In regards to the melee spell attack as an opportunity attack, here is straight from Sage Advice:
Can you use a melee spell attack to make an opportunity attack?
You can’t if the spell attack is created by casting a spell. When a creature triggers an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against it. The opportunity attack doesn’t suddenly give you the ability to cast a spell, such as shocking grasp.
Each spell has a casting time. A game feature, such as an opportunity attack, doesn’t let you bypass that casting time, unless the feature says otherwise. The War Caster feat is an example of a feature that does let you bypass a 1-action casting time to cast a spell in place of making an opportunity attack.
A few monsters can make opportunity attacks with melee spell attacks. Here’s how: 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. The banshee can, therefore, make opportunity attacks with Corrupting Touch.
AoO allows you to make an attack. It does not allow you to cast a spell. You are free to use any single melee attack you currently have access to at the appropriate range, be it an unarmed strike, a swing of the sword you are currently wielding, a bite of your dragon teeth (if you are a dragon), or the spell attack sting of your lich's paralysing touch (if you happen to be a Lich).
All player characters that currently exist do not have any melee spell attacks available to them except during the actual casting of a spell. An AoO does not let you start the casting of a spell to get access to a melee spell attack. You just plain don't have those attacks available.
Absolutely correct, and that's really all it comes down to. OA doesn't care whether any particular melee attack be a weapon/spell attack, or how you got access to it. OA cares that it's one melee attack, has the correct reach, and that the attack doesn't have a prerequisite step (casting a spell, or some other triggering condition).
Regarding Vampiric Touch and Flame Blade, the safe bet is to assume they are not eligible. Per SAC, a spell attack created by casting a spell (we're not talking about War Caster) is not eligible for use as an OA. It's not unreasonable to infer that they could work, but that would also imply that you could use the spell attack from Spiritual Weapon on an OA, which we can (I'd hope) all agree wouldn't be RAI.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Regarding Vampiric Touch and Flame Blade, the safe bet is to assume they are not eligible. Per SAC, a spell attack created by casting a spell (we're not talking about War Caster) is not eligible for use as an OA. It's not unreasonable to infer that they could work, but that would also imply that you could use the spell attack from Spiritual Weapon on an OA, which we can (I'd hope) all agree wouldn't be RAI.
Yes, I suppose they would only be valid for an AoO if they were also valid for use with a fighter's extra attacks. So shadow blade and other spells that summon or enchant an actual weapon would be, but not these. Still, not an out of the question house rule.
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In regards to the melee spell attack as an opportunity attack, here is straight from Sage Advice:
Can you use a melee spell attack to make an opportunity attack?
You can’t if the spell attack is created by casting a spell. When a creature triggers an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against it. The opportunity attack doesn’t suddenly give you the ability to cast a spell, such as shocking grasp.
Each spell has a casting time. A game feature, such as an opportunity attack, doesn’t let you bypass that casting time, unless the feature says otherwise. The War Caster feat is an example of a feature that does let you bypass a 1-action casting time to cast a spell in place of making an opportunity attack.
A few monsters can make opportunity attacks with melee spell attacks. Here’s how: 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. The banshee can, therefore, make opportunity attacks with Corrupting Touch.
Absolutely correct, and that's really all it comes down to. OA doesn't care whether any particular melee attack be a weapon/spell attack, or how you got access to it. OA cares that it's one melee attack, has the correct reach, and that the attack doesn't have a prerequisite step (casting a spell, or some other triggering condition).
Regarding Vampiric Touch and Flame Blade, the safe bet is to assume they are not eligible. Per SAC, a spell attack created by casting a spell (we're not talking about War Caster) is not eligible for use as an OA. It's not unreasonable to infer that they could work, but that would also imply that you could use the spell attack from Spiritual Weapon on an OA, which we can (I'd hope) all agree wouldn't be RAI.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Yes, I suppose they would only be valid for an AoO if they were also valid for use with a fighter's extra attacks. So shadow blade and other spells that summon or enchant an actual weapon would be, but not these. Still, not an out of the question house rule.