D&D (2024) Rogue Weapon mastery and Pact weapons

[Charlaquin]

The Cantrip upgrade specifically includes a damage component. Are you really arguing that the "Cantrip upgrade" is not part of the Cantrip?

I’m saying what the “cantrip upgrade” part of the cantrip does is increase the damage of the attack, because that’s literally what it says it does. The attack is still the thing that’s dealing the damage.

Also if you want to get technical on semantics you need to use the actual wording. AB does not say it adds your spellcasting ability modifier to "a cantrip that deals damage"

Read the very first sentence of the invocation. It explicitly says “choose one of your Warlock Cantrips that deals damage.”

What agonizing blast says is that "you can add your spellcasting ability modifier to that spell's damage rolls."

Yes it does. And the “that spell” referred to is the one you chose, which had to be a Warlock Cantrip that deals damage. Also, true strike doesn’t have damage rolls. It allows you to make an attack with a weapon, and modifies the damage rolls of the weapon attack.

 

[Charlaquin]

I see it as a cantrip that does damage with a weapon attack as part of that damage. Here is the sage advice...

That sage advice clarifies that the attack made with green flame blade is an attack, and interacts with features like sneak attack that trigger on attacks. That has nothing to do with the point under discussion in this thread, which is whether or not true strike is a spell that deals damage. The attack status is just not what’s in question.

 

[MarkB]

That's a completely different interaction. Sneak Attack deals extra damage when you hit with an attack, and the effect of green flame blade includes making an attack. Agonizing Blast adds your spellcasting ability modifier to the damage you deal with a cantrip that deals damage. The question is not if True Strike counts as an attack (it absolutely does), it's if True Strike deals damage. And I think the text is pretty clear on the matter - it does not. It allows you to make an attack, and it modifies the properties of that attack (including what damage it deals). But the source of the damage is still clearly the attack, not the cantrip.

You make an attack as part of the spell. Any damage dealt is therefore also part of the spell.

 

[Pauln6]

That sage advice clarifies that the attack made with green flame blade is an attack, and interacts with features like sneak attack that trigger on attacks. That has nothing to do with the point under discussion in this thread, which is whether or not true strike is a spell that deals damage. The attack status is just not what’s in question.

I recall in the playtest that the cantrips were charged to a magical action, which would not trigger sneak attack, as a way of avoiding magic initiate scaling damage and full class sneak attack scaling. Has it been confirmed that this exploit remains now then? Really they should have met half way but it's only really single classed rogues that can really push it.

 

[ECMO3]

I recall in the playtest that the cantrips were charged to a magical action, which would not trigger sneak attack, as a way of avoiding magic initiate scaling damage and full class sneak attack scaling. Has it been confirmed that this exploit remains now then? Really they should have met half way but it's only really single classed rogues that can really push it.

I don't have a copy of the PHB, but the verbiage I have seen online is:

"Once per turn, you can deal extra damage to one creature you hit with an attack roll if you’re attacking with a Finesse or Ranged weapon ...."

Using the term "attack roll" would indicate they specifically wanted to allow it to work regardless of action type.

 

[Pauln6]

I don't have a copy of the PHB, but the verbiage I have seen online is:

"Once per turn, you can deal extra damage to one creature you hit with an attack roll if you’re attacking with a Finesse or Ranged weapon ...."

Using the term "attack roll" would indicate they specifically wanted to allow it to work regardless of action type.

Thinking about it, presumably you won't be able to attack from hidden with advantage because casting the spell breaks the invisible condition and the attack is not part of the spell. Maybe that is the balancing factor?