D&D 5E Errata Unarmed Strike

[Chocolategravy]

2. Unarmed Strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

But not a weapon attack.

 

[Inconnunom]

But not a weapon attack.

1. A melee weapon attack is considered a weapon attack.
2. A ranged weapon attack is considered a weapon attack.

 

[Coredump]

Piping in because I've been following all the unarmed strike stuff.

1. Unarmed strike is not a weapon. (you are not registered as a deadly weapon)
2. Unarmed Strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

Thus you CAN move between melee weapon attacks. You CAN use stunning strike. However you CAN'T be disarmed. You CAN'T have your hands/feet/knees/head enchanted with Magic Weapon or some other kind of spell.

Ding DIng.... we have a winner.


People are looking for some way to declare these changes as 'stupidbadwrong' and are trying to create problems that simply don't exist.

 

[Coredump]

There are a whole bunch of similar issues, Sneak Attack for instance.

Sneak attack never worked with unarmed strike... it was never a finesse weapon.

 

[DJCupboard]

Piping in because I've been following all the unarmed strike stuff.

1. Unarmed strike is not a weapon. (you are not registered as a deadly weapon)
2. Unarmed Strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

Thus you CAN move between melee weapon attacks. You CAN use stunning strike. However you CAN'T be disarmed. You CAN'T have your hands/feet/knees/head enchanted with Magic Weapon or some other kind of spell.

But monks don't have an Unarmed Strike. They have abilities that modify their unarmed strikes. Martial Arts and Flurry of Blows both mention either ways monk's unarmed strikes are different or extra times they can be made. Neither defines them as weapons. Stunning Strike explicitly works with monk weapon attacks.

 

[Inconnunom]

But monks don't have an Unarmed Strike. They have abilities that modify their unarmed strikes. Martial Arts and Flurry of Blows both mention either ways monk's unarmed strikes are different or extra times they can be made. Neither defines them as weapons. Stunning Strike explicitly works with monk weapon attacks.

Yes that is mostly correct. All classes have unarmed strike. Most classes only do 1 damage. Monks are the exception.

1. Unarmed strike is not a weapon
2. Unarmed strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

Therefore you can still use stunning strike.

 

[DJCupboard]

Yes that is mostly correct. All classes have unarmed strike. Most classes only do 1 damage. Monks are the exception.

1. Unarmed strike is not a weapon
2. Unarmed strike is considered a melee weapon attack.

Therefore you can still use stunning strike.

Not after the errata. They are not weapon attacks anymore.

 

[Inconnunom]

Not after the errata. They are not weapon attacks anymore.

Yes they are: https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/608792317227466752

Unarmed Strike is considered a type of melee weapon attack.

 

[Celtavian]

Yes they are: https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/608792317227466752

Unarmed Strike is considered a type of melee weapon attack.

This is making my head hurt.

 

[Inconnunom]

This is making my head hurt.

It's really really straight forward. People are thinking too hard.

From general to specific:

Types of actions:
Attack
Spells
etc.

Types of attacks:
Ranged weapon
Multiattack
Melee weapon

Types of Melee Weapon attacks:
With regular weapons (sword, axe, etc.)
Natural Weapons (See minataur)
Unarmed Strike