Monster question: Fire Beetle Fire Spray incur OA?

jhilahd · Mar 20, 2009

This came up last night. In the 3 levels of gaming we've done(roughly 10 sessions) this hasn't come up.

I ruled that it would draw an opportunity attack because it is an area attack.

The dragonborn fighter was taking on a fire beetle. On the beetle's turn, it did it's close blast Fire Spray.

Fire Spray (standard, rechare 5,6) • Fire
Close blast 3, +4 vs. Reflex, 3d6 fire damage.

Just for reference.

When it did, the dragonborn took her OA. Didn't kill it, but sure put the hurt on it.

Did I rule correctly?

I think the distinction I'm looking for is area attack vs area power.

GorTeX · Mar 20, 2009

It is not an Area attack, but a Close attack (both Close Bursts and Close Blasts are close attacks) and do not draw OA's.

(the following are paraphrased, not quoted directly)

PHB page 269: Opportunity Action: Triggered by an adjacent enemy making a ranged attack or an area attack
PHB page 270: Four attack types: Melee, Ranged, Close, Area.
PHB Page 271: Close Attack definition. Note that it does not have a 'provoke Opportunity Attacks' line, while Area and ranged attacks do.

Rechan · Mar 20, 2009

jhilahd said:
This came up last night. In the 3 levels of gaming we've done(roughly 10 sessions) this hasn't come up. ... The dragonborn fighter was taking on a fire beetle. On the beetle's turn, it did it's close blast Fire Spray.

You have a dragonborn fighter in the party, with a close blast attack (breath weapon), and it never came up of the DB using the blast in melee and whether that drew an OA?