D&D 5E Sneak Attack with a handaxe?

[Ruin Explorer]

That was part of the reason I said I didn't actually care. Because, really, is sneak attack with a thrown hand axe going to break anything? Is nipicking really called for, for this one case?

More to the point, SA with a non-ranged Handaxe obviously isn't going to break anything, given it's characteristics.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Here's a recent twitter exchange with Mike Mearls;

@ETallitnics: Good day Mr. Mearls! Does the Thrown property satisfy the Rogue's Sneak Attack requirement of Ranged Weapon? #Thanks
@mikemearls: Yes, at least that is the intent, both for melee and ranged sneak attacks. @Plaguescarred Thrown weapon like handaxe is listed as melee weapon can you still Sneak Attack with it even if its not a ranged or finesse?
@mikemearls yes, as it is a ranged weapon since it's thrown
@Plaguescarred Ok txThe thrown property should be updated to say it then because it doesn't say it anywhere All thrown are melee excp dart/net

Note that Mike tweet is not in line with the rules (sorry to say that Mike : ), i don't know if twitter is an official rule updated channel in case of discrepencies. but we have the intent at least. The Thrown property should definitly be updated to say it count as a ranged weapon when thrown like the 4E property said then, as currently the only Thrown weapons that are ranged weapons are the dart and net.

 

[Umbran]

i don't know if twitter is an official rule updated channel in case of discrepencies.

"Official" is a great thing in organized play. Otherwise, in a game that will have different modules tacked on at different tables, "official" lacks oomph.

 

[obsid]

I expected thrown weapons to work at ranged, not melee. The hand axe being thrown is a little bump from 1d4 dagger to 1d6 thrown. Now that we know it works at melee too, what about multi-class fighter/rogue with a trident/spear and GWF? Do you re-roll 1s and 2s on sneak attack? That would have the potential to break things, but its possible to say the GWF doesn't apply to sneak attack as its not the weapon's dice.