type of weapon is being used, then any ranged weapon used within 5 feet of an enemy necessarily becomes a melee weapon, despite still being used to make a ranged weapon attack. Unless firing an arrow from a bow at an enemy within 5 feet of you counts as a melee weapon attack (hence ignoring your disadvantage for making a ranged weapon attack while a hostile creature is within 5 feet of you), because it would become a melee weapon based on the circumstances.Be warned: long post ahead taking every piece of relevant information (that I can find, I may have missed something) about weapon attacks and throwing them into the "specific beats general" mindset.[SBLOCK]Let's find the definition of weapons, then put it into the basis of "specific beats general". At the beginning of the Weapons category, it's stated that every weapon is either a melee weapon or ranged weapon. It is also stated that melee weapons are used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, while a ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.Right here we have two general rules about weapons. Barring any specific cases, these two facts must be true:1. Every weapon is classified as either a melee weapon or a ranged weapon.2. Every melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, while every ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.In the "Weapon Proficiency" section, no text provides further clarification; the above two points still stand. However, we get to the "Weapon Properties" section and a few specific rules show up which contradict the second of the previous statements:3. If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon; that is, it deals 1d4 damage and requires a separate proficiency.4. A weapon with the reach property adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it; that is, a melee weapon with reach can be used to attack a creature within 10 feet instead of 5.5. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would for a melee attack with the weapon.Point 5 brings up a question as to the inherent differences between a melee attack and a ranged attack: we must now find general rules that state these differences so that we can understand what, exactly, this specific rule beats. In Chapter 7: Using Ability Scores, we find:6. You add your Strength modifier to your attack roll and damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon such as a mace, a battleaxe, or a javelin. You use melee weapons to make melee attacks in hand-to-hand combat, and some of them can be thrown to make a ranged attack.7. 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 damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon that has the finesse property, such as a dagger or rapier.We can see that the book distinguishes between melee weapons and melee weapon attacks, as well as ranged weapons and ranged weapon attacks. Although ranged weapons are primarily used to make ranged weapon attacks and melee weapons are primarily used to make melee weapon attacks, there are some cases where ranged weapons are used to make melee weapon attacks and some where melee weapons are used to make ranged weapon attacks. We can also see a fourth specific rule from point 7: weapons with the finesse property can use Dexterity as their ability modifier for melee attacks.General rule 1: Every weapon is classified as either a melee weapon or a ranged weapon.General rule 2: Every melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, while every ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance.General rule 3: You add your Strength modifier to your attack roll and damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon such as a mace, a battleaxe, or a javelin. You use melee weapons to make melee attacks in hand-to-hand combat, and some of them can be thrown to make a ranged attack.General rule 4: 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 damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon that has the finesse property, such as a dagger or rapier.Specific rule 1: If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon; that is, it deals 1d4 damage and requires a separate proficiency.Specific rule 2: A weapon with the reach property adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it; that is, a melee weapon with reach can be used to attack a creature within 10 feet instead of 5.Specific rule 3: If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would for a melee attack with the weapon.Specific rule 4: When making an attack with the finesse property, you use your choice of Strength or Dexterity for your attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.Ramifications of Specific rule 1: This means that General rule 2 must not necessarily be true, because a ranged weapon can be used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, making a melee attack.Ramifications of Specific rule 2: This also means the part of General rule 2 regarding melee weapons is not necessarily true, because not every melee weapon must be used to attack a target within 5 feet of you.Ramifications of Specific rule 3: This, in conjunction with Specific rules 1 and 2, makes General rule 2 entirely obsolete; some melee weapons can be used to make a ranged attack against targets not necessarily within 5 feet of you.Ramifications of Specific rule 4: With General rule 4 making an allowance for the finesse property, this rule simply stops General rule 3 from encompassing all melee weapons.The table of weapons acts as a specific rule, and is the only place where the assumptions of General rule 1 might be challenged. However, lacking any specific instances where a weapon is considered both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon, we are forced to conclude that General rule 1 is true in all cases: every weapon is either a melee weapon or a ranged weapon, regardless of whether it's currently being used to make a melee weapon attack or a ranged weapon attack. Thus, we have the following rules regarding weapons and weapon attacks:1. Every weapon is either a melee weapon or a ranged weapon.2. You add your Strength modifier to your attack roll and damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon, whether the attack is a melee attack or ranged attack. If a weapon has the finesse property, you use your choice of Strength or Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls.3. You add your Dexterity modifier to your attack and damage roll when attacking with a ranged weapon, whether the attack is a ranged attack or a melee attack. If a weapon has the finesse property, you use your choice of Strength or Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls.4. A ranged weapon with the ammunition property used to make a melee attack is considered an improvised weapon, and uses the rules described therein.[/SBLOCK]Phew, glad that's done with. I'm afraid that no weapon can belong to the subsets of both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon; the rules are extremely clear on that. The reason the bolded text you called out is there is to give a(n extremely) rough guideline as to what ranged and melee weapons are before going into further detail later on in the book.</blockquote>

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