D&D 5E Nets and sharpshooter

[TwoSix]

I was thinking of it as wrapping the entire net around their neck.

It’s like the John Wick of net users.

 

[fearsomepirate]

Net damage, never. Sage Advice replied the intent of the net is that it never does damage. Because the net does no damage, you're not adding +10 to 0. Instead, you're trying to add +10 to something that isn't a number.

D&D segfaults when you try to get the value of a net's damage.

 

[auburn2]

Does sharpshooter work with nets and other thrown weapons?

If so, a character can take a -5 penalty to attack, attack from 15’ away, and do 10 damage + restrain on a hit right?

So the main problem is what kind of damage? piercing? slashing?

I think I would give it the +10 and make it slashing damage.

 

[Mistwell]

This isn't a basketball thread?

 

[TwoSix]

This isn't a basketball thread?

As a Philly fan, I think the Nets have enough sharpshooters, thanks.

 

[Mistwell]

As a Philly fan, I think the Nets have enough sharpshooters, thanks.

Oh yeesh, you guys got our old coach, Doc. Have fun with that

 

[Rabulias]

First 2 benefits of the feat (no disadvantage long range, ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover) apply to "ranged weapon attacks." See Sage Advice (first 2 benefits apply to daggers, but not the 3rd). The "thrown" weapon quality allows it be used to make a "ranged weapon attack" but does not change it from being a melee weapon without the "ranged" quality.

So, the Net would gain these benefits as a ranged weapon anyways, as would a thrown dagger. The 3rd benefit is for a weapon with the "ranged" quality, so negative on daggers. The language gets a bit confusing because they're intermixing "ranged weapon attack" with "ranged weapon."

I always assumed the melee weapons that could be used as ranged weapons were listed only once in the table to avoid repetition and save space. It seems an odd distinction to me that just because you could use a weapon as a melee weapon, it cannot get the extra damage benefit from Sharpshooter. So you could get +10 damage with a dart, but not a javelin or a dagger. That does not seem right...

 

[trentonjoe]

I’m sure the intent is that you can’t get the +10 damage, but the mental image of throwing your net SO HARD you can kill commoners is funny enough I want to allow it.

Yeah, I get that the rules forbid it but is it unbalancing in some way to allow it?
I realize that it opens up a can of worms with the thief dice and attribute damage but does it have an unintended consequence of somehow making the net some superior weapon?

 

[TwoSix]

Yeah, I get that the rules forbid it but is it unbalancing in some way to allow it?
I realize that it opens up a can of worms with the thief dice and attribute damage but does it have an unintended consequence of somehow making the net some superior weapon?

I don't see how, as a practical matter, it could be unbalancing. Nets are insanely restricted, and this doesn't do anything to make them less so. Using the -5 makes it actively worse at its primary job, which is catching stuff.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

So you're a Battlemaster 5/Ranger 2 with Sharpshooter. Since you got Archery from the Ranger dip you made your Fighter fighting style thrown weapon fighting. Then you use the new Quick Toss maneuver (one of the only ways it makes sense to use a net) to throw it on your bonus action. You don't have disadvantage because of Sharpshooter, and take the -5 to hit for +10 damage. You hit and mark the enemy as your Favored Foe.

If you do +10 damage then Favored Foe gives you a +1d4 "the first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it". Because you are now rolling damage, Quick Toss adds the d8 maneuver die to the damage, and Thrown Weapon Fighting adds +2.

Now it bothers me that you are getting an average of +19 damage on this attack with no identified damage type and clearly no damage intended by the designers. That said, this is really the most powergamey strategem I could come up with. If a player wants to build towards this and spend their daily resources to make it work, it's probably not going to break the game. And they still might be better off forgoing the possible damage and not taking the -5 to hit to maximize the chance of using their action and possibly action surge to attack a restrained creature, and possibly letting some of their allies do the same.