D&D 5E What Exactly is a Weapon Attack?

[ExploderWizard]

Also, a monk's unarmed attacks go beyond "normal" unarmed attacks. The monk has to register his hands as lethal weapons.

 

[Paraxis]

Beasts and therefore wild shaped druids natural attacks are called out as "weapon attacks" and thus combine with things like barbarian rage and increased critical range of champion fighters, I don't see any reason to not apply the same thinking to monk's unarmed strikes.

 

[Fralex]

Also, a monk's unarmed attacks go beyond "normal" unarmed attacks. The monk has to register his hands as lethal weapons.

If going on an airplane you may bring your hands, but you must keep them in a locked box the entire flight.

 

[steeldragons]

Doesn't it say, under the Monk entry, that their unarmed strikes are considered melee weapons?...thus making them a "weapon attack" to answer the OP.

Don't have my book in front of me at the mo'. But I could've sworn I read that.

 

[Fralex]

Doesn't it say, under the Monk entry, that their unarmed strikes are considered melee weapons?...thus making them a "weapon attack" to answer the OP.

Don't have my book in front of me at the mo'. But I could've sworn I read that.

It definitely worked that way in 3.5e, but in this edition the distinction between manufactured weapons and natural weapons isn't very important.

 

[fjw70]

And, in 5e, if you have to ask the question, "What exactly is X?" the answer is probably, "What do you want it to be?"

Or what does your DM/group want it to be?

 

[DracoSuave]

1-- Unarmed Strike IS considered a weapon under the rules.
2-- Monks do not get some other attack that isn't unarmed strike.
3-- What monks get is the ability to replace the damage of unarmed strike with a different die of damage. It's still an unarmed strike.

Therefore, monks' punching is a weapon attack.

 

[Pickles JG]

Also, a monk's unarmed attacks go beyond "normal" unarmed attacks. The monk has to register his hands as lethal weapons.

Back in the day maybe, now all these chaotic monks types running about ignore the rules. (Something about "guidelines")