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Are there attacks that are neither melee nor ranged?

When does a power count as an attack?Does Warlock combat just equal Eldritch Blast spam?How can I attack with two weapons on the same turn?Can a character power attack before making an attack of opportunity?When using dispel magic to remove slow, when do the effects of slow end?When attacking while invisible, when exactly does invisibility break?How viable is this Support Dex-based Barbarian?Are there any issues with creating creatures that can make multi-target melee attacks?Does the tentacle rod prevent multiattack?How common are creatures capable of doing magical damage in 5e?

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11

$begingroup$

I was looking at the slow spell and realized its description states:

Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn...

I was confused why it says "melee or ranged attack" instead of just "attack", and thought perhaps there exists an attack that counts as neither melee nor ranged.

I realize it's not exactly possible to prove a negative if there are no such attacks, but I still wonder:

Does such an attack exist?

dnd-5e attack

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Medix2

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

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$endgroup$

add a comment | 

11

$begingroup$

I was looking at the slow spell and realized its description states:

Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn...

I was confused why it says "melee or ranged attack" instead of just "attack", and thought perhaps there exists an attack that counts as neither melee nor ranged.

I realize it's not exactly possible to prove a negative if there are no such attacks, but I still wonder:

Does such an attack exist?

dnd-5e attack

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Medix2

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

3,60411 gold badge88 silver badges4949 bronze badges

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I was looking at the slow spell and realized its description states:

Regardless of the creature's abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn...

I was confused why it says "melee or ranged attack" instead of just "attack", and thought perhaps there exists an attack that counts as neither melee nor ranged.

I realize it's not exactly possible to prove a negative if there are no such attacks, but I still wonder:

Does such an attack exist?

dnd-5e attack

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Medix2

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

3,60411 gold badge88 silver badges4949 bronze badges

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Medix2

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

3,60411 gold badge88 silver badges4949 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

Medix2

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

3,60411 gold badge88 silver badges4949 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

3,60411 gold badge88 silver badges4949 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Medix2Medix2

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2 Answers
2

active

oldest

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9

$begingroup$

No

All attacks are melee or ranged. They might additionally be spell attacks, weapon attacks, improvised attacks, or something else, but they're always melee or ranged.

The reason for calling out both is not to imply a third category, but to specify that all attacks are forbidden. Sometimes "attack" tends to read as "melee attack" or "weapon attack", so calling out both ranged and melee is just meant to make it more clear that it's affecting everything. (For example, slow would prevent you from using scorching ray to its full effect, because while you would theoretically get three or more rays to fire, you can only roll one ranged spell attack due to the slow effect.)

In one of Jeremy Crawford's appearances on Dragon+, he commented that there are several examples of confusing "reminder text" in the Player's Handbook that they regret in retrospect for exactly this reason. They added what were meant as reminders of rules printed elsewhere that inadvertently feel like they imply something that wasn't intended.

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Interesting. Do you have a link or transcript of that issue of Dragon+?
  $endgroup$
  – Rykara
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Of note, there are plenty of things which do say "attacks", slow is, in fact, the exception for calling it out as it does
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
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  @Rykara I think it was in one of the YouTube "Dragon+ Q&A with Jeremy Crawford" videos, but there's dozens of those so I have no idea which one it was actually in. And it could've been one of the others, the "Jeremy Crawford on Design" ones, the "...on the Artificer Returns" ones... he does a "reader questions Q&A" at the end of almost every one of his appearances on the youtube channel. If anyone knows which particular video it was, feel free to edit my answer to add that information.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Medix2 Yes, I know there are plenty of places they say "attacks". Not claiming there aren't. I'm saying the designers have admitted that their attempts at preempting questions have, in certain places, made things more confusing. I also clarified my answer a little, hope it helps.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @DarthPseudonym That clarified it quite well, much appreciated
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

-1

$begingroup$

Possibly, but they are hard to achieve and generally situational.

Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve but is not in of itself an attack, and can be achieved by ending a grapple.

Environmental damage from things like pulling a lever setting off a trap or igniting oil, these still generally require an action to achieve.

Whether or not these count as attacks is up to your DM.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve" do you have a source for this claim? I've never heard of that. This answer could use some more support.
  $endgroup$
  – linksassin
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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9

$begingroup$

No

All attacks are melee or ranged. They might additionally be spell attacks, weapon attacks, improvised attacks, or something else, but they're always melee or ranged.

The reason for calling out both is not to imply a third category, but to specify that all attacks are forbidden. Sometimes "attack" tends to read as "melee attack" or "weapon attack", so calling out both ranged and melee is just meant to make it more clear that it's affecting everything. (For example, slow would prevent you from using scorching ray to its full effect, because while you would theoretically get three or more rays to fire, you can only roll one ranged spell attack due to the slow effect.)

In one of Jeremy Crawford's appearances on Dragon+, he commented that there are several examples of confusing "reminder text" in the Player's Handbook that they regret in retrospect for exactly this reason. They added what were meant as reminders of rules printed elsewhere that inadvertently feel like they imply something that wasn't intended.

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Interesting. Do you have a link or transcript of that issue of Dragon+?
  $endgroup$
  – Rykara
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Of note, there are plenty of things which do say "attacks", slow is, in fact, the exception for calling it out as it does
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Rykara I think it was in one of the YouTube "Dragon+ Q&A with Jeremy Crawford" videos, but there's dozens of those so I have no idea which one it was actually in. And it could've been one of the others, the "Jeremy Crawford on Design" ones, the "...on the Artificer Returns" ones... he does a "reader questions Q&A" at the end of almost every one of his appearances on the youtube channel. If anyone knows which particular video it was, feel free to edit my answer to add that information.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Medix2 Yes, I know there are plenty of places they say "attacks". Not claiming there aren't. I'm saying the designers have admitted that their attempts at preempting questions have, in certain places, made things more confusing. I also clarified my answer a little, hope it helps.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @DarthPseudonym That clarified it quite well, much appreciated
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

9

$begingroup$

No

All attacks are melee or ranged. They might additionally be spell attacks, weapon attacks, improvised attacks, or something else, but they're always melee or ranged.

The reason for calling out both is not to imply a third category, but to specify that all attacks are forbidden. Sometimes "attack" tends to read as "melee attack" or "weapon attack", so calling out both ranged and melee is just meant to make it more clear that it's affecting everything. (For example, slow would prevent you from using scorching ray to its full effect, because while you would theoretically get three or more rays to fire, you can only roll one ranged spell attack due to the slow effect.)

In one of Jeremy Crawford's appearances on Dragon+, he commented that there are several examples of confusing "reminder text" in the Player's Handbook that they regret in retrospect for exactly this reason. They added what were meant as reminders of rules printed elsewhere that inadvertently feel like they imply something that wasn't intended.

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Interesting. Do you have a link or transcript of that issue of Dragon+?
  $endgroup$
  – Rykara
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Of note, there are plenty of things which do say "attacks", slow is, in fact, the exception for calling it out as it does
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Rykara I think it was in one of the YouTube "Dragon+ Q&A with Jeremy Crawford" videos, but there's dozens of those so I have no idea which one it was actually in. And it could've been one of the others, the "Jeremy Crawford on Design" ones, the "...on the Artificer Returns" ones... he does a "reader questions Q&A" at the end of almost every one of his appearances on the youtube channel. If anyone knows which particular video it was, feel free to edit my answer to add that information.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Medix2 Yes, I know there are plenty of places they say "attacks". Not claiming there aren't. I'm saying the designers have admitted that their attempts at preempting questions have, in certain places, made things more confusing. I also clarified my answer a little, hope it helps.
  $endgroup$
  – Darth Pseudonym
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @DarthPseudonym That clarified it quite well, much appreciated
  $endgroup$
  – Medix2
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

No

All attacks are melee or ranged. They might additionally be spell attacks, weapon attacks, improvised attacks, or something else, but they're always melee or ranged.

The reason for calling out both is not to imply a third category, but to specify that all attacks are forbidden. Sometimes "attack" tends to read as "melee attack" or "weapon attack", so calling out both ranged and melee is just meant to make it more clear that it's affecting everything. (For example, slow would prevent you from using scorching ray to its full effect, because while you would theoretically get three or more rays to fire, you can only roll one ranged spell attack due to the slow effect.)

In one of Jeremy Crawford's appearances on Dragon+, he commented that there are several examples of confusing "reminder text" in the Player's Handbook that they regret in retrospect for exactly this reason. They added what were meant as reminders of rules printed elsewhere that inadvertently feel like they imply something that wasn't intended.

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Darth PseudonymDarth Pseudonym

19.7k33 gold badges5252 silver badges103103 bronze badges

-1

$begingroup$

Possibly, but they are hard to achieve and generally situational.

Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve but is not in of itself an attack, and can be achieved by ending a grapple.

Environmental damage from things like pulling a lever setting off a trap or igniting oil, these still generally require an action to achieve.

Whether or not these count as attacks is up to your DM.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve" do you have a source for this claim? I've never heard of that. This answer could use some more support.
  $endgroup$
  – linksassin
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

-1

$begingroup$

Possibly, but they are hard to achieve and generally situational.

Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve but is not in of itself an attack, and can be achieved by ending a grapple.

Environmental damage from things like pulling a lever setting off a trap or igniting oil, these still generally require an action to achieve.

Whether or not these count as attacks is up to your DM.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve" do you have a source for this claim? I've never heard of that. This answer could use some more support.
  $endgroup$
  – linksassin
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

Possibly, but they are hard to achieve and generally situational.

Fall damage, generally this requires an attack to achieve but is not in of itself an attack, and can be achieved by ending a grapple.

Environmental damage from things like pulling a lever setting off a trap or igniting oil, these still generally require an action to achieve.

Whether or not these count as attacks is up to your DM.

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges

answered 2 hours ago

JohnJohn

4,26722 gold badges88 silver badges2424 bronze badges