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

[Oofta]

Not at all. AKA, if I ignore the fact that the bracers of archery are probably only intended to work with archery, then it reads right
I repeat, it requires absolutely no creativity, that you don't connect the concept behind the name and the effect together.

Reasonable people can come to different conclusions. You can justify your interpretation any way you want, but telling people that only you hold the one true interpretation because you're better at interpreting the rules (e.g. more "creative") is what I have a problem with.

But we do agree. Ignore what the rules say and you can interpret it any way you want.

 

[Yunru]

Reasonable people can come to different conclusions. You can justify your interpretation any way you want, but telling people that only you hold the one true interpretation because you're better at interpreting the rules (e.g. more "creative") is what I have a problem with.

But I'm not! I'm being less creative in order to be pedantically literal!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But it is, in these cases. Being used as something else doesn't stop it being something.
And you cast the spell with THE WEAPON as a foci. So any attack or damage rolls are made with the weapon (as a foci).

There is a reason the game differentiates between a weapon attack and a spell attack. Weapon attacks are made with weapons. Spell attacks are made with spells.

In order to cast Armour of Agathys, you require a cup of water. A spellcasting focus can be substituted for the cup of water. It does nothing else. If a spell has no material component a spellcasting focus does NOTHING. RAW and RAI the only thing a spellcasting focus can do is substitute for material components (of value less than 100gp).

Having a quick scan through the PHB, the only attack roll spell I can find that actually uses a material component/Arcane Focus is Witch Bolt. Chromatic Orb cannot be cast with a focus as its component costs more than 100gp. The only spells that can benefit from a +1 sword are GFB and BB, and this is covered explicitly in the spell description.

There are magic items that do boost spell attack rolls. Notably the Wand of the War Mage. But this only boosts spell attack rolls. If you use it as an improvised weapon by sticking it up a troll's nose you gain no bonuses to hit or damage. It's also worth noting that the item is not intrinsically a spell focus. You can use it as one if your class has the ability to use a wand as a spell focus, but if your class does not have that ability (bard, cleric etc) then you would have to have a focus/material components in your other hand.

There are magic items, such as the Staff of Power, that give a bonus to both spell attack rolls and to weapon attack rolls. In case which it is noted explicitly in the item's description.

 

[ECMO3]

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.

It is not RAW. You do not use an arcane focus for casting Eldritch Blast.

From the section on spell casting:
Material (M)
Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a spell.

You don't use a spell casting focus to cast a spell with no material components.

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).

The words bolded and underlined are what matters and what makes BOA not usable with Eldritch Blast attack.

Having your bow in your hand when you cast EB is no different than having it in one hand when you throw a dagger with the other hand, you are not making the attack with it in either case it is just there and it is irrelevant to the attack. Further unless you have the warcaster feat you need at least one hand empty to do the somatic component associated with EB. So not only are you not using it with EB, you can't even be holding it at all when you cast EB unless your other hand is free. So if you go around with say a shield while using the bow as a focus for your other spells you would actually have to drop or stow the bow to even cast EB at all.

Now if you are a hexblade and use the bow to cast booming blade (swinging your bow as an improvised weapon) or if you cast witchbolt then absolutely you would get the +2, because in either of these cases the attack is made using said weapon. Note for witchbolt it would only be for the initial attack because that is the only one that you make an attack for.

 

[cbwjm]

Now if you are a hexblade and use the bow to cast booming blade (swinging your bow as an improvised weapon) or if you cast witchbolt then absolutely you would get the +2, because in either of these cases the attack is made using said weapon.

That wouldn't work, bracers or archery require a ranged attack using a bow to get the damage bonus. That's also the reason why it wouldn't work with ranged spell attacks, you aren't actually making the attack with the bow, it's just a focus for your spell.

Also, the guy you responded to has apparently been banned from the site. Whenever I see that I often wonder what happened.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't know why this thread has been necroed, but I notice I have modified the way I would rule from four years ago. Specifically, since then, the College of Spirits bard has been added. This subclass's Spiritual Focus ability sucks if it cannot use it's focus when casting spells without an m component. Tasha's also adds a bunch of +X spellcasting foci to the game.

My house rule is: The listed components is the minimum. You can always choose to add additional components to your spellcasting.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't know why this thread has been necroed, but I notice I have modified the way I would rule from four years ago. Specifically, since then, the College of Spirits bard has been added. This subclass's Spiritual Focus ability sucks if it cannot use it's focus when casting spells without an m component. Tasha's also adds a bunch of +X spellcasting foci to the game.

My house rule is: The listed components is the minimum. You can always choose to add additional components to your spellcasting.

I also do this, basically, a focus can always be used, no matter if the spell has an M component or not (expensive or consumed M components are still required though).

 

[DND_Reborn]

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, because you aren't making an attack with such weapons, you are making an attack with your spell (Eldritch Blast).

Eldritch Blast does not have a material component, so you do not use a spellcasting focus with it, your short bow is NOT used to cast Eldritch Blast.

And.... welcome to the community, have a Like.

 

[James Gasik]

It's probably not the intent, but since magic items are all optional anyways, it's up to the DM's call, since nothing about them can really be RAW- the entire subsystem is in DM country.

Though this would work in 4e, which had rules for this sort of thing, with implements and weapons as implements.

 

[Stoutstien]

Well technically artificer spells all have material components and they get the braces built in...