Question: when does a spell that you can use at distance (fire bolt for example) is used to attack someone next to you. Do you get disadvantage? And if you do, what spells can you use on people next to you?
If it is a ranged spell attack, then you get disadvantage if the target is within 5ft of you. Some spells ask you to make a melee spell attack (both use the same attack modifier though)
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.
The section about ranged attacks in close combat from PHB.
Example of a spell to use in melee range is Shocking Grasp although there are many more.
Per your quoted text, you have disadvantage on rolls if a hostile creature is within 5 ft of you, even if your target is at ranged distance. So, aiming a fire bolt at the event Archer 80 ft away will still be at disadvantage or you have an enemy fighter next to you.
To avoid that, just use spells that require saving throws rather than attack rolls. No disadvantage even in melee range.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Cross bow Xpert:
"Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack roils."
It doesn't say "ranged weapon attack" rolls ... so it applies to ALL ranged attack rolls including spells.
And before you start yelling about this being some sort of liberal interpretation never intended by the game designers (blah blah blah)
Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Expert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage (PHB 195). The second benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with a crossbow.
When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider adding at least one element that can benefit a character more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings from one situation to another. The second benefit of Crossbow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things."
So BOTH RAW and RAI ... Crossbow Expert removes disadvantage when making ranged spell attacks when there is an opponent adjacent.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Cross bow Xpert:
"Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack roils."
It doesn't say "ranged weapon attack" rolls ... so it applies to ALL ranged attack rolls including spells.
And before you start yelling about this being some sort of liberal interpretation never intended by the game designers (blah blah blah)
Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Expert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage (PHB 195). The second benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with a crossbow.
When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider adding at least one element that can benefit a character more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings from one situation to another. The second benefit of Crossbow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things."
So BOTH RAW and RAI ... Crossbow Expert removes disadvantage when making ranged spell attacks when there is an opponent adjacent.
Well, crap. Never in a million years would I have read the feat that way.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Cross bow Xpert:
"Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack roils."
It doesn't say "ranged weapon attack" rolls ... so it applies to ALL ranged attack rolls including spells.
And before you start yelling about this being some sort of liberal interpretation never intended by the game designers (blah blah blah)
Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Expert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage (PHB 195). The second benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with a crossbow.
When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider adding at least one element that can benefit a character more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings from one situation to another. The second benefit of Crossbow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things."
So BOTH RAW and RAI ... Crossbow Expert removes disadvantage when making ranged spell attacks when there is an opponent adjacent.
Well, crap. Never in a million years would I have read the feat that way.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Cross bow Xpert:
"Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack roils."
It doesn't say "ranged weapon attack" rolls ... so it applies to ALL ranged attack rolls including spells.
And before you start yelling about this being some sort of liberal interpretation never intended by the game designers (blah blah blah)
Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Expert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage (PHB 195). The second benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with a crossbow.
When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider adding at least one element that can benefit a character more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings from one situation to another. The second benefit of Crossbow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things."
So BOTH RAW and RAI ... Crossbow Expert removes disadvantage when making ranged spell attacks when there is an opponent adjacent.
Well, crap. Never in a million years would I have read the feat that way.
As an update, the new GUNNER feat can also be used to mitigate the disADV on ranged attacks while within 5 feet of an enemy.
what happens if say u were a druid flanking but still within 5ft of a bandit with a poison spray spell that is a range of 10 feet
Poison Spray is a saving throw cantrip. Having a hostile creature within 5' only causes disadvantage on ranged attack rolls. Since Poison spray doesn't involve an attack roll it is unaffected by whether there is an opponent within 5'.
what happens if say u were a druid flanking but still within 5ft of a bandit with a poison spray spell that is a range of 10 feet
The optional Flanking rule in the Dungeon Masters Guide explicitly says that flanking only grants advantage on melee attacks(it does not say "melee weapon attacks", so melee spell attacks like Shocking Grasp should apply)
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Hi Everyone,
Question: when does a spell that you can use at distance (fire bolt for example) is used to attack someone next to you. Do you get disadvantage? And if you do, what spells can you use on people next to you?
If it is a ranged spell attack, then you get disadvantage if the target is within 5ft of you. Some spells ask you to make a melee spell attack (both use the same attack modifier though)
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.
The section about ranged attacks in close combat from PHB.
Example of a spell to use in melee range is Shocking Grasp although there are many more.
Per your quoted text, you have disadvantage on rolls if a hostile creature is within 5 ft of you, even if your target is at ranged distance. So, aiming a fire bolt at the event Archer 80 ft away will still be at disadvantage or you have an enemy fighter next to you.
To avoid that, just use spells that require saving throws rather than attack rolls. No disadvantage even in melee range.
I was just assuming single target encounter, but yeah good to note that too.
Thorn Whip is interesting because it has range but it is a melee spell attack. There may be some other spells like it.
Keep in mind also that the cross-bow Xpert feat which allows adjacent ranged attacks without disadvantage also applies to ranged spell attacks.
Where do you get that? I'm not sure how "extensive practice with the crossbow" would apply the crossbow expert's "no penalty for close attacks" benefit to spells.
Cross bow Xpert:
"Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack roils."
It doesn't say "ranged weapon attack" rolls ... so it applies to ALL ranged attack rolls including spells.
And before you start yelling about this being some sort of liberal interpretation never intended by the game designers (blah blah blah)
https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf
"Feats: Crossbow Expert
Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Expert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, you normally suffer disadvantage (PHB 195). The second benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with a crossbow.
When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider adding at least one element that can benefit a character more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings from one situation to another. The second benefit of Crossbow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things."
So BOTH RAW and RAI ... Crossbow Expert removes disadvantage when making ranged spell attacks when there is an opponent adjacent.
Well, crap. Never in a million years would I have read the feat that way.
Thank you for posting this!
As an update, the new GUNNER feat can also be used to mitigate the disADV on ranged attacks while within 5 feet of an enemy.
what happens if say u were a druid flanking but still within 5ft of a bandit with a poison spray spell that is a range of 10 feet
Poison Spray is a saving throw cantrip. Having a hostile creature within 5' only causes disadvantage on ranged attack rolls. Since Poison spray doesn't involve an attack roll it is unaffected by whether there is an opponent within 5'.
The optional Flanking rule in the Dungeon Masters Guide explicitly says that flanking only grants advantage on melee attacks(it does not say "melee weapon attacks", so melee spell attacks like Shocking Grasp should apply)