D&D 5E (2024) Does Innate Sorcery grant True Strike advantage?

[Maxperson]

Notably, this version of True Strike is in the 2024 rules, which don’t use the “weapon attack” vs “spell attack” distinction that the 2014 rules had - probably due to the consternation those categories caused in cases like unarmed strikes where an attack that was not made with a weapon would still be considered a “weapon attack” because the only alternative was for it to be a spell attack. The terms “weapon attack” and “spell attack” don’t, to my knowledge, appear in the 2024 rules. There are only attack rolls of spells and attack rolls made with weapons. Even in monster stat blocks, attacks are listed as melee/ranged attack roll +X: instead of melee/ranged weapon/spell attack +X:

That quote is from the 5.5e PHB. The distinction is there. Page 247 in the Bigby's Hand spell. And in Chill Touch. And in Chromatic Orb. And...

5.5e does in fact have melee and ranged spell attacks, which is not the case with True Strike.

 

[Maxperson]

Which is an attack from one of your sorcerer spells, correct? So Innate sorcery should apply, yes?

No. It's an attack from the weapon, which is used as the material component IN the spell. If it was from the spell, it would be a melee spell attack, but it isn't.

 

[Deset Gled]

The terms “weapon attack” and “spell attack” don’t, to my knowledge, appear in the 2024 rules.

There are a couple of places "spell attack" appears. One is the scroll rules ("The scroll's spell uses your spell save DC and spell attack bonus."). Another is in the official character sheet. But I agree these are likely editing errors.

 

[Zardnaar]

No. It's an attack from the weapon, which is used as the material component IN the spell. If it was from the spell, it would be a melee spell attack, but it isn't.

Just to be clear you are arguing the combo does work?

 

[Maxperson]

There are a couple of places "spell attack" appears. One is the scroll rules ("The scroll's spell uses your spell save DC and spell attack bonus."). Another is in the official character sheet. But I agree these are likely editing errors.

It is also in many spells. It's in too many places to be errors. I count 19 spells with it.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

If Innate sorcery said you gain advantage on spell attack rolls then I would say no.

It does need to be a sorcerer cantrip, though, not one gained through multiclassing, feats, or species features.

This is the correct answer. Innate Sorcery gives advantage on True Strike attacks but ONLY if you are casting True Strike as a Sorcerer spell which generally means using Charisma as your spell attack modifier. Often times this is a restriction which makes Innate Sorcery not work well for True Strike, depending on the character build

 

[Zardnaar]

This is the correct answer. Innate Sorcery gives advantage on True Strike attacks but ONLY if you are casting True Strike as a Sorcerer spell which generally means using Charisma as your spell attack modifier. Often times this is a restriction which makes Innate Sorcery not work well for True Strike, depending on the character build

Yup. Most of the time it doesn't matter if the spell comes via feat or race. This time it does.

 

[mellored]

No. It's an attack from the weapon, which is used as the material component IN the spell. If it was from the spell, it would be a melee spell attack, but it isn't.

If you were using "the attack roll of [a] Sorcerer spell", the attack would already use the spellcasting ability (instead of Dex/Str), and there would be no reason to specify that detail in the spell.

Innate Sorcery doesn’t say spell attack rolls.
It says "the attack rolls", plural. No limit on what kind of rolls they need to be.

I could imagine a spell that said "make 6 attacks, using each of Str, Con, Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha as your attack modifier". And I see no reason why Innate Sorcery would not give advantage on all of them.

 

[Maxperson]

Just to be clear you are arguing the combo does work?

Does not. The attack is not a sorcerer spell attack. It's a normal attack and not an attack that is part of the spell. The spell says the weapon is used in the casting, and it is. It's specifically the material component. Then you get to make a normal attack with the weapon that served as the component.

 

[Maxperson]

Innate Sorcery doesn’t say spell attack rolls.
It says "the attack rolls", plural. No limit on what kind of rolls they need to be.

I could imagine a spell that said "make 6 attacks, using each of Str, Con, Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha as your attack modifier". And I see no reason why Innate Sorcery would not give advantage on all of them.

It's not an attack roll OF the spell. It's an attack roll outside of the spell by a material component. It was used in the casting, but is not a part of the spell beyond that. If you hit, you can use the spells effect to cause the material component to do radiant damage if you want.


Edit: Look at Bigby's Hand. As a bonus action you can make a melee spell attack with it. That's an attack that is part of a spell and the Sorcerer would get advantage with it.