D&D 5E Spells as combat weapons.

[Gabriel Pendragon]

Curious as to which cantrips and spells would be considered ranged weapon attacks and which are not?

 

[Li Shenron]

- Does a natural 20 in a Ray of Frost attack triggers a critical hit?

Yes. A spell attack is an attack, an all attacks score critical hits.

- A multiclass rogue/mage should be able to sneak attack with a Scorching Ray?

No. Sneak attack requires a weapon (finesse or ranged), and a spell is not a weapon.

- A multiclass ranger/druid with archery as his fighting style gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with Fire Seeds?

No. Archery style requires a ranged weapon, and a spell is not a weapon.

 

[Li Shenron]

Curious as to which cantrips and spells would be considered ranged weapon attacks and which are not?

None, unless the spell specifically says that its attack is done with a weapon.

 

[Illithidbix]

1) Yes. If the spell requires an attack roll, then it's an attack and can crit.

If there’s ever any question whether something you’re doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you’re making an attack roll, you’re making an attack.

If it requires the target to make a saving throw (like fireball, poison spray or sacred flame) then it can't crit.

2) No. I don't believe so.

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

Emphasis mine.

A Ranged Spell Attack or a Melee Spell Attack doesn't fit finesse or ranged weapon in my opinion.

Eldritch Blast and Fire Bolt are ranged spell attacks, not ranged weapon attacks.
Shocking Grasp and Thorn Whip are melee spell attacks, not a melee weapon attack. ("Make a melee spell attack against the target")
Shillelagh changes the weapon, and isn't a melee spell attack, so it counts from my reading.
Poison spray and Sacred flame aren't attacks because they require a saving throw not an attack roll.

3) I don't believe so.

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Again Eldritch Blast and Firebolt (etc) are ranged spell attacks, not ranged weapon attacks.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I don't have the link, but Jeremy specifically confirmed that sneak attack, as written, is weapons only, and spells do not count. (Though he, as he often does, clarified that individual DMs might choose to rule differently for their home campaigns.)

 

[Kobold Stew]

The sneak attack question has been answered (no), but note that a case can be made for the Magic Stone cantrip (the only one that gives a ranged attack that doesn't scale with caster level, I think) -- it is still a ranged spell attack, but it can be made using a ranged weapon (a sling).

Since the wording is such that there's no range or other difference whether a sling is used or not, my belief is that it's worded that way to allow it to iterate with Sneak Attack.

 

[Illithidbix]

The sneak attack question has been answered (no), but note that a case can be made for the Magic Stone cantrip (the only one that gives a ranged attack that doesn't scale with caster level, I think) -- it is still a ranged spell attack, but it can be made using a ranged weapon (a sling).

Since the wording is such that there's no range or other difference whether a sling is used or not, my belief is that it's worded that way to allow it to iterate with Sneak Attack.

Hmmm, I'd agree, but close reading of the Magic Stone spell:

You touch one to three pebbles and imbue them with magic. You or someone else can make a ranged spell attack with one of the pebbles by throwing it or hurling it with a sling. If thrown, it has a range of 60 feet. If someone else attacks with the pebble, that attacker adds your spellcasting ability modifier, not the attacker’s, to the attack roll. On a hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Since slings have a range of 30'/120'. I rather take it that you have a choice if you have a sling to hand.
(Although of course it's actually better to throw it if it's 31-60' away and use a sling to attack with disadvantage 61'-120')

TBH, I'd be fine letting someone use it to sneak attack, but my reading is the RAW technically doesn't.

 

[Hriston]

Hmmm, I'd agree, but close reading of the Magic Stone spell:



Since slings have a range of 30'/120'. I rather take it that you have a choice if you have a sling to hand.
(Although of course it's actually better to throw it if it's 31-60' away and use a sling to attack with disadvantage 61'-120')

TBH, I'd be fine letting someone use it to sneak attack, but my reading is the RAW technically doesn't.

Technically it does because you are making this ranged spell attack with a ranged weapon. Sneak attack requires that you use a ranged or finesse weapon. It does not require that you make a weapon attack.

 

[BoldItalic]

I'm curious to know where the suggestion comes from, that Scorching Ray can be considered a weapon for the purposes of satisfying the rules of Sneak Attack. Can anyone provide a link?

(edit - added)

I might have a clue. In the final DDNext playtest, Sneak Attack didn't specifically require a hit from a weapon, just an attack that hits; so any attack spell would have qualified. If people are still referencing the DDNext pdfs, rather than 5e rules, that might account for the confusion. In the 5e Basic pdf, as in the 5e PHB, Sneak Attack requires a hit from a ranged or finesse weapon and spells don't qualify (unless you have a spell that summons a physical weapon, and you attack with that).

 

[dmnqwk]

Magic Stone explicitly states you can use a Sling for the attack.

Sneak Attack does not make demands on how you attack, only that you use a finesse or ranged weapon to do so. Magic Stone states you may throw it, or use a sling. If the Rogue already had a sling out then any magic stone fired from the sling constitutes a Ranged Spell Attack with a Ranged Weapon, allowing for Sneak Attack damage to be applied. (I have yet to see a rule stating Ranged Spell Attacks cannot be made with Ranged Weapons, or that any Ranged Weapon must use a Ranged Weapon Attack to count).

Since it's certainly not overpowered I'd put 0 effort into considering it as anything other than a smart use of a sling (which, to be fair, if you were using in 5th edition, is slightly nuts).