D&D 5E spiritual weapon against prone enemy advantage or disadvantage?

[Lidgar]

Spiritual Weapon is a melee spell attack. It is not a ranged spell attack. Therefore, it should follow the same rules as all melee attacks. Thus I would rule advantage on the attack. I think of it as a melee attack with a range of 60'.

"When you cast the spell, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon."

 

[Umbran]

It's pretty unambiguous that RAW it had disadvantage. However, RAW never takes logic and consistency into consideration;

RAW, quite simply, is unable to think. Trust its judgement as well as you'd trust the judgement of any other unthinking object.

 

[Lyxen]

Spiritual Weapon is a melee spell attack. It is not a ranged spell attack. Therefore, it should follow the same rules as all melee attacks. Thus I would rule advantage on the attack. This of it as a melee attack with a range of 60'.

"When you cast the spell, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon."

And, once more, the effect if being prone is not linked to it being a ranged or melee attack, only to the distance from the attacker. So, thinking of it as a melee attack with a range of 60 feet does not change the fact that, because you are beyond 5 feet, you have disadvantage.

 

[Lidgar]

And, once more, the effect if being prone is not linked to it being a ranged or melee attack, only to the distance from the attacker. So, thinking of it as a melee attack with a range of 60 feet does not change the fact that, because you are beyond 5 feet, you have disadvantage.

Would you do the same for other melee attacks with reach? A polearm? The thorn whip spell?

 

[Lyxen]

Would you do the same for other melee attacks with reach? A polearm? The thorn whip spell?

I might make a different ruling depending on the circumstances, this is 5e after all, I'm just telling you what the rules say. For a polear, I would probably give advantage to the attacked, since he is really close, but thorn whip has a range of 30 feet, and being prone makes a much smaller target...

 

[Lidgar]

I stand corrected. The prone condition is explicit about the attacker needing to be within 5 feet of it to gain advantage; otherwise attacks are at disadvantage. I was thinking all melee attacks had advantage, regardless of distance. So it would be at disadvantage.

An Attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the Attack roll has disadvantage.

 

[Oofta]

Would you do the same for other melee attacks with reach? A polearm? The thorn whip spell?

Following RAW? Yes. If you aren't adjacent to a prone creature you have disadvantage. All attacks made from more than 5 feet away have disadvantage against a prone target.

If you're doing a ranged attack against a prone enemy while adjacent you get advantage. In most cases that will be nullified by the disadvantage you get while adjacent to an enemy that is not incapacitated. However it will be a standard attack instead of a ranged attack at disadvantage.

DM can always run it differently of course.

 

[Lidgar]

Following RAW? Yes. If you aren't adjacent to a prone creature you have disadvantage. All attacks made from more than 5 feet away have disadvantage against a prone target.

If you're doing a ranged attack against a prone enemy while adjacent you get advantage. In most cases that will be nullified by the disadvantage you get while adjacent to an enemy that is not incapacitated. However it will be a standard attack instead of a ranged attack at disadvantage.

DM can always run it differently of course.

Agreed, see my later post.

 

[Lyxen]

I stand corrected. The prone condition is explicit about the attacker needing to be within 5 feet of it to gain advantage; otherwise attacks are at disadvantage. I was thinking all melee attacks had advantage, regardless of distance. So it would be at disadvantage.

Don't worry, honestly this is a significant change from 3e, and while I can understand part of the logic, it's still way too simple, and I understand people finding it not intuitive.

 

[ECMO3]

Else weapons with reach also have disadvantage when further than 5 ft.

I think that is RAI.