[RPG] Can a ranged rogue effectively stand back and sneak attack opponents every turn with a ranged weapon while their allies fight on the front line

dnd-5eranged-attackroguesneak-attack

Rogues can use ranged weapons to make sneak attacks. Also, the rogue rules state that:

You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Does this mean that basically a ranged rogue can stand back and sneak attack opponents every turn as his buddies are fighting with them on the front line? Did I miss some rule about shooting into melee or does that sound pretty mighty?

Best Answer

Yes, rogues can sneak attack at range pretty effectively.

You're reading the rules right, and all a ranged rogue needs for sneak attack is an ally's adjacency. (Actually, an enemy-of-my-enemy's adjacency, not necessarily an ally.)

Shooting in to melee...

may, at your GMs discretion, call cover into question. Review PHB p. 196: intervening combatants might grant your target +2 or +5 AC, or might make them untargetable (total cover).

Personally, I'm pretty liberal about throwing that +2 AC around during combat (in both directions), but pretty stingy on the higher penalties. As long as it's well-known ahead of time my players haven't seemed to mind. (And I'm very clear about applying it to enemies.)