On page 107 of the PHB it describes the blade pact can take an existing magic weapon and make it a pact weapon. Can this be used on a ranged weapon such as a +1 bow? On the previous page when describing summoning a weapon from thin air it mentions melee weapon but does not do so when describing using an existing magic weapon.
Personally the only reason I can see for the Pact Blade being limited to melee is thematic ("blade", after all), and "who'd want to play a melee build by comparison?".
It just fits a concept I have so I wanted to be sure it's legit.
Except that nowhere in the pact blade ability does it ever state that the non-magical weapon you summon needs to be a melee weapon. Nothing anywhere ever states that the pact weapon has to be a melee weapon. Summoning a bow is a perfectly legitimate option.
Mad_Jack wrote:
I interpret
You can use your aclion lo creale a pacl weapon in your
emply hand. Vou can choose lhe form thal this melee
weapon takes
As meaning that the pact weapon has to be a melee weapon. However, it's not clearly spelled out, so ... wait for it ... ask your DM.
It's allowed as written.
But it seems pretty unlikely to be intentional.
But there also isn't any reason to disallow it, paticularly if it fits the character concept.
I definitely wouldn't allow it at my table. The RAI is pretty clear that "Pact of the Blade" is intended as a melee build for the Warlock, and simply because the melee bit wasn't restated for each mention of said pact weapon doesn't mean it wasn't intended. This book isn't written like a legal document. However, there's nothing wrong with having a magic ranged weapon as a warlock and using it like every other player at the table, it just couldn't be a pact weapon.
I'd limit it to melee only otherwise the way I interpret the text would establish a contradiction.
When you create a pact weapon, you choose the form this melee weapon takes. This implies pact weapons are melee.
If you transform a magical +1 longbow into your pact weapon, then it appears when you create a pact weapon, and you do not choose the form this melee weapon takes... but it's not a melee weapon at all.
Bloodscythe wrote:
Yunru wrote:
I wouldn't allow it. Its questionable in terms of the RAW. Its completely against the RAI.
I always imagined using the Pact Weapon as a way to create a thrown weapon. It won't come back, of course, but you can use an action to create it again. Or get three levels of Fighter and be an Eldritch Knight, who can resummon the thrown weapons to himself. 
I personally wouldn't have a problem with this idea. It just means their ability to use melee is virtually gone and certain enemies will wipe the floors with him.
I agree with the people who believe it to be against the intended use. It seems legal though.
Also legal as far as I can tell is to use magic weapon on a ranged weapon if you do not have a magic ranged weapon of your liking to make your pact weapon. Then perform the ritual to make it a pact weapon. It won't be magical afterwads ( unless the magic weapon has a longer duration then normal ) but that doesn't matter as far as I can tell.