Edit: A lot of people say, that GWM needs a melee weapon attack, but they miss Jesses point: While GWM requires a melee attack with a heavy weapon, Sharpshooters only criteria is an attack with a ranged weapon (not a ranged weapon attack). Jesse bases his claim on the fact, that a crossbow is still a ranged weapon, even if used as an improvised weapon for melee combat. That’s why it deals 1d4(!)+20 damage. (It works with any ranged, heavy weapon btw., so Longbow qualifies too.) Of course Jesse is playing the devils advocate here and of course, no somewhat sane Walter will allow this in any campaign ever, as it’s obviously not the intention behind these feats. But you could read it that way and that’s Jesses (paperthin) point. Besides: he finds the image of a barbarian running around recklessly smashing a crossbow over everyone’s head to just be hilarious.
GWM specifies a melee attack iirc
It is a melee attack. Jesse hits people with the crossbow in melee. Jesse does read the rules. Thank you.
Then Sharpshooter wouldn’t trigger, because that counts as an improvised weapon.
Is smacking someone over the head with a Glock not an attack with a gun?
Is a bow no longer a ragend weapon just because I don’t use it as one?
Yes, it is an attack with a gun. That gun just isn’t a ranged weapon for the purposes of that attack.
Yes, using a bow as a melee weapon, in 5e, absolutely ceases to become a ranged weapon while you do so.
You’re correct. It uses “melee attack” for everything, so a crossbow would be excluded. Unless maybe you’re using the crossbow as an improvised weapon and bashing the enemy over the head with it? But then Sharpshooter wouldn’t apply, because it specifies “ranged weapon attack” and hitting someone with a melee attack wouldn’t be ranged.
No. Sharpshooter (as written) requires an attack with a ranged weapon. Nothing says the attack has to be ranged. I could also use a shortbow as an improvised meelee-weapon and triggers Sharshooter (I’m mostly relying on the fact that just because I’m not using it as a ranged weapon, it still is one). But Crossbow is also heavy, allowing the use of GWM.
Sharpshooter specifies “an attack with a ranged weapon”- so the only argument I could see against using a crossbow for bonking counting for that is if using a crossbow as a melee weapon makes it not count as a ranged weapon. That’s an interpretation I disagree with, though, per the sage advice on thrown weapons and sharpshooter- if throwing a dagger isn’t an attack with a ranged weapon, it implies that “ranged weapon” is inherent to the item rather than how it’s used. Throwing a dagger at someone is an attack with a melee weapon, ergo hitting someone in the face with a crossbow is an attack with a ranged weapon.
Your note about thrown weapons has given me a new idea on how to start an argument with my DM. Throw a dagger at someone, then watch my DM pitch a fit when I argue that I can smite because throwing the dagger is a melee weapon attack.
Far be it for me to advocate starting rules arguments, but RAW I think that works and for flavour I’ll always support ways to play paladins as something other than the melee knight in shining armour
The meme community hasn’t read the rules
Reading in my ttrpg? Impossible. All that matters is the dm regurgitating the rules for the players.
Literally every time someone posts with this Walter and Jesse meme format, it is the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen. It makes me lose brain cells instantly and desperately wish I had unsubbed from this community months ago
But sharp shooter doesn’t specify a ranged attack… right? Right?
(My source is wikidot)
Correct. It says an attack with a ranged weapon.
It does specify ranged weapon attack.
