A couple of months ago i built a Battle master fighter that uses a heavy crossbow and the crossbow expert feat. This character was mostly inspired by the space marines of Warhammer 40k.
When i was building the character i wanted to make him wear heavy armor, have sentinel and let him be the frontline guy.
In the first session i found out that Ranged attacks can not be used as attacks of opportunity even with the crossbow expert feat which removes the 5 feet disadvantage.
So i got to thinking, how could i make it that we can attack with a ranged weapon with the current rules?
The first thing that came to mind is the tavern brawler feat that lets you use a ranged weapon as a melee weapon.
It would work but i dont really like tavern brawler as a feat.
The second one is a little more far-fetched and requires alot of things: The only other option i know that changes AoO is Warcaster.
War caster lets you cast spells as an AoO. so my mind immediately went to green flame blade and booming blade, however these spells are also only for melee attacks. ( i know that for this particular build it would take 2 feats, but i was just thinking in general as i know that a ranged eldritch knight is also
I looked through some spells( and the internet) and found that there are no spells that as a part of the spell let you make a ranged weapon attack as with those two melee cantrips.
There are enough spells that empower ranged attacks or dont specify the type of attack, that is also the reason i picked Battle master because most of the maneuvers can still be used with ranged weapons.
What would the reason be that they dont have these yet, precisely to prevent what i want to do with it or maybe because it would become too strong?
If you want to make this build work, carry a bucket of whips, like Soul Knives do daggers, and switch to a hand crossbow. At the end of every turn, draw a whip. At the beginning of every turn, drop a whip. Now you can make OAs using your Dexterity, which is the big issue here in terms of Sentinel.
Or if you want a smaller zone of control, which can be better for OAs (since you can't make unarmed strikes with your Dexterity), use daggers, scimitars, short swords, or rapiers.
I think it’s a game balance issue. Ranged weapons are already better than melee from about 300 feet away to about 6 feet away. If you make them just as good at 5 feet as a melee weapon, why would anyone carry a melee weapon?
There’s one more challenge you missed: the Warcaster reaction spell is in place of an Opportunity Attack, it isn’t one itself. So even if there was a “Booming Bow” cantrip for ranged attacks, it would not be able to apply Sentinel’s speed debuff, because it wouldn’t be an OA.
However, there are spells you can cast as reactions with War Caster that might be useful to interfere with movement, and maybe you could flavor them as crossbow shots despite not being actual weapon attacks if that’s important to you? Sapping Sting causes the victim to fall prone,
And for your space marine… if you haven’t looked at the Artificer (Armorer) yet, it has a Thunder Gauntlet which makes a quite nice Opportunity Attack, not stopping enemies from moving away necessarily, but certainly interfering with their ability to attack your team after they do so. Armorer/Battlemaster with a Repeating-infused crossbow feels very space marine!
Do keep in mind that Xbow Expert only gives bonus action attacks with hand chows, though, not heavy, so you may want to use a light bolter instead of a heavy :(
Is there a cantrip you can use that has a casting time of one instant? One of the biggest limitations I can think of is the casting time.
The Warcaster feat overrides the usual casting time of spells and allows a much greater range of spells that can be cast as a reaction, but only in place of an opportunity attack.
Is there a cantrip you can use that has a casting time of one instant? One of the biggest limitations I can think of is the casting time.
The Warcaster feat overrides the usual casting time of spells and allows a much greater range of spells that can be cast as a reaction, but only in place of an opportunity attack.
So you just ignore that the feat says "The spell must have a casting time of 1 action"?
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Is there a cantrip you can use that has a casting time of one instant? One of the biggest limitations I can think of is the casting time.
The Warcaster feat overrides the usual casting time of spells and allows a much greater range of spells that can be cast as a reaction, but only in place of an opportunity attack.
So you just ignore that the feat says "The spell must have a casting time of 1 action"?
Pretty much, I always use shocking grasp as the example, it has a casting time of one action, but with warcaster you can use it as your AoO, but it still can only be one action and can only target one creature so no fireball or anything like that.
If you read the rules on Improvised Weapons, you find that many common items CAN fit into a category that functions fully just as one of the standard weapon proficiencies would with the appropriate weapon. If a table leg is equal to a wooden club, maybe a shovel handle with a splintered end counts as a short spear. MAYBE if a crossbow had a lead weighted buttstock designed to deliver a jaw rattling blow...it would count as a club or even a mace. MAYBE if a crossbow was magic and very sturdy, it could have an underslung bayonet for thrusting.
If you read the rules on Improvised Weapons, you find that many common items CAN fit into a category that functions fully just as one of the standard weapon proficiencies would with the appropriate weapon. If a table leg is equal to a wooden club, maybe a shovel handle with a splintered end counts as a short spear. MAYBE if a crossbow had a lead weighted buttstock designed to deliver a jaw rattling blow...it would count as a club or even a mace. MAYBE if a crossbow was magic and very sturdy, it could have an underslung bayonet for thrusting.
RAW, making a melee weapon attack using a ranged weapon that requires ammunition is always considered an improvised weapon. But I’ve totally homebrewed stuff like a bayonet for crossbows, or a wondrous item that’s a metal ring that slides onto a bow prior to stringing it that lets you make melee weapon attacks with the bow with proficiency and finesse (1d4 for a shortbow, 1d6 for a longbow.)
And for your space marine… if you haven’t looked at the Artificer (Armorer) yet, it has a Thunder Gauntlet which makes a quite nice Opportunity Attack,
That Infiltrator Armorer feels more like a Tau XV-25 Stealth Suit to me.
The most “Space Marine” feeling I ever got in 5e was a Battle Master with Crossbow Expert, Sharpshooter, and Elven Accuracy in Adamantine Plate with a Combi-Flamer Heavy Crossbow enchanted with Burning Hands, a Bolt Pistol Infused Repeating Hand Crossbow, and ChainswordLongsword of Wounding.
”With Holy Bolter and Cleansing Flame we shall purge this galaxy of all that is unclean. In the name of the holy god-Emperor of mankind.
Burn the Heretic.
Kill the Mutant.
Purge the unclean.”
While vile mutants still draw breath, there can be no peace. While obscene heretics’ hearts still beat, there can be no respite. While faithless traitors still live, there can be no forgiveness.
A couple of months ago i built a Battle master fighter that uses a heavy crossbow and the crossbow expert feat. This character was mostly inspired by the space marines of Warhammer 40k.
When i was building the character i wanted to make him wear heavy armor, have sentinel and let him be the frontline guy.
In the first session i found out that Ranged attacks can not be used as attacks of opportunity even with the crossbow expert feat which removes the 5 feet disadvantage.
So i got to thinking, how could i make it that we can attack with a ranged weapon with the current rules?
The first thing that came to mind is the tavern brawler feat that lets you use a ranged weapon as a melee weapon.
It would work but i dont really like tavern brawler as a feat.
The second one is a little more far-fetched and requires alot of things: The only other option i know that changes AoO is Warcaster.
War caster lets you cast spells as an AoO. so my mind immediately went to green flame blade and booming blade, however these spells are also only for melee attacks. ( i know that for this particular build it would take 2 feats, but i was just thinking in general as i know that a ranged eldritch knight is also
I looked through some spells( and the internet) and found that there are no spells that as a part of the spell let you make a ranged weapon attack as with those two melee cantrips.
There are enough spells that empower ranged attacks or dont specify the type of attack, that is also the reason i picked Battle master because most of the maneuvers can still be used with ranged weapons.
What would the reason be that they dont have these yet, precisely to prevent what i want to do with it or maybe because it would become too strong?
what do you guys think of this?
Tyrel Smithson - Protector Aasimar Sorcerer (Abbarant Mind) (Lvl 7) (Adventure - Storm Lord's Wrath)
If you want to make this build work, carry a bucket of whips, like Soul Knives do daggers, and switch to a hand crossbow. At the end of every turn, draw a whip. At the beginning of every turn, drop a whip. Now you can make OAs using your Dexterity, which is the big issue here in terms of Sentinel.
Or if you want a smaller zone of control, which can be better for OAs (since you can't make unarmed strikes with your Dexterity), use daggers, scimitars, short swords, or rapiers.
I think it’s a game balance issue. Ranged weapons are already better than melee from about 300 feet away to about 6 feet away. If you make them just as good at 5 feet as a melee weapon, why would anyone carry a melee weapon?
There’s one more challenge you missed: the Warcaster reaction spell is in place of an Opportunity Attack, it isn’t one itself. So even if there was a “Booming Bow” cantrip for ranged attacks, it would not be able to apply Sentinel’s speed debuff, because it wouldn’t be an OA.
However, there are spells you can cast as reactions with War Caster that might be useful to interfere with movement, and maybe you could flavor them as crossbow shots despite not being actual weapon attacks if that’s important to you? Sapping Sting causes the victim to fall prone,
And for your space marine… if you haven’t looked at the Artificer (Armorer) yet, it has a Thunder Gauntlet which makes a quite nice Opportunity Attack, not stopping enemies from moving away necessarily, but certainly interfering with their ability to attack your team after they do so. Armorer/Battlemaster with a Repeating-infused crossbow feels very space marine!
Do keep in mind that Xbow Expert only gives bonus action attacks with hand chows, though, not heavy, so you may want to use a light bolter instead of a heavy :(
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Is there a cantrip you can use that has a casting time of one instant? One of the biggest limitations I can think of is the casting time.
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The Warcaster feat overrides the usual casting time of spells and allows a much greater range of spells that can be cast as a reaction, but only in place of an opportunity attack.
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So you just ignore that the feat says "The spell must have a casting time of 1 action"?
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Pretty much, I always use shocking grasp as the example, it has a casting time of one action, but with warcaster you can use it as your AoO, but it still can only be one action and can only target one creature so no fireball or anything like that.
PyscoSonic#4554
If you read the rules on Improvised Weapons, you find that many common items CAN fit into a category that functions fully just as one of the standard weapon proficiencies would with the appropriate weapon. If a table leg is equal to a wooden club, maybe a shovel handle with a splintered end counts as a short spear. MAYBE if a crossbow had a lead weighted buttstock designed to deliver a jaw rattling blow...it would count as a club or even a mace. MAYBE if a crossbow was magic and very sturdy, it could have an underslung bayonet for thrusting.
RAW, making a melee weapon attack using a ranged weapon that requires ammunition is always considered an improvised weapon. But I’ve totally homebrewed stuff like a bayonet for crossbows, or a wondrous item that’s a metal ring that slides onto a bow prior to stringing it that lets you make melee weapon attacks with the bow with proficiency and finesse (1d4 for a shortbow, 1d6 for a longbow.)
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That Infiltrator Armorer feels more like a Tau XV-25 Stealth Suit to me.
The most “Space Marine” feeling I ever got in 5e was a Battle Master with Crossbow Expert, Sharpshooter, and Elven Accuracy in Adamantine Plate with a
Combi-FlamerHeavy Crossbow enchanted with Burning Hands, aBolt PistolInfused Repeating Hand Crossbow, andChainswordLongsword of Wounding.While vile mutants still draw breath, there can be no peace. While obscene heretics’ hearts still beat, there can be no respite. While faithless traitors still live, there can be no forgiveness.
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