The players in my campaign are fighting an Oculorb. The party has a Hollyphant  with them.

Here's my question.

Is the Oculorb's eye beam attack negated by the Hollyphants aura of invulnerability?

I can see the argument going either way. What do you guys think?

I don't have the stat block for the oculorb on hand, but unless its eye beam attack is a spell of 5th level or lower (which I doubt it is), the hollyphant's Aura of Invulnerability doesn't affect it. Said aura only works on spells, not magic in general.

Eye Beam. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) psychic damage.

So it is a spell attack, but the question becomes is it 5th level or lower. Based on the CR 9 and the damage, I'm inclined to say that it is a 5th level or lower spell.

The Withering Glare, and Weeping Eyes wouldn't be stopped by the Aura, though, just the eyebeam attack. In these cases, the Withering is far too powerful, and the Weeping isn't a damage causing spell.

That, however, is *just* me. I have no doubt others will see it differently.

Quote from AEDorsay>>

Eye Beam. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) psychic damage.

I'm inclined to say that it is a 5th level or lower spell.

It's not a 5th level or lower spell, though. It's not a spell at all. Spells and spell attacks are both very strictly defined things, and, though they often coincide, one does not automatically imply the other. For example, take a look at Way of the Sun Soul's Radiant Sun Bolt:

You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack

Note that it's a ranged spell attack, that no mention is made of casting a spell, and that the attack is done with the Attack action rather than the [Tooltip Not Found] action.

It's confusing language, I know, but that's just how it be.

Except that when using a ranged or melee spell attack, you are supposed to use your spell attack score, which is an attack, yes, but considered the casting of a spell.

I mean, there's nothing to indicate level or otherwise, and I don't have access to the defending critter, so I am guessing as well (which is why I snuck in the stats for ya)

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Except that when using a ranged or melee spell attack, you are supposed to use your spell attack score, which is an attack, yes, but considered the casting of a spell.

I mean, there's nothing to indicate level or otherwise, and I don't have access to the defending critter, so I am guessing as well (which is why I snuck in the stats for ya)

Again, I refer to Radiant Sun Bolt, which a) uses Dexterity, and b) is on a class that has no spellcasting ability and therefore no spell attack score.

Anyways, even if it were some sort of nebulous never-before-seen spell that isn't presented like a spell and isn't a spell for anybody else, it wouldn't have any level at all, and therefore it wouldn't qualify as a spell of 5th level or lower.

I don't usually like to use the Sage Advice Compendium, but here's a bit from there that shows what I mean (and also shows the RAI pretty clearly):

Certain monsters—including the banshee, the lich, and the specter—have a melee spell attack that isn’t delivered by a spell. For example, the banshee’s Corrupting Touch action is a melee spell attack but no spell is cast to make it.

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Except that when using a ranged or melee spell attack, you are supposed to use your spell attack score, which is an attack, yes, but considered the casting of a spell.

No no no, this isn't true.

A spell attack will use your spellcasting modifier but unless the attack in question is granted by the casting of a spell then the attack is NOT a spell.

Yeah, making a spell attack does not make it a spell in the same way that an unarmed strike is called a melee weapon attack even though you're not using a melee weapon.

Here's a quick and easy guide for anyone who's struggling with this.

Attacks in 5e are comprised of two descriptors. Descriptor 1) Melee or ranged. Descriptor 2) Weapon or spell. Thus, the total list of possible types of attacks is: melee weapon attack, melee spell attack, ranged weapon attack, ranged spell attack. These aren't descriptions of the source of the attack. They're not tied to ANYTHING natively. What I mean is, there are spells that tell you to make weapon attacks (Shadow Blade), melee weapons that tell you to make ranged attacks (dagger), and so on. Spiritual Weapon tells you to make melee spell attacks, outside of melee range, but it's described as a weapon. Do you see what I'm getting at?