If I’m a caster in melee range and cast a ranged spell attack on a prone target that is in melee range do I have disadvantage on the attack or is it just normal? It is hard for me to believe that I have disadvantage on a opponent that is on the ground below me.
If I’m a caster in melee range and cast a ranged spell attack on a prone target that is in melee range do I have disadvantage on the attack or is it just normal? It is hard for me to believe that I have disadvantage on a opponent that is on the ground below me.
Depends entirely on distance, which you didn't specify.
Billy the Bugbear is 10' from Gerta the Goblin, who is Prone. Billy shoots Gerta with a longbow. Gerta is within melee range of Billy because Billy has 10' reach, but that has no impact whatsoever on the attack roll. However, Prone means that Billy attacks at Disadvantage - not because of being within his own reach of the target, but because he's more than 5' away shooting a prone target.
Billy approaches to 5' and shoots again. Once more, melee range has no relevance in any way. Prone grants Billy advantage due to being 5' away, but making a ranged attack within 5' of an enemy grants Billy disadvantage. These cancel each other out, so it's a flat roll. Because number of sources of adv and disadv don't matter, the roll would still be flat if Billy shut his eyes before taking the shot.
If I’m a caster in melee range and cast a ranged spell attack on a prone target that is in melee range do I have disadvantage on the attack or is it just normal? It is hard for me to believe that I have disadvantage on a opponent that is on the ground below me.
I assume by "melee range" you mean 5 feet (since prone cares about distance, not reach).
Making a ranged attack against a prone hostile creature within 5 feet of you that can see you means you have both advantage and disadvantage and thus considered to have neither of them, so you roll one d20.
If I’m a caster in melee range and cast a ranged spell attack on a prone target that is in melee range do I have disadvantage on the attack or is it just normal? It is hard for me to believe that I have disadvantage on a opponent that is on the ground below me.
Depends entirely on distance, which you didn't specify.
Billy the Bugbear is 10' from Gerta the Goblin, who is Prone. Billy shoots Gerta with a longbow. Gerta is within melee range of Billy because Billy has 10' reach, but that has no impact whatsoever on the attack roll. However, Prone means that Billy attacks at Disadvantage - not because of being within his own reach of the target, but because he's more than 5' away shooting a prone target.
Billy approaches to 5' and shoots again. Once more, melee range has no relevance in any way. Prone grants Billy advantage due to being 5' away, but making a ranged attack within 5' of an enemy grants Billy disadvantage. These cancel each other out, so it's a flat roll. Because number of sources of adv and disadv don't matter, the roll would still be flat if Billy shut his eyes before taking the shot.
I assume by "melee range" you mean 5 feet (since prone cares about distance, not reach).
Like Quindraco said, it is a flat roll.
Making a ranged attack against a prone hostile creature within 5 feet of you that can see you means you have both advantage and disadvantage and thus considered to have neither of them, so you roll one d20.