D&D 5E Magic Bow + Mundane Arrow = Magic Attack?

[MNblockhead]

If a character shoots mundane arrows with a magic bows and they hit a creature that is immune or resistant to non-magical attacks, do you treat the arrow hit as a magic attack or now?

I treat it as a magic attack. The magic energy from the bow transfers to the arrow in some way to increase its chance of hitting, making it a magic attack.

Do any of your rule the opposite? That the bow increases accuracy, but it is the arrow that causes the damage and, therefore, the attack is considered non-magical for purposes of applying resistance and immunity.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I would rule the opposite way in AD&D, but 5E's PHB is pretty clear that an arrow is merely "ammunition" and not a weapon. Requiring magical ammunition for a magical bow to damage a werewolf would not be idiomatic in a 5E game.

 

[Zardnaar]

I still don't know. We rule you need nagic ammunition.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I remember there having been some confirmation that the intended way of handling this is that it only takes a magical projectile weapon or magical ammunition, not both, for an attack to be considered magical... but I'm having trouble finding the comment at this moment.

Either way, I know I handle it as being if either the weapon or the ammo are magical, the attack is considered magical.

 

[Satyrn]

I would do as Aaron. . . except this hasn't ever actually come up yet. That's so weird.

 

[Rocksome]

I let it count as magical.

On one hand, I can see a case where the arrow isn't magical. In a way it is the logical solution, however, on the other hand in terms of balance I don't see any reason to penalise archers over and above melee types.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I found what it was that led me to my conclusion regarding the official intent; it's the Monster Manual errata, which changes the section on page 8 of the book about vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities, so that the second and third sentences now read as, "Particular creatures are even resistant or immune to damage from nomagical attacks (a magical attack is an attack delivered by a spell, a magic item, or another magical source)."

Since the arrow, and thus the attack, is being delivered by a magical bow (a magic item), it is a magical attack.

 

[Zardnaar]

I asked this question in 2014, not sure if it ever got answered. If magical ammunition exists I suspect you need that. If it doesn't magic bow= magic ammunition IMHO.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Quoting directly from Sage Advice:

"The attacks made by a magical ranged weapon are magical, even if the ammunition isn’t magical. This point was clarified in the errata for the Dungeon Master’s Guide."

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

They clarified that the ammunition doesn't need to be magical if the weapon is. I forget if it was in Crawford's tweets, or Sage Advice, or both.