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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WhosDaDungeonMaster" data-source="post: 7554094">But there in lies the rub... You can't lump them together IMO because they are different in individual ways. Precedents are fine except when special cases are in consideration, such as shoving and grappling. I also see nothing wrong with the wording in the PHB. Shoving and Grappling a special melee attacks involving contested Strength (Athletics) checks allowed when you use Attack action, just as Two-Weapon Fighting requires the use of a Bonus action when you take the Attack action. Opportunity attack is a reaction that allows a melee attack.These are all things you can do with melee attacks provided criteria are met: using your reaction for an opportunity attack, using the Attack action along with the Bonus action in the case of two-weapon fighting, and using the Attack action and making a contested Strength (Athletics) check for grappling or shoving.Opportunity Attack(later on) "To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature."Here the OA allows one melee attack as a reaction. If it said "you can take one Attack action" instead of one melee attack, I would COMPLETELY agree with you! But, it doesn't... A melee attack is general and does not, by itself, meet the requirements of using an Attack action which is necessary to grapple or shove (or even two-weapon fight...).Grappling"When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple." If you don't use the Attack action, you can't make a melee attack, which means no grapple, either. The use of "can" simply means it is allowable, you "can" use it do make a grapple.Shove a Creature"Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it away from you."In both instances the use of the Attack action is explicit. Tell me, how can you grapple without the Attack action? It doesn't say "you can make a melee attack into a special melee attack, a grapple." In the case of Shove, it begins with "Using the Attack action," meaning you must use the Attack action, which can only be done on your turn (unless you take the Ready action, as previously discussed).Yes, grappling and shoving are special melee attacks, but they are a subset of all melee attacks and specific. Because they are specific, the rules aren't exactly the same and these have special conditions. Similarly, there are special conditions for two-weapon fighting and opportunity attacks. If I use Second Wind, I can't two-weapon fight because both require my Bonus action. If I cast Shield, I can't make an opportunity attack when a creature moves out of my reach.All that being said, I do agree with you in that I see nothing wrong with wanting to make a shove or grapple as an OA under the right circumstances. I just don't see that is what the wording in the PHB implies. Alas, we can agree to disagree on those interpretations. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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