Sage Advice: Sneak Attacks, Breath Weapons, and Magic Weapons

The month's Sage Advice column by WotC's Jeremy Crawford covers the rogue's sneak attacks, ability modifiers to use with attack roles, and answers the questions "does anti-magic field work on a dragon's breath weapon?" (no), and "do magic weapons automatically give you bonus to both attack and damage rolls?" (only if it says so in the description).

The Sage Advice Compendium PDF has been updated to include this information. You can read the current column here.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

No, that's not how it works This month's Sage Advice spells out explicitly that the general rule is: ranged weapon attacks use dexterity.

That interpretation ignores prior clarifications that melee weapons remain melee weapons even when thrown, rather than a melee weapon becoming a ranged weapon when thrown.

It's much more consistent to interpret that in this month's Sage Advice uses the phrase "melee weapon attack" to mean an attack made with a melee weapon rather than a melee attack with either type of weapon, and uses the phrase "ranged weapon attack" to mean an attack with a ranged weapon rather than a ranged attack made with either type of weapon.

Giving the Sage the benefit of the doubt that if the intent was for him to contradict his prior statements, he would be clear in stating just that as he has done in the past when contradicting himself.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I like how this SA article has nearly solved the Warlord Issue.

We have a class that can, without any magic, heal hit points and grant save bonuses and condition immunities.

It's called the Paladin.

Now just whip up "spell-less-Paladin" stuff like the spell-less ranger, and maybe get a replacement for Channel Divinity and bam.

YOU GUYS I JUST SOLVED THE EDITION WARS

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I like the magic clarification. While it makes some creatures have extremely "magical" abilities (like shapeshifting, gear and all) that don't count as magical for purposes of spells, it at least lets me count Bardic Inspiration as magical without having to make it interact with anti-magic field and such.

It basically restores the "supernatural ability" (with some "extraordinary ability" tossed in) aspect of 3e, while making it even more unimpressed by counter-magic capabilities.

I think the way I'll interpret it with regards to the more blatantly supernatural effects that aren't counted as magic, is by saying it is a deeper, more essential magic that just can't be affected by messin' with the Weave.

 

[Barachiel]

See this is why it is hard to have real Role Play in D&D when you choose to switch systems. 3e the antimagic fields do work on breath weapons cause they were Supernatural. But in 5E they don't. That, among hundreds of changes, requires extremely contrived and difficult explanation in-game.

Switching systems requires restarting campaigns entirely, as if the world you are playing in now is an alternate universe of the previous one.

Me, I just stick to one edition. Makes it easy.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

That, among hundreds of changes, requires extremely contrived and difficult explanation in-game.

No explanation is needed at all. I've changed from DCC RPG to Swords & Wizardry to Pathfinder in a single campaign and was not required by anyone or anything to make any in-game explanation to the severe changes, let alone the minuscule changes such as whether a breath weapon is negated by anti-magic field or not.

Switching systems requires restarting campaigns entirely, as if the world you are playing in now is an alternate universe of the previous one.

Neither does this "requirement" exist.

Me, I just stick to one edition. Makes it easy.

It is just as easy to switch editions and say "anything that is different should be considered to have always been as it is now - we are changing systems out-of-character, but the in-character world is not experiencing any changes."

 

[Remathilis]

I like how this SA article has nearly solved the Warlord Issue.

We have a class that can, without any magic, heal hit points and grant save bonuses and condition immunities.

Not quite, Check out this quote:

the background magic that is part of the D&D multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many D&D creatures
the concentrated magical energy that is contained in a magic item or channeled to create a spell or other focused magical effect

It can be argued that most of a paladin's abilities fall into the second area ("focused magical effect"), but even if they don't fit Jeremy's strict list (not an item, not a spell, not a spell attack, doesn't say "magical") its easy to say it still falls into the first category (background magic). What a warlord does is produce those effects totally NON-MAGICALLY. Not just "without spells" but "without any sort of magical effect AT ALL".

If a warlord class came in and said "A warlord taps into some strange latent magic to do things without needing spells", you'd be right (much like how a bard taps into Primal Music of Creation to inspire, or a monk taps into Ki, or a Barbarian taps into Primal Fury) but it won't pass with the "100% non-magical" crowd who want the warlord's abilities powered by his own natural ability and no external magical forces, blatant or subtle.

 

[jaelis]

That interpretation ignores prior clarifications that melee weapons remain melee weapons even when thrown, rather than a melee weapon becoming a ranged weapon when thrown.

I don't see that... a melee weapon is still a melee weapon. You just make a ranged (weapon attack) with it when you throw it. So it uses Dexterity (barring the 'thrown' tag). I'm not aware of any prior statements to the contrary, what are you referring to?

It's much more consistent to interpret that in this month's Sage Advice uses the phrase "melee weapon attack" to mean an attack made with a melee weapon rather than a melee attack with either type of weapon, and uses the phrase "ranged weapon attack" to mean an attack with a ranged weapon rather than a ranged attack made with either type of weapon.

If he meant "attack with a melee weapon," he would say "melee-weapon attack" with a hyphen.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

You just make a ranged (weapon attack) with it when you throw it.

This is correct.

So it uses Dexterity (barring the 'thrown' tag).

This isn't.

Melee weapons, even when used in ranged attacks, use Strength unless they have the finesse property (which gives the choice to use Dexterity).

 

[jaelis]

Melee weapons, even when used in ranged attacks, use Strength unless they have the finesse property (which gives the choice to use Dexterity).

I suppose you're referring to the 'Choose Equipment' text on page 14? It does say that. If you think that outweighs the rest of the PHB and the Sage, then that's your call.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I suppose you're referring to the 'Choose Equipment' text on page 14? It does say that. If you think that outweighs the rest of the PHB and the Sage, then that's your call.

No, I'm referring to how Jeremy Crawford clarified the situation to be prior to this month's Sage Advice, and "the rest of the PHB" doesn't disagree with me either.