D&D 5E Do bracers of archery benefit ranged spell attacks?

Yunru · Oct 14, 2018

Because RAW you can only use a Foci for spells with a material component.

Paul Farquhar · Oct 14, 2018

It matters because if it doesn't have a material component then you don't use an arcane focus to cast it. You just point your finger and zap away.

But even if you do cast as spell with a weapon as the arcane focus, it's not the same as attacking with the weapon, as should be obvious if you think about using your focus to cast a buff spell on yourself or an ally.

Gavin O. · Oct 14, 2018

I see.

Azzy · Oct 15, 2018

Gavin O. said:
The bracers of archery are an uncommon magic item that state:

"While wearing these bracers, you have proficiency with the longbow and shortbow, and you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls on ranged attacks made with such weapons."

If I'm a level 3 Warlock with the Improved Pact Weapon Invocation and I conjure a Shortbow as my pact weapon and cast Eldritch Blast using the shortbow as my Spellcasting Focus, do I get to add +2 to the damage roll(s) of that Eldritch Blast?

No, bracers of archery provide its bonus to ranged attacks made with a longbow or shortbow, however using such a weapon as a spell focus is not the making an attack with the weapon (you're nor not using the bow as a weapon).

Yunru · Oct 15, 2018

Azzy said:
No, bracers of archery provide its bonus to ranged attacks made with a longbow or shortbow, however using such a weapon as a spell focus is not the making an attack with the weapon (you're nor not using the bow as a weapon).

The bow is a weapon. You are using the weapon as a focus (not with EB, though). Q.E.D. the ranged spell attack is a ranged attack made with the weapon.

S'mon · Oct 15, 2018

Yunru said:
The bow is a weapon. You are using the weapon as a focus (not with EB, though). Q.E.D. the ranged spell attack is a ranged attack made with the weapon.

So if Eldritch Blast DID use a spell focus then the DM could reasonably rule the bonus applied.

Guest 6801328 · Oct 15, 2018

Gavin O. said:
Well that's really strong then, considering you can roll Eldritch Blast damage 8 times per round at level 17 (in combination with the Sorcerer's Quicken Spell), that's 16 damage.

Oh no! There's an edge case, dependent upon a specific build and a specific magic item, where a character can burn a resource and do some extra damage!

5e must be broken.

Paul Farquhar · Oct 15, 2018

I don't see any ambiguity. If you have a class ablity that lets you use a weapon as a focus, you are NOT using it as a weapon. You are waving it around in the air like a wand.

It's like using a longbow as a walking stick. You can use it like that, but bracers of archery don't give you a bonus to your ability to walk up a hill.

Guest 6801328 · Oct 15, 2018

Paul Farquhar said:
I don't see any ambiguity. If you have a class ablity that lets you use a weapon as a focus, you are NOT using it as a weapon. You are waving it around in the air like a wand.

It's like using a longbow as a walking stick. You can use it like that, but bracers of archery don't give you a bonus to your ability to walk up a hill.

I don't think anybody would argue that it's RAW, but in this case I think the Rule of Cool wins out. Especially since: a) the actual mechanical impact is not extreme, and b) it's nothing the player can engineer.

(Three cheers for the death of magic shoppes!)

If I had a player in this situation who wanted to refluff Eldrtich Blast to be cast by using the bow and shooting out magical force arrows, I'd be fine with it.

Yunru · Oct 15, 2018

Elfcrusher said:
I don't think anybody would argue that it's RAW

I'll steadfastly argue it's RAW, although I'll equally argue that it's not RAI, and I'd also equally argue that it is ROC.

Paul Farquhar said:
I don't see any ambiguity. If you have a class ablity that lets you use a weapon as a focus, you are NOT using it as a weapon.

What you're using it as doesn't change what it is though. The bracers don't care how you use the weapon, only that the attack is made using said weapon (in this case (well not this exact one) as a foci).