D&D 5E Ranged Attacks in Close Combat

[Saeviomagy]

I would seem idiotic to me that one could not fire a hand crossbow at someone that is over a bodylength away from me. Same goes for a bow.

In fact, I would say that if you can get a good stab in with a spear or swing a maul or crack a whip, then you've already gotten enough space to fire a ranged weapon.

To me, the whole situation would probably be better represented by giving melee attackers advantage if their foe is not armed with a melee weapon, rather than making the ranged combatant suffer in accuracy. Ranged combatants might actually suffer for being within charge range of a foe.

 

[CapnZapp]

Whatever this thread is, there is one thing it is not.

It is not one of those rules lawyer threads where A and B fight who's playing the game right and who's wrong.

Consider this thread an invite to play a game, where we try to find out where (or if) the rules actually say you can shoot somebody adjacent

I say a "game", because I certainly have run the game allowing it, and don't plan on changing that. I don't expect a single one of you to change yours.

Because this...

...is not one of those rules lawyer threads where A and B fight who's playing the game right and who's wrong.