Are all weapons with the "Thrown" property considered a "Ranged Weapon" for the purpose of sharpshooter?

Question

For example a Dagger is listed in the "Melee" section of the weapons list, but has the "light", "Finesse" and "Thrown" properties.

If I throw the dagger (assume I am proficient), can I use the sharpshooter feat to take -5 to hit for +10 damage?

Sharpshooter

• Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
• Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage

Please be sure to quote any RAW with your answer.

Answer 1

No, you can't take the -5/+10 while throwing a dagger.

Thrown: If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack.

Throwing a dagger is a ranged weapon attack, so the first two benefits of the Sharpshooter feat will apply. However, the third benefit requires an attack with a ranged weapon:

• Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.

It specifically requires that you attack with a ranged weapon. The thrown property doesn't change the fact that a dagger is a melee weapon. Throwing a dart, for example, would benefit from the -5/+10, because it's a ranged weapon. The thrown property isn't what's important here - what's important is whether the weapon is a ranged weapon or not.

If you prefer to hear it from the designers, Jeremy Crafowrd agrees that the first two benefits of Sharpshooter work with daggers, but not the 3rd. He also stated that a dagger is a melee weapon, even when you throw it, as well as including it in the official Sage Advice Compendium:

Does the Archery fighting style work with a melee weapon that you throw? No, the Archery feature benefits ranged weapons. A melee weapon, such as a dagger or handaxe, is still a melee weapon when you make a ranged attack with it using the Thrown property.

Answer 2

No.

On twitter, talking about ranged weapons for Sneak Attack, Jeremy Crawford said:

A ranged weapon is under either of the headings in the Weapon table (PH, 149) that says "Ranged Weapons.

However, that isn't the end of the story. Mike Mearls answered the sharpshooter dagger question like this:

It might feel unintuitive for the bonus damage, but it doesn't break anything

Now, Mike Mearls isn't the athority on the rules. Jeremy is. Jeremy disagrees with Mike, and so the answer is no:

Sharpshooter feat—the first two benefits work with a ranged attack with any weapon, including a dagger. #DnD

So, what does this mean? RAW, no it doesn't get the third benefit. But, allowing it isn't game breaking and is a reasonable thing a DM might do.

Answer 3

YES

1st, Crawford and Mearls are divided on this and have not put out a common answer.

I have had this debate with many a Rules Lawyer, always in defense of another player's PC.

1. A dagger is not a range weapon since it can attack within 5' and not be at disadvantage. A dagger is not a melee weapon since it can attack beyond 5' without disadvantage. So it is neither, or both.

2. Thrown weapon allows a dagger to attack at distance and "you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack". The PHB (pg. 146) clearly states that specifically, "A melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feel of you, whereas a ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance."

3. Range weapons "A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range shown in parentheses after the ammunition or thrown property.

Finally, the persons making that final feeble argument that the dagger is listed in "Melee Weapons" part of the list. Not reprinting the dagger, and all other Thrown weapons is not a point in your favor, they already listed it as thrown to show it it both, but needlessly re-listing them and all other things like it will make more pages and raise printing costs multiplied by the number of book printed, which is shooting yourself in the foot stupidity.

If you claim that because it is listed in melee weapon, then by your own ruling you need proficiency in Adventuring Gear to use your bow or crossbow without disadvantage. Since by your own logic and ruling, arrows and bolt are listed in the Adventuring Gear section, not simple or martial weapons. Therefore to follow your logic and rules, without proficiency in Adventuring Gear, all attacks made with a bow or crossbow MUST be made with disadvantage.

So, all evidence points directly to Thrown weapons being BOTH melee and ranged weapons, and all of the feat is usable for a weapon like a dagger.

Answer 4

No (or maybe)

Daggers are melee weapons. Anyone who tells you "they have a range so that means they're also ranged weapons" is objectively wrong. They do not have a range, what they have is an attribute called: "Thrown (range 20/60)". This attribute allows you to make an attack at a range of 20/60. This range is directly tied to the attribute, not the weapon. So the dagger still only has a range of 5'.

"Attacking at long range doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls." This wording doesn't specify that the weapon has to be a "ranged weapon", and instead specifies that it has to be a "ranged weapon attack". That means it will apply to thrown attacks.

"Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover." This one is worded like the previous one, "ranged weapon attack" so it applies to thrown.

"Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a –5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage." This one changes it's wording to "ranged weapon". Daggers are objectively not ranged weapons. They are melee weapons with the "Thrown (range 20/60)" trait that allows them to be used at range.

Why did I say "(or maybe)"? Because ultimately the person you should be asking is your DM, not us. The DM gets to make the final decision on it.

Answer 5

Yes

From the PHB, Weapons, p146:

... A melee weapon is used to attack a target within 5 feet of you, whereas a ranged weapon is used to attack a target at a distance." ...

A ranged weapon is used to attack at range. If you attack a target at range, you are, by definition, using a ranged weapon.

Answer 6

Yes.

A ranged weapon uses the Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. Thus weapons in the "Melee" section become a "Ranged Weapon" if thrown (and can allow proficiency if they have the Thrown property with a listed short/long range).

See WEAPONS (PHB P.14)

• For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a rapier, can use your Dexterity modifier instead.
• For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the thrown property, such as a handaxe, can use your Strength modifier instead.

Notice in the above quote "for attacks with ranged weapons" it lists handaxe (a weapon with the thrown property listed in the melee weapon section).

This is important to note as the sharpshooter feat has 3 properties. The first 2 properties talk about range weapon attack rolls and range weapon attacks. The 3rd property (and the one specifically asked about) a ranged weapon you are proficient with. Thus thrown improvised weapons (i.e. melee weapons without the thrown property) will not be valid for the 3rd property.

Not that you asked but in addition you can also use TWF (PHB P.195):

Two-Weapon Fighting When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in the other hand. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage o f the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon, instead o f making a melee attack with it.

Thus you can make 2 thrown attacks (Daggers) with -5 to hit +10 damage (although the off-hand does not have str/dex bonus added to damage).

Bottom line: Based on RAW only, there should be no confusion on this. A ranged weapon is one where you use DEX for atk/dam - says so in PHB p14 (unless it has other specific properties - i.e. "Thrown", where its still a ranged weapon but can use STR). The above question didnt ask about other DM or designers point of view, just RAW. If you hit someone with a bat its a melee weapon, if you toss the bat at someone its a range weapon. For the purpose of the feat (sharpshooter) you need proficiency as well, thus a melee weapon needs the "Thrown" property in order to become a ranged weapon and allow proficiency.