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

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Aaaactually, a +1 weapon only has the same requirements:
"You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon."
Using it as a foci still means attack and damage rolls made with it.

As does chucking it at someone, say as an improvised weapon.

Not in any group I have ever been part of, from 1st ed AD&D through 5E. You only get the bonuses when using it in the way it was intended. That means hitting someone with the blade of a sword or firing an arrow from a bow. Especially the bow, since it's magic is instilled into the arrow so that the arrow is counted as magical when it hits a target. The bow itself is not a +1 club when not shooting an arrow from it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Aaaactually, a +1 weapon only has the same requirements:
"You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon."
Using it as a foci still means attack and damage rolls made with it.

No it doesn't. A spell casting focus is NOT a weapon. It's is a substitute for material components. You do not attack with a spell casting focus, you attack with THE SPELL.

As does chucking it at someone, say as an improvised weapon.

This is correct.

 

[Yunru]

No it doesn't. A spell casting focus is NOT a weapon.

But it is, in these cases. Being used as something else doesn't stop it being something.

You do not attack with a spell casting focus, you attack with THE SPELL.

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).

 

[Al'Kelhar]

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).

Um, that's creative. I doubt any amount of discussion would convince you otherwise, so as we say Down Under, "yeah, nah".

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Yunru]

Um, that's creative. I doubt any amount of discussion would convince you otherwise, so as we say Down Under, "yeah, nah".

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

On the contrary, it's a complete lack of creativity and taking it as literally as possible that allows for the reading

 

[Inchoroi]

Yeah, I'd have to say no to that. The reason being, the title of the magic item is bracers of archery. If you're not firing an archery weapon, it doesn't apply; since casting a spell isn't even an attack action, there's no argument, at least in my eyes.

That being said, would I allow a player to fluff their eldritch blasts as magic crossbow bolts from their magic crossbow? Sure. Just no stacking extra damage from an edge-case, squinting, Read-as-This-Specific-Way-Only-It-Works magic item.

 

[Oofta]

On the contrary, it's a complete lack of creativity and taking it as literally as possible that allows for the reading

AKA, if the DM doesn't agree I'm going to hold my breath until I turn blue?

If you have to use mental jujitsu to justify a ruling, I'm going to disagree. The simplest, most straight-forward ruling is almost always the correct ruling in my games. It's bracers or archery, casting spells isn't using an archery skill. In any case, the opinion of the posters on this message board don't matter, the only one that matters is the opinion of the DM at the table.

 

[Ristamar]

Threads like these sometimes remind me of arguing with my teenage son. It's not so much that his initial confusion is frustrating, it's the constant doubling down on bad faith arguments that is maddening.

Anyway, some Sage Advice that might help put this to rest:

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2014/09/30/staff-1/

Q: Does a +1 staff confer its bonus to spell attacks if used as a focus?

Mike Mearls: No, but doesn't break anything if you allow it.

 

[Yunru]

AKA, if the DM doesn't agree I'm going to hold my breath until I turn blue?

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.

 

[André Soares]

I would take one step further back to rule about this. The game has a differentiation on the wording of ranged attacks vs ranged weapon attacks vs ranged spell attacks for a reason. This is reason is to clarify the limitations of use of certain powers. If the bracers of archery are specifically worded with "ranged attacks" instead of "ranged weapon attacks", to me there's a reason for it. Sure it seems strange that an item named Braces of Archery gives bonuses to spells, but well, it gives bonuses to crosbows and slings, so I believe the name of the item should have less weight then the explicit wording of the item.

To me it is RAW, and harmless enought that even if it wasn't I'd allow it.

Edit: It does not give bonuses to crosbow and slings, I was wrong there.