However, the actual text of the class places no such restriction on melee VS ranged: https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/c ... nome.shtmlTheodore01 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:23 am Just tested it with shurikans with my gnome, Seal the breach does not work with ranged attacks. (Updated the wiki.) The wiki even had "hand-to-hand combat" in the class description before.
There is mention in flavor that rogues bards and casters "are better off avoiding hand-to-hand", but this seems to reflect the tanky-nature of the class because plenty of rogues stab things - they just don't want to get hit themselves. Case in point the number of TWF rogue builds, and that most of the point of the class is getting hit so other people don't.
From a more cynical perspective, restricting Breach-gnomes to melee only pretty much means they would be doomed if an enemy sits just outside their weapon reach and shoots them to death, since they would technically lose their defensive bonuses simply trying to retaliate either by throwing or moving outside the breach.
I can find some sources on a 2e version of Breach-gnome (I have not validated this source), but while it requires proficiency in certain weapons, the text provided does not state that the defensive bonuses are restricted purely to melee.
It is therefore my consideration that the restriction to Seal-the-Breach to melee-only is an error, and the bonus should be applied to all combat when the terrain conditions are met.