[RPG] Does a kensei monk gain the benefits of Martial Arts features for an improvised melee attack with a ranged kensei weapon

class-featurednd-5eimprovised-weaponrymonk

Since the Kensei's Path of the Kensei weapon choices include ranged weapons, making them count as monk weapons for the purposes of applying Martial Arts features, do these features apply even when using the ranged weapon to make an improvised melee attack?

For a clarifying example of nuance, this is a level 3 monk who has chosen shortsword and longbow as their kensei weapons, and is attempting to use the longbow as an improvised melee weapon.

Best Answer

Here are the official rules on improvised weapons according to the Player's Handbook (pg. 147-148):

Sometimes characters don't have their weapons and have to attack with whatever is at hand. An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin.

Often, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is akin to a club. At the DM's option, a character proficient with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.

An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.

From this we can assume that when using a ranged weapon for melee combat (or vice versa), it loses all previous labels, including martial. However, it does say that the DM may decide that if it is similar to another weapon, then you may classify it as that weapon, so your DM may let you treat it as a weapon that is eligible for your Martial Arts trait.

Hope this helps!