from the SRD (as mentioned earlier, thought I'd actually put up the text):
"Crossbow, Heavy: A heavy crossbow requires two hands to use effectively, regardless of the user's size. Loading a heavy crossbow is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
A Medium-size or larger character can shoot, but not load, a heavy crossbow with one hand at a -4 penalty. A Medium-size or larger character can shoot a heavy crossbow with each hand at a -6 penalty, plus the usual -4 penalty for the off-hand attack (-6 primary hand/-10 off hand). The Two-Weapon Fighting feat does not reduce these penalties because it represents skill with melee weapons, not ranged weapons. The Ambidexterity feat lets someone avoid the -4 off-hand penalty (-6 primary hand/-6 off hand)."
"Melee and Ranged Weapons: Melee weapons are used for making melee attacks, though some of them can be thrown as well. Ranged weapons are thrown weapons or projectile weapons that are not effective in melee. Apply a character's Strength bonus to damage dealt by thrown weapons but not to damage dealt by projectile weapons (except for mighty composite shortbows or longbows)."
By logical extrapolation, if we treat thrown weapons as melee weapons, they become eligible for use with Power Attack, Whirlwind Attack, and numerous other melee-related feats. This just strikes me as counter-intuitive. It would allow someone to fell an opponent with a thrown weapon, then get a a cleave on another adjacent foe.
What I take the two bolded passages to mean when taken together is this:
- melee weapons that are thrown are treated as ranged weapons and not melee weapons when thrown, and that Two-Weapon Fighting doesn't apply to ranged weapons, thus, a thrown weapon doesn't gain the benefit of TWF.
Hope that helps,
Greg