Sneak attacking is the bread and butter of the rogue class in Dungeons & Dragons. All rogues gain the ability to exploit enemy weaknesses for a bit of extra damage at the very first level, complete with a chart that scales up damage as levels increase. There is, however, an important caveat: sneak attacks can only be performed with ranged weapons or weapons with the finesse property (in addition to the other requirements). Confronted with this rule, some players and DMs may question its internal logic.
Any real ‘sneak’ attack is still going to come as a surprise, isn’t it? If the sneak attack is performed at a time in which the enemy has their guard down or can’t see it coming, one can argue that the weapon type shouldn’t matter. Unfortunately, opening the world of sneak attack damage bonuses up to heavier weapons creates a bit of a balancing dilemma. Sneak attacks wouldn’t just be a good perk to have to compensate for lower-damage weapons - they’d potentially eclipse a lot of the other advantages given to classes that prioritize heavy-weapon fighting. In other words, taking a level in rogue would become more immediately helpful than most other classes’ level up perks for people looking to increase their damage output.
This is because of the way that weapon types are balanced within the game. Finesse weapons are usually lighter, perfect for Rogues, Rangers, or as off-weapons, and have low base damage but allow their users to use their dexterity modifier instead of strength for hit and damage calculations. Sneak attacks further offset that low base damage by allowing players to stack on additional d6es the better they get at finding vital weaknesses. But if sneak attacks included other types of weapons, everyone would be incentivized to pick up a trait or backstory allowing proficiency in them or risk falling behind their teammates in damage output. Heavy weapons would do much more damage, while weapons with reach would allow sneak attacks with very little risk of retaliation. There is no “right” way to play D&D, but this modification would make certain playstyles much more prevalent and encouraged, something that turns off many players who enjoy more variety in their parties.
Despite all that, it’s not like altering game mechanics is impossible to do, and it’s certainly not to say that those wondering about the current state of sneak attack don’t have a point. There are many situations in which players who are in a position to ambush, attack from advantage, or strike a distracted enemy rightfully feel their next blow should be a sneak attack regardless of the weapon they’re using. Modifying the way that sneak attacks work - either for any weapons or only for non-finesse melee weapons - can be a good middle ground if the party is of split opinion on the validity of non-finesse melee sneak attacks.
One way to do this would be implementing a flat damage output: enworld user “dnd4vr” suggested replacing the weapon damage with a d6 before adding sneak attack damage. This way, all weapon types would have the same potential damage output during a sneak attack, and it only improves as players invest in the rogue class for more sneak attack dice to add. It removes the question of “why can’t you surprise someone while using an axe?” while more or less leaving the game balance in place. This isn’t the only way to make an adjustment, though - just one of many suggestions. D&D has a very robust system of combat, so you can adjust it in loads of ways, as long as the DM and players can come to an agreement.
NEXT: WOTC Puts A Looney-Tunes Style Disclaimer On Old D&D Books
