I'm creating a battle master with menacing attack and the shield master feat. Frightened targets have disadvantage on ability checks, which are different from saves. I'm wondering if shoving a creature is considered an ability check rather than a save. The combination i'm looking to make is a menacing attack, followed by a bonus action shield master shove where the target has disadvantage. Would this work?
Most of the time things use a save so this feels weird.
Shoving is a special melee attack that requires you to make a Strength(Athletics) check contested by the target's athletics or acrobatics check. The target is required to make an ability check so this combination does indeed work the way you want it to.
Most of the time things use a save so this feels weird.
Your intuition is correct, using ability checks instead of attack rolls and saving throws for attacks and conditions leads to weirdness. For example, being blinded or restrained doesn't impede your ability to grapple or shove. But yeah, like emrfish6 said the combination of Menacing Attack followed by a shove definitely works.
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I'm creating a battle master with menacing attack and the shield master feat. Frightened targets have disadvantage on ability checks, which are different from saves. I'm wondering if shoving a creature is considered an ability check rather than a save. The combination i'm looking to make is a menacing attack, followed by a bonus action shield master shove where the target has disadvantage. Would this work?
Most of the time things use a save so this feels weird.
Shoving is a special melee attack that requires you to make a Strength(Athletics) check contested by the target's athletics or acrobatics check. The target is required to make an ability check so this combination does indeed work the way you want it to.
Your intuition is correct, using ability checks instead of attack rolls and saving throws for attacks and conditions leads to weirdness. For example, being blinded or restrained doesn't impede your ability to grapple or shove. But yeah, like emrfish6 said the combination of Menacing Attack followed by a shove definitely works.
The Forum Infestation (TM)