Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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I want to make sure I have this straight:
If I throw a finesse melee weapon, I can sneak attack with it.
If I throw a non-finesse melee weapon, I can't sneak attack with it. (I am not sure why a thrown light hammer and a thrown dagger are different, but here we are).
So if a non-finesse melee weapon gains the thrown property, still no sneak attack. (A rapier with Thrown can sneak attack just fine, but a longsword with Thrown cannot...)
If I use a ranged weapon, I can sneak attack.
If a (non-Thrown) ranged weapon gains the Thrown property, i can throw the ranged weapon, and still sneak attack... because its a ranged weapon. Even if it's a heavy crossbow... (And seemingly does the 1d10 damage of a heavy crossbow? And retains the push mastery... and uses dex to hit...)
(For the sake of 'when would that ever come up', the Giant Barb level 6 feature gives a weapon the thrown property while you're raging...)
A Rogue can make a sneak attack with any weapon which is Finesse, Ranged or both.
If you want to make a ranged sneak attack you have three options: a finesse melee weapon with Thrown (dagger), a ranged weapon with Thrown (dart), or one of the ranged weapons that use ammunition.
If some other rule changes the properties of other weapons, by adding finesse or thrown or converting them to a ranged weapon, so that they fit perfectly into one of these categories then Sneak Attack will apply with those weapons too. If a (badly designed) rule adds Thrown to a crossbow, then that crossbow now shares the key features of a dart and can be thrown as a sneak attack (it would lack the finesse property though, so only dexterity may be used for hit and damage modifiers).
So yes, your interpretation is generally correct, but it sounds like a very ineffectual style of combat since Barbarian Rage and Rogue Sneak Attack rely normally on different stats and don't combine well.
Consider ruling that the barbarian throws crossbow bolts, not crossbows (and since they are thrown weapons, can draw them one per attack).
If a weapon is used in a way it isn't meant to be used, it's treated as an improvised weapon. It would be absolutely sensible to rule that a ranged weapon with the Giant Barbarian treatment doesn't qualify because it isn't being used as a ranged weapon for the attack.
The problem with that is that adding Thrown to a weapon which doesn't have it will always be a way it wasn't meant to be used. You'd expect the rule to say it was an improvised weapon at that point if that was the case. (And by giving it the Thrown property, that arguably does make throwing it a way it is meant to be used).
I mean, as long as you're using a finesse weapon, you can use either str or dex. Sneak attack doesn't care which stat you used to attack with. So they combine fine.
I do think it weird that you can't sneak attack by throwing a longsword at an enemy, but you can sneak attack by throwing a crossbow (with Thrown) at an enemy, because only one of these counts as a ranged weapon... it's just a bizarre rules interaction.
I mean, this makes far more sense. No need to draw them, though, the same ability returns the thrown weapon to the barbarian's hand immediately after hitting or missing.
This is missing the point. Ranged weapons with ammunition properties aren't being used as ranged weapons unless the ammunition property is being utilized. By applying the thrown property, this is more equivalent to smacking someone in melee with the weapon.
More properly, to make a ranged attack normally, it requires ammunition. But the Thrown property gives it a separate way to make a ranged attack.
However, sneak attack doesn't even care if it's a ranged attack (otherwise giving any weapon thrown would make that weapon eligible). It cares if the weapon has the finesse property or is a ranged weapon. And a heavy crossbow is a ranged weapon regardless of how you use it.
To quote: "A Simple or Martial weapon also counts as an improvised weapon if it’s wielded in a way contrary to its design"
Simply put, even with the Thrown property, this isn't the way the weapon was designed. Therefore, it counts as a thrown improvised weapon, and still gains the extra damage from the Giant feature.
I mean, a great sword isn't designed to be thrown either, but I don't see you saying any weapon which giant barb gave Thrown would be an improvised weapon (that would seem to be contrary to the design of the giant barb feature, which really should mention this if it was intended). The giant barb ability giving it thrown as part of its keywords is making it 'designed to be thrown' according to the rules. That's the purpose of that keyword.
It is a strange interaction. I’d probably allow it, honestly, it doesn’t seem game breaking and it’s kind of cool. I would say it you tried to throw a heavy crossbow (or other ranged weapon), its base damage would be a d4. (A d10 is when you shoot it. You’re trying to club someone with it, so a d4.) Plus the elemental damage, plus whatever else. But at that point, it’s really just a vehicle for sneak attack, so having a d4 in the mix instead of a d10 probably won’t do much.
Realistically, also, it won’t matter. You can still only SA 1/turn, even though you’ll have 2 attacks. But the bigger part is, after you’ve taken 6 levels of barbarian, your SA damage will be so far behind the curve that it’s not going to be significant. I mean, a barb 6/rog 1 gets you one extra d6 of damage at level 7. I doubt many enemies at that level are too worried about 3.5 points of damage.