My last post in this thread.
Witchbolt does require an action to do the extra damage every round after the first, so that is a new action as well. Like you point out it is not an action discussed in the PHB.
Yup, as indicated.
Also an attack roll is not necessarily required for the attack action. Grappling and Shoving both use the attack action and neither use an attack roll. A Dragon Born PC (from FTOD) breathing fire on someone is also the attack action and is more or less the exact same thing the Dragon's Breath spell does.
Yup; neither of these is an attack action.
My interpretation of the Flame Blade attack is exactly like these two spells in terms of action. You use your action to implement the spell effect which is specific to the spell.
I do understand your position; this is where we disagree: Flame Blade is not "exactly like" either of these.
Other spells are similar.
Important to this is "making an attack" does not mean the same thing as "using the attack action" you can make attack rolls without using an attack action.
And, sometimes, making an attack does use the attack action. ; )
A melee spell attack is not an attack action and I will point out that Spiritual Weapon, Mordenkainan's sword, Vampiric Touch and Black Blade of Disaster all use this "spell attack" word but do not use the attack action.
So, as you have noted, some spell do create specific actions. Flame Blade is like none of these, an appears unique. (Whether it is well-written or well-designed is not what I am arguing). But
(a) it is a spell
attack
(b) the spell attack is not part of the casting (using the Cast a Spell action)
(c) the spell attack is not something a special kind of action not accounted for in the choices in the PHB. I know this is where we disagree, but I think the impetus has to be to look at the available actions first, and then see if there are exceptions. [EDIT: I know "Specific beats General": the question is whether a specific situation is created (c) when a general one (a) applies.]
So, of the examples you list here:
- Spiritual Weapon: round 1 it's part of the casting (b), and subsequent rounds are bonus actions.
- Mordenkainan's Sword: round 1 it's part of the casting (b), and subsequent rounds are bonus actions.
- Blade of Disaster (assuming you mean the spell in Tasha's?): all part of bonus actions, not an action.
- Vampiric Touch: Here is your best example. In turn 1, it's part of the cast a spell action (b), but on subsequent turns you are making a spell attack with an attack action. By my reading, Extra attack would work in subsequent rounds while concentration is maintained, but not round 1.
Moreover, if I am taking this wording then a 20th level fighter could cast Vampiric Touch upcast to 4th level and then action surge for 8 attacks doing a total 32-192 damage and also healing herself the same amount.
The spell can be learned by a level 14 Eldritch Knight, and you are right that at level 20 with action surge and extra attack, in round 2 and upcasting, it would be eight separate attacks using your Intelligence, each doing 4d6. (In round 1, you'd only get one such attack, of course).
Again, I'm not arguing whether or not Flame Blade or Vampiric Touch is well-written. But I do think they are clear.
Thanks!