D&D 5E Spiritual Weapon vs. Fire Shield

[Hriston]

Your post also came across that way to me.

Look, I'm open to alternative interpretations, like your proposed interpretation that the "hitter" can be a different entity than the "attacker". I'm willing to admit it's a possible interpretation, although I think it's a flawed use of natural language for the reasons I explained. So it isn't true that I take a "one true way" approach to my reading of the rules.

Interpreting a spell that states the caster of the spell makes an attack to mean that the caster of the spell doesn't make an attack, on the other hand, is simply not an acceptable interpretation. It's like saying black is white. It's not. I'm not being "one true way" by saying no, the spell doesn't say that. In fact, it states the opposite.

Furthermore, I agreed with @Mort it would be a reasonable ruling for the DM to make, not based on the text of the spell, but based on other considerations that might be more important to the individual game. But I think I'm correct in asserting that such a ruling represents a change to how the spell works because it directly contradicts the text of the spell. It's a houserule, and there's nothing wrong with houserules.

 

[Hriston]

Yeah, that is why I didn't bring it up. I don't think people were arguing so much that the caster wasn't attacking, it was that the caster wasn't hitting, the spell effect was...

There were some who were, and they didn't like it when I said the spell couldn't really be interpreted that way.

 

[LordEntrails]

Let me get this straight. You've assumed negative intentions on my part which you're stating here as if factual, and I'm supposed to validate the fairness of your "interpretation"? Look, I'm not here to be tone policed by you, and I resent your use of ad-hominem attacks and name-calling in this post. I'd suggest you be more charitable with your "interpretations" in the future. You can do better.

lol, no. Not what I was trying to say or do, at all. But since I was attempting to help and not be right, and have grossly failed to convey that, I won't engage with you further. Happy gaming.