🔱🏹 Making an Attack - JulTob/DnD GitHub Wiki

Making an Attack

flowchart TD
    pick@{ shape: notch-pent, label: "Pick a target in range"}
    roll@{ shape: hex, label: "Roll"}
    crithit@{ shape: hex, label: "d20 = 20"}
    critmiss@{ shape: hex, label: "d20 = 1"}
    roll1@{ shape: hex, label: "d20"}

    roll2@{ shape: lean-r, label: "ability + other bonuses"}
    roll3@{ shape: diam, label: "if trained"}
    roll4@{ shape: lean-r, label: "proficiency"}
   
    rolledAC@{ shape: diam, label: "If ≥ target AC"}

    hit@{ shape: curv-trap, label: "Hits"}
    crit@{ shape: curv-trap, label: "Crit"}

    miss@{ shape: div-rect, label: "Miss"}
    dmg@{ shape: win-pane, label: "Roll damage"}
   

    pick --> roll

    roll --> crithit
    crithit --> crit
    crit --> dmg
    


    roll --> roll1 --> roll2 --> roll3
    roll3 --> roll4 --> rolledAC
    roll3 --x rolledAC

    rolledAC --> hit 
    rolledAC --x miss 
   
    roll --> critmiss
    critmiss --> miss

    hit --> dmg

The 3–Step Attack Flow

Whether you're striking with a melee weapon, firing a weapon at range, or making an attack roll as part of a spell, an attack has a simple structure.

  1. Choose a target

    • A creature, object, or location within the attack’s range.

  2. Determine modifiers

    • The DM determines whether the target has cover and whether you have advantage or disadvantage against the target. Then you add:
      • Ability Modifier
        • STR or DEX.
      • Proficiency Bonus
        • Add it if you’re proficient with the weapon (or it’s a spell attack you’re proficient with).

  3. Resolve the attack

    • Roll the attack.
      • Rolling a $1$ always misses.
      • Rolling a $20$ always hits, and doubles the number of damage die.
    • On a hit, roll damage and apply any extra effects the attack specifies.
    • Some attacks cause special effects in addition to or instead of damage.

If you’re rolling an attack roll, you’re making an attack.

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.

Attack Rolls

When you make an attack, your attack roll determines whether the attack hits or misses.

To make an attack roll, roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers.

If the total of the roll plus modifiers equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class (AC), the attack hits.

The AC of a character is determined at character creation, whereas the AC of a monster is in its stat block.

Critical hits (damage)

  • Roll all attack damage dice twice (weapon die and any additional dice like Sneak Attack), then add modifiers once.

Modifiers to the Roll

When a character makes an attack roll, the two most common modifiers to the roll are an ability modifier and the character's proficiency bonus.

When a monster makes an attack roll, it uses whatever modifier is provided in its stat block.

Ability Modifier.

The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity.

Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule.

Some spells also require an attack roll.

The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster.

  • Ability modifier
    • Melee weapon: usually STR
    • Ranged weapon: usually DEX
    • Finesse: choose STR or DEX
    • Thrown melee weapon used at range: still uses the melee ability.
  • Proficiency bonus
    Add it if you’re proficient with the weapon or it’s your spell attack.

Proficiency Bonus.

You add your proficiency bonus to your attack roll when you attack using a weapon with which you have proficiency, as well as when you attack with a spell.

Proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your Proficiency bonus to the Attack roll for any Attack you make with that weapon. If you make an Attack roll using a weapon with which you lack Proficiency, you do not add your Proficiency bonus to the Attack roll.

Rolling 1 or 20

Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.

This is called a critical hit, which is explained later in this section.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.

Unseen Attackers and Targets

Combatants often try to escape their foes' notice by hiding, casting the invisibility spell, or lurking in darkness.

When you attack a target that you can't see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll.

This is true whether you're guessing the target's location or you're targeting a creature you can hear but not see.

If the target isn't in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, but the DM typically just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed the target's location correctly.

When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it.

If you are hidden--both unseen and unheard--when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.

Advantage, Stealth, and Not Seeing Each Other

  • Attacking a target you can’t see → disadvantage.
  • Target can’t see you → advantage on your attack.
  • If you’re hidden, your attack reveals your location whether it hits or misses.

Ranged Attacks

When you make a ranged attack, you fire a bow or a crossbow, hurl a handaxe, or otherwise send projectiles to strike a foe at a distance.

A monster might shoot spines from its tail.

Many spells also involve making a ranged attack.

  • You can only attack within the listed range.
    If a weapon/spell shows two numbers (e.g., 80/320), the first is normal range; the second is long range (attacks beyond normal range are at disadvantage; beyond long range is illegal).
  • Close combat penalty: if you’re within 5 feet of an enemy who can see you and isn’t incapacitated, your ranged attack roll (weapon or spell) has disadvantage.

Range

You can make ranged attacks only against targets within a specified range.

If a ranged attack, such as one made with a spell, has a single range, you can't attack a target beyond this range.

Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a longbow or a shortbow, have two ranges.

The smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range.

Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is beyond normal range, and you can't attack a target beyond the long range.

Ranged Attacks in Close Combat

Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you.

When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.

Melee Attacks

Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you to attack a foe within your reach.

A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an axe.

A typical monster makes a melee attack when it strikes with its claws, horns, teeth, tentacles, or other body part.

A few spells also involve making a melee attack.

Most creatures have a 5-foot reach and can thus attack targets within 5 feet of them when making a melee attack.

Certain creatures (typically those larger than Medium) have melee attacks with a greater reach than 5 feet, as noted in their descriptions.

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons).

On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier.

You are proficient with your unarmed strikes.

Opportunity Attacks (OA)

  • You can make an OA when a creature you can see leaves your reach (whether by action, bonus action, reaction, or a movement speed).
  • Take a reaction to make one melee weapon or unarmed attack; it resolves just before the creature leaves your reach.
  • No OA if it Disengages, teleports, or is moved without using its movement/action/bonus/reaction.

Equipping and Stowing During the Attack (2024 change)

When you take the Attack action, you may equip or unequip one weapon with each attack (before or after that attack).

  • “Equip” includes drawing or picking up; “unequip” includes sheathing, stowing, or dropping.
  • This makes weapon swapping within your multi-attack sequences explicit.

Two-Weapon Fighting

  • Light (property):
    If you take the Attack action and attack with a Light weapon, you can make one extra attack as a bonus action later that turn with a different Light weapon.
    You don’t add your ability modifier to this bonus-action attack’s damage (unless negative).

  • Nick (weapon mastery):
    Lets you take that extra Light attack as part of your Attack action (not a bonus action). Once per turn. (Great to free your bonus action.)

  • Thrown (property) quality-of-life:
    If a weapon has Thrown, you can draw it as part of the attack you throw—very handy for off-hand tosses. If the weapon is melee, you still use the melee ability for attack and damage.

Practical patterns

  • Classic dual-wield: shortsword (Attack) → dagger (bonus-action Light attack).
  • Nick unlocked: shortsword (Attack) → Nick off-hand attack inside the Attack action, keep your bonus for something else.
  • Thrown off-hand: handaxe (Attack) → draw & throw second Light weapon as the Light bonus-action attack.

Quick Rulings People Ask For

  • “Does my spell attack crit?”
    If it’s an attack roll, yes—crit rules apply.
  • “Do I still get disadvantage for shooting in melee?”
    Yes: within 5 ft, seen by the enemy, and it’s a ranged attack → disadvantage.
  • “Can I draw/stow during Extra Attack?”
    Yes—one equip/unequip per attack of the Attack action (before/after each).