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<blockquote data-quote="Pauper" data-source="post: 7682769" data-attributes="member: 17607">The problem with this interpretation is the text of Greenflame Blade itself: &quot;You must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within range, otherwise the spell fails.&quot; (emphasis mine) If the spell empowered a weapon to make an attack at the spell's range regardless of the weapon's reach, then the spell could not possibly fail and the text indicating such would be pointless. Here's the other problem with using Spell Sniper to acquire Greenflame Blade -- if the spell is a wizard cantrip (and there's no indication it's anything other than that, at present), then Spell Sniper directs you to use Intelligence as the spellcasting ability for the spell. The same area of the rules indicates that when making an attack with a spell, you use your spellcasting ability for that attack: &quot;Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a spell attack equals your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers.&quot; (PH, p.205) Note that Greenflame Blade is ambiguous on this point -- it says to make a &quot;melee attack with a weapon&quot;, not a &quot;melee weapon attack&quot; or a &quot;melee spell attack with a weapon&quot; (see Spiritual Weapon for an example of the latter). So it's possible to interpret that a paladin or ranger who uses Spell Sniper to gain Greenflame Blade as a cantrip from the wizard list must use Intelligence to make the Greenflame Blade melee attack, not Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, or Charisma -- the same would be true when using Magic Initiate to gain the cantrip, as you use the spellcasting ability score of the class from which you gained the cantrip, which is Intelligence for wizard spells.The spell probably should have been designed like the various Smite spells; castable as a bonus action and applying on the next hit with a melee weapon rather than as a spellcasting action that incorporates a melee attack, but I suspect the spell's designers weren't considering the possibility of non-wizards getting the cantrip on their spell list.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Pauper, post: 7682769, member: 17607"] The problem with this interpretation is the text of Greenflame Blade itself: "You must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within range, [i]otherwise the spell fails[/i]." (emphasis mine) If the spell empowered a weapon to make an attack at the spell's range regardless of the weapon's reach, then the spell could not possibly fail and the text indicating such would be pointless. Here's the other problem with using Spell Sniper to acquire Greenflame Blade -- if the spell is a wizard cantrip (and there's no indication it's anything other than that, at present), then Spell Sniper directs you to use Intelligence as the spellcasting ability for the spell. The same area of the rules indicates that when making an attack with a spell, you use your spellcasting ability for that attack: "Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a spell attack equals your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers." (PH, p.205) Note that Greenflame Blade is ambiguous on this point -- it says to make a "melee attack with a weapon", not a "melee weapon attack" or a "melee spell attack with a weapon" (see Spiritual Weapon for an example of the latter). So it's possible to interpret that a paladin or ranger who uses Spell Sniper to gain Greenflame Blade as a cantrip from the wizard list must use Intelligence to make the Greenflame Blade melee attack, not Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, or Charisma -- the same would be true when using Magic Initiate to gain the cantrip, as you use the spellcasting ability score of the class from which you gained the cantrip, which is Intelligence for wizard spells. The spell probably should have been designed like the various Smite spells; castable as a bonus action and applying on the next hit with a melee weapon rather than as a spellcasting action that incorporates a melee attack, but I suspect the spell's designers weren't considering the possibility of non-wizards getting the cantrip on their spell list. [/QUOTE]

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