Can players mitigate the curse from a Shield of Missile Attraction by using thrown weapons?

Question

The Shield of Missile Attraction states (emphasis mine):

This shield is cursed. Attuning to it curses you until you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. Removing the shield fails to end the curse on you. Whenever a ranged weapon attack is made against a target within 10 feet of you, the curse causes you to become the target instead.

These answers stipulate that a 'ranged weapon' is a weapon which is defined as such in the PHB. Thus, a melee weapon with the thrown property does not fit the criteria of a 'ranged weapon', rather it's a melee weapon with the thrown property.

With that in mind, suppose a team of strength based characters had a tank in their lines with the Shield of Missile Attraction, could the teammates make ranged attacks without concern using melee weapons with the thrown property (i.e. hand axes and spears)?

Answer 1

Throwing is making a ranged weapon attack with a melee weapon*

The important distinction here is between a ranged weapon, and a ranged weapon attack. While normally these coincide, throwing a melee weapon (with the thrown property) is one of those odd circumstances where it doesn't. The shield is looking for a ranged weapon attack irrespective of what weapon it is made with, and making one with a melee weapon is still a ranged attack.

The description of ranged attacks (PHB/BR; Chapter 9: Combat) makes it clear that thrown axes are still melee weapons (emphasis mine):

When you make a ranged attack, you fire a bow or a crossbow, hurl a handaxe, or otherwise send projectiles to strike a foe at a distance. A monster might shoot spines from its tail. Many spells also involve making a ranged attack.

To only interact with true ranged weapons (some of which are also thrown FWIW), it would need wording more similar to the Archery fighting style:

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

For example

When an attack with a ranged weapon is made against ...

Since it doesn't, any thrown axes or spears would be valid ranged weapon attacks for the shields curse to redirect to the wielder.

Answer 2

Your emphasis missed the last word. If it just said ranged weapon and not ranged weapon attack, you'd be correct.

There are four types of attacks in 5e.

• melee weapon attack
• ranged weapon attack
• melee spell attack
• ranged spell attack

But, when you throw a spear, you are making a ranged weapon attack with a melee weapon. You are not making a melee weapon attack nor are you attacking with a ranged weapon. To be fair, this is not the natural language the designers strive for and inane enough that Treantmonk made a video about how bizarre this is.

Answer 3

It's still heading towards the shield

Looking at the rules for weapon properties, under thrown:

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

Additionally, when we look at range:

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

And sure enough, if we look at something like a handaxe...

Weapon Name	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
Handaxe	5 gp	1d6 slashing	2 lb.	Light, thrown (range 20/60)

It does show a range. It is still a ranged weapon attack and so will be attracted by the shield if you throw it.

Answer 4

. . . suppose a team of strength based characters had a tank in their lines with the Shield of Missile Attraction, could the teammates make ranged attacks without concern using melee weapons with the thrown property (i.e. hand axes and spears)?

They can make ranged attacks of any type without hitting their tank. Provided the target is more than 10 feet from the tank. The shield only redirects missiles within 10 feet of the holder.

The players should stand 10 feet from the tank to benefit from the shield. They shoot at stuff more than 10 feet away. Anything within 10 feet of the tank is 20 feet from them, and they should go into melee.