Do Melee Spell Attacks Benefit from Flanking in 5e?
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Yes, melee spell attacks absolutely benefit from the optional flanking rules in D&D 5th Edition. If you’re using the flanking rules, a creature using a melee spell attack against a flanked enemy will gain advantage on their attack roll. This clarification stems from a fundamental understanding of how the game defines melee attacks and how those definitions apply to spells. The key concept is that flanking grants advantage on melee attacks, and a melee spell attack is indeed a melee attack. Let’s delve deeper into the mechanics and dispel any confusion surrounding this.
Understanding Melee Attacks and Spell Attacks
It’s essential to distinguish between different types of attacks in 5e. A melee attack involves direct, close-quarters combat, typically using a weapon or natural weapons like claws or teeth. However, some spells also require you to make a melee attack roll, which is why we call them melee spell attacks. Examples of spells that use melee spell attacks are Shocking Grasp, Inflict Wounds, Thorn Whip, and Spiritual Weapon.
Flanking: The Core Mechanic
In D&D 5e, flanking is an optional rule that is designed to enhance the combat dynamic, especially for martial classes. When a creature and at least one of its ally are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, they are considered to be flanking. In such a situation, both of them gains advantage on melee attack rolls against the flanked creature.
The Crucial Link: Melee Spell Attacks as Melee Attacks
The crucial connection that confirms melee spell attacks do benefit from flanking is simple: melee spell attacks are still considered melee attacks. This means they qualify for the advantage granted by the flanking rule. The fact that the attack roll is associated with a spell doesn’t change its core classification as a melee attack. Just as a ranged spell attack is a ranged attack, so a melee spell attack is a melee attack.
FAQs: Unpacking Flanking and Melee Spell Attacks
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules surrounding flanking and melee spell attacks:
1. What exactly is a melee attack in 5e?
A melee attack is an attack made in hand-to-hand combat, targeting a foe within reach. This can be with a physical weapon like a sword or a natural weapon like claws, or by using a spell that requires a melee attack roll.
2. What counts as a melee spell attack?
A melee spell attack is an attack made in melee range, using a spell that specifically instructs you to make a melee attack roll. Spells like Shocking Grasp, Inflict Wounds, and Thorn Whip all use melee spell attacks.
3. If I’m flanking an enemy, do I get advantage on ranged attacks?
No. Flanking only grants advantage on melee attack rolls. If you are flanking an enemy, only melee attacks, not ranged attacks, benefit from the advantage. Ranged attacks must have other sources of advantage to be rolled with advantage.
4. Can an invisible creature contribute to flanking?
Yes. An invisible creature can contribute to flanking if it meets the required positioning conditions, being adjacent to the enemy on the opposite side of another attacker. However, just because it’s invisible doesn’t guarantee hitting with the attack that benefits from flanking.
5. Does flanking automatically make the target flat-footed?
No, in 5e there is no flat-footed condition when you flank. Flanking provides advantage on the attack roll, not flat-footed. The term flat-footed is associated with earlier editions of D&D.
6. Do I gain advantage on saving throws against a flanked enemy?
No, flanking only affects attack rolls, it does not affect saving throws. A flanked enemy may be easier to hit, but they won’t be any more likely to fail their saving throws as a result.
7. Does a ranged spell attack benefit from flanking?
No, flanking only grants advantage to melee attacks, therefore ranged spell attacks do not benefit from flanking.
8. Does being prone give you advantage against melee spell attacks?
A prone creature grants advantage to melee attacks, including melee spell attacks. This means spells such as Inflict Wounds cast against a prone target will be rolled with advantage.
9. Can you use a melee spell attack non-lethally?
Yes, any melee attack, including a melee spell attack can be used to make a non-lethal attack, as long as the spell inflicts melee damage. This means you can drop an enemy to zero hit points without killing them with spells like Shocking Grasp or Inflict Wounds.
10. If a spell does not use an attack roll, can it benefit from flanking?
No, flanking only applies to melee attack rolls. If a spell doesn’t require an attack roll (i.e., it forces the target to make a saving throw instead), flanking doesn’t provide any benefit.
11. Does Shocking Grasp benefit from flanking?
Yes. Shocking Grasp is a melee spell attack, so it benefits from flanking, granting the caster advantage if the target is flanked by the caster and at least one other ally.
12. Does the Thorn Whip cantrip benefit from flanking?
Yes, Thorn Whip is also a melee spell attack, and therefore benefits from flanking.
13. Can a melee spell attack be parried?
Yes. If the spell uses a melee spell attack roll, it can be parried with a shield or a reaction, exactly like any other melee attack. If a spell requires an attack roll, shields can count toward its AC.
14. Does fancy footwork work with melee spell attacks?
Yes, the rogue’s fancy footwork class feature applies to melee spell attacks. For example, casting Shocking Grasp or Thorn Whip allows the rogue to move without triggering an attack of opportunity after making the attack.
15. Can you get disadvantage on a melee spell attack?
Yes, if you make a melee spell attack while you have a hostile creature within 5 feet of you, you have disadvantage on the attack roll, just like any melee or ranged attack.
Conclusion
The interaction between melee spell attacks and the flanking rule in D&D 5e can be easily understood by remembering the core principle: a melee spell attack is still a melee attack. Therefore, the rules of flanking apply equally to weapon attacks and melee spell attacks alike. This can significantly enhance the effectiveness of spells that use melee attack rolls. Understanding these mechanics and how they interact provides a richer combat experience in your D&D campaigns. Always remember to consult the rulebooks and official sources for any rule clarification.