What is required to catch a returning weapon? A) It happens automagically. B) It is a free action. C) It is a bonus action. D) It is a reaction.
To me, it makes a TON of sense for it to be a reaction (since you have to reach up and grab it at a specific time in a specific spot). I could also see a case for it being a free action, but things like "drawing a sword" or "lighting a torch" don't require time-critical interactions with a fast-moving object.
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack, which has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it, and it returns to the wielder’s hand immediately after it is used to make a ranged attack.
It happens automatically. No action required. The magical weapon is doing all of the work.
What is required to catch a returning weapon? A) It happens automagically. B) It is a free action. C) It is a bonus action. D) It is a reaction.
To me, it makes a TON of sense for it to be a reaction (since you have to reach up and grab it at a specific time in a specific spot). I could also see a case for it being a free action, but things like "drawing a sword" or "lighting a torch" don't require time-critical interactions with a fast-moving object.
If the rules give an answer, I haven't found it.
Do you mean the thrower catching it, or the target?
If you mean the thrower, the infusion is specific: the weapon returns to the thrower's hand. C and D are impossible - the item would have to specify a bonus action or reaction. I have no idea how you're distinguishing A and B - what do you mean by "free action" here, as opposed to automatically? Do you mean the extra Use an Object action everyone gets? If that's what you mean, A and B are the only two possibilities here - the item description says A, but a DM of a mind to nerf it could require it to be Use an Action. If that were to happen, a Returning Weapon thrown using the Ready action would be uncatchable.
and yes, if I drew the boomerang (use an object / free action) and then threw it - if it is use an object / free action to catch it, then I couldn’t catch it. If it is a reaction, then I could.
If it just happens automagically, then I could, but that feels wrong…
and yes, if I drew the boomerang (use an object / free action) and then threw it - if it is use an object / free action to catch it, then I couldn’t catch it. If it is a reaction, then I could.
If it just happens automagically, then I could, but that feels wrong…
Boomerangs don't even have a known cost or weight, but from its text, it looks like the answer is automagically, just like with the infusion (assuming you miss).
I think I will consider it the “free action/use an object”…. That is consistent with the RAW.
You can certainly the first half of your sentence to your games.
However, the second half of your sentence is not correct since for boomerang it simply says "On a miss, a boomerang returns to the thrower's hand.." It makes no mention of requiring any type of action, therefore it does not require any type of action.
A reasonable argument for nothing to catch would be that notching a bow as part of firing an arrow is interacting with your quiver and an arrow, but isn’t a separate free action / interact with object…. That catching the boomerang (like notching an arrow) is part of the action…. You just need a free hand (which you will always have in this case). I’m not sure it holds up to logic (the arrow in your quiver isn’t a fast moving object), but that would be the game mechanics argument.
A readonable argument for nothing to catch would be that notching a bow as part of firing an arrow is interacting with your quiver and an arrow, but isn’t a separate free action / interact with object…. That catching the boomerang (like notching an arrow) is part of the action…. You just need a free hand (which you will always have in this case).
Indeed. I think if you want to make a balanced boomerang, this is the way:
And define returning as a non-action requiring a free hand and proficiency. This way, the difficulty involved in catching a returning boomerang is covered by the proficiency rules rather than action economy.
A readonable argument for nothing to catch would be that notching a bow as part of firing an arrow is interacting with your quiver and an arrow, but isn’t a separate free action / interact with object…. That catching the boomerang (like notching an arrow) is part of the action…. You just need a free hand (which you will always have in this case). I’m not sure it holds up to logic (the arrow in your quiver isn’t a fast moving object), but that would be the game mechanics argument.
I believe this is precisely why the ammunition property on a weapon provides for loading the weapon as part of the attack action, rather than making you use your object interaction to load the weapon separately of attacking.
What is required to catch a returning weapon? A) It happens automagically. B) It is a free action. C) It is a bonus action. D) It is a reaction.
To me, it makes a TON of sense for it to be a reaction (since you have to reach up and grab it at a specific time in a specific spot). I could also see a case for it being a free action, but things like "drawing a sword" or "lighting a torch" don't require time-critical interactions with a fast-moving object.
If the rules give an answer, I haven't found it.
A. It doesn't say it takes anything special, so it doesn't.
It's magic. It's literally magic. Similar magic can cause a sword to recite a recorded message, or turn an ordinary bag into a pocket dimension. This is not a matter of realism.
The weapon returns to your hand. A Monk can catch a missile aimed to kill him. That's different.
It doesn't eat into your action economy. Plain and simple.
In terms of a boomerang, I would say a reaction sometime during the round (maybe the next character's turn?) is required in order to catch it. It requires you to track it with your eyes, use hand-eye coordination, and actually make a movement to catch. If this is going to be the character's primary weapon, maybe a free object interaction to make it more viable? But if it was going to be a uncommonly used thing, I would say that requires an actual reaction to do.
Limiting returning weapons to two attacks per round, by imposing reaction or use object restrictions on them returning, when no such limitation is provided in the rules.... what's the motivation to do this? 5E only just released a fighting style that allowed regular thrown weapons to be used with 3+ attacks per round, but now you would recommend writing in a new restriction on their magical versions to make them worse than throwing multiple non-returning versions?
As said above, catching a returning weapon functions in the same space as drawing ammunition does: even free-er than the other types of free object interaction, such that you can do it as many times on a round as there are opportunities to do so, with no need for a reaction or [Tooltip Not Found] action.
What is required to catch a returning weapon? A) It happens automagically. B) It is a free action. C) It is a bonus action. D) It is a reaction.
To me, it makes a TON of sense for it to be a reaction (since you have to reach up and grab it at a specific time in a specific spot). I could also see a case for it being a free action, but things like "drawing a sword" or "lighting a torch" don't require time-critical interactions with a fast-moving object.
If the rules give an answer, I haven't found it.
A) Catching a returning weapon is free but it's a red herring. It returns to the wielder’s hand immediately after it is used wether you can catch it or not. So if you get knocked unconscious or killed as you attack, the weapon will still return to your hand even you can't catch/hold it.
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What is required to catch a returning weapon?
A) It happens automagically.
B) It is a free action.
C) It is a bonus action.
D) It is a reaction.
To me, it makes a TON of sense for it to be a reaction (since you have to reach up and grab it at a specific time in a specific spot). I could also see a case for it being a free action, but things like "drawing a sword" or "lighting a torch" don't require time-critical interactions with a fast-moving object.
If the rules give an answer, I haven't found it.
Maybe consider looking at the Monk feature
It happens automatically. No action required. The magical weapon is doing all of the work.
Do you mean the thrower catching it, or the target?
If you mean the thrower, the infusion is specific: the weapon returns to the thrower's hand. C and D are impossible - the item would have to specify a bonus action or reaction. I have no idea how you're distinguishing A and B - what do you mean by "free action" here, as opposed to automatically? Do you mean the extra Use an Object action everyone gets? If that's what you mean, A and B are the only two possibilities here - the item description says A, but a DM of a mind to nerf it could require it to be Use an Action. If that were to happen, a Returning Weapon thrown using the Ready action would be uncatchable.
I’m actually looking at a boomerang…
and yes, if I drew the boomerang (use an object / free action) and then threw it - if it is use an object / free action to catch it, then I couldn’t catch it. If it is a reaction, then I could.
If it just happens automagically, then I could, but that feels wrong…
Either way, the answer is A. The weapon returns to your hand, RAW, and requires nothing from the wielder.
Boomerangs don't even have a known cost or weight, but from its text, it looks like the answer is automagically, just like with the infusion (assuming you miss).
That’s how I read it too. In real life, catching a returning boomerang isn’t as easy as it looks. So it just feels wrong.
I think I will consider it the “free action/use an object”…. That is consistent with the RAW. Not required by RAW, but consistent with it.
You can certainly the first half of your sentence to your games.
However, the second half of your sentence is not correct since for boomerang it simply says "On a miss, a boomerang returns to the thrower's hand.." It makes no mention of requiring any type of action, therefore it does not require any type of action.
It just returns to your hand as part of the action of making an attack with it. There is no other requirement.
A reasonable argument for nothing to catch would be that notching a bow as part of firing an arrow is interacting with your quiver and an arrow, but isn’t a separate free action / interact with object…. That catching the boomerang (like notching an arrow) is part of the action…. You just need a free hand (which you will always have in this case). I’m not sure it holds up to logic (the arrow in your quiver isn’t a fast moving object), but that would be the game mechanics argument.
Indeed. I think if you want to make a balanced boomerang, this is the way:
And define returning as a non-action requiring a free hand and proficiency. This way, the difficulty involved in catching a returning boomerang is covered by the proficiency rules rather than action economy.
I believe this is precisely why the ammunition property on a weapon provides for loading the weapon as part of the attack action, rather than making you use your object interaction to load the weapon separately of attacking.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
A. It doesn't say it takes anything special, so it doesn't.
It's magic. It's literally magic. Similar magic can cause a sword to recite a recorded message, or turn an ordinary bag into a pocket dimension. This is not a matter of realism.
The weapon returns to your hand. A Monk can catch a missile aimed to kill him. That's different.
It doesn't eat into your action economy. Plain and simple.
In terms of a boomerang, I would say a reaction sometime during the round (maybe the next character's turn?) is required in order to catch it. It requires you to track it with your eyes, use hand-eye coordination, and actually make a movement to catch. If this is going to be the character's primary weapon, maybe a free object interaction to make it more viable? But if it was going to be a uncommonly used thing, I would say that requires an actual reaction to do.
Limiting returning weapons to two attacks per round, by imposing reaction or use object restrictions on them returning, when no such limitation is provided in the rules.... what's the motivation to do this? 5E only just released a fighting style that allowed regular thrown weapons to be used with 3+ attacks per round, but now you would recommend writing in a new restriction on their magical versions to make them worse than throwing multiple non-returning versions?
As said above, catching a returning weapon functions in the same space as drawing ammunition does: even free-er than the other types of free object interaction, such that you can do it as many times on a round as there are opportunities to do so, with no need for a reaction or [Tooltip Not Found] action.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
A) Catching a returning weapon is free but it's a red herring. It returns to the wielder’s hand immediately after it is used wether you can catch it or not. So if you get knocked unconscious or killed as you attack, the weapon will still return to your hand even you can't catch/hold it.