SCAG cantrips and sneak attack

[Rajah]

Will the melee portion of these cantrips trigger sneak attack?

[GWJ_DanyBoy]

Will the melee portion of these cantrips trigger sneak attack?

I'd need to see the text on the spells to be 100% sure, since I don't have a copy of the SCAG, but it seems like it would count as an attack. So as long as you meet the other conditions for sneak attack you'd get the extra damage. Namely using a finesse weapon or a ranged weapon, and have advantage or have an adjacent ally and not have disadvantage.

[MinaBee]

Will the melee portion of these cantrips trigger sneak attack?

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. (Though you certainly can crit with one.) The incompatibility with sneak attack was an intentional move on the part of the designers.

[MrStabby]

I dont have the book, but you cant use sneak attack unless it describes it as a "weapon attack". Sneak attack doesn't require an attack action (so can work on bonus actions and reactions).

[Momar]

You can sneak attack with the booming blade and greenflame blade cantrips. Both have you make a weapon attack as part of the spell. There a sage advice but I guess I can't link to it because post count. Google greenflame blade sneak attack and it should come up.

[Wingless]

Yes absolutely 100%. Sneak attack is triggered via a weapon attack. This is why making an opportunity attack (which is NOT an attack action), will trigger sneak attack.

The cantrip is a cast a spell action true. You are casting a spell that, in the description of the spell, tells you to make a weapon attack. So yes, 100%, the sneak attack damage triggers when you hit them with a weapon attack. Super easy answer, anyone who says different is straight up wrong.

[coredump]

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. .

Could you please provide a rule citation for your claim? I do not think it exists.


Sneak attack is triggered via a weapon attack.

That is also not exactly correct.

You need to make an attack, and you need to use a weapon for that attack. That does not, however, require that you make a "weapon attack".

Only current example is using a sling with Magic Stone. In that case, you are making a Spell Attack, but you are using a ranged weapon for that attack. Which is why SA applies.

[Mellack]

You can certainly sneak attack with GreenFlame Blade.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/06/greenflame-blade-and-sneak-attack/

[Flashy]

Could you please provide a rule citation for your claim? I do not think it exists.

PHB 96, the end of the first paragraph of the Sneak Attack description. "The attack must used a finesse or a ranged weapon." Spell attacks are not considered finesse or ranged weapons. You can still sneak attack with the weapon part of Greenflame Blade so long as you do it with a finesse weapon, but things like Scorching Ray or Shocking Grasp are right out.

[Malifice]

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. (Though you certainly can crit with one.) The incompatibility with sneak attack was an intentional move on the part of the designers.

No, it works just fine. Part of the spell is making a 'melee weapon attack', and sneak attacks trigger on melee weapon attacks with finesse weapons.

Confirmed in tweets from the Devs.

[Desamir]

Sneak Attack says:

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 ranged weapon.

The SCAG cantrips say:

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails.

Therefore, you can sneak attack using GFB/BB. This was confirmed by a Crawford tweet.

[Socko525]

You can certainly sneak attack with GreenFlame Blade.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/06/greenflame-blade-and-sneak-attack/

Glad to see my quesion is helping people :)

[Maxilian]

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. (Though you certainly can crit with one.) The incompatibility with sneak attack was an intentional move on the part of the designers.

ACTUALLY!, you can SA with those cantrips (you still make a weapon attack -as the cantrip state-)

[WickerNipple]

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. (Though you certainly can crit with one.) The incompatibility with sneak attack was an intentional move on the part of the designers.

Hilariously wrong, yet oh so confident about it.

[MinaBee]

You can certainly sneak attack with GreenFlame Blade.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/06/greenflame-blade-and-sneak-attack/


No, it works just fine. Part of the spell is making a 'melee weapon attack', and sneak attacks trigger on melee weapon attacks with finesse weapons.

Confirmed in tweets from the Devs.


Therefore, you can sneak attack using GFB/BB. This was confirmed by a Crawford tweet.


ACTUALLY!, you can SA with those cantrips (you still make a weapon attack -as the cantrip state-)

I stand thoroughly corrected, thank you all for pointing that out!

(It initially struck me as the kind of thing that, like the Monk's Martial Arts ability, was carefully worded to make sure that it didn't stack with Sneak Attack, but that's clearly not the case. My group hasn't gotten their hands on SCAG yet, but we certainly will over the holidays, so this is good to know for next year's games.)


Hilariously wrong, yet oh so confident about it.

Kindness doesn't cost you anything, sir. Be nice.

[coredump]

PHB 96, the end of the first paragraph of the Sneak Attack description. "The attack must used a finesse or a ranged weapon." Spell attacks are not considered finesse or ranged weapons.
That is not the same thing.
Like I said, there is no rule saying that "SA can't work with spells" as was claimed. SA works with GFB, Magic Stone, Boom Blade.... and there will likely be others.



You can still sneak attack with the weapon part of Greenflame Blade so long as you do it with a finesse weapon, but things like Scorching Ray or Shocking Grasp are right out.
Scorching Ray doesn't work because it does not meet the requirements, *not* because there is a restriction on spells... as was claimed.


No, it works just fine. Part of the spell is making a 'melee weapon attack', and sneak attacks trigger on melee weapon attacks with finesse weapons.

Confirmed in tweets from the Devs.
Technically not quite accurate either.

SA does not 'trigger on a MWA'. There are only 3 requirements
1) An attack hits
2) a ranged or finesse weapon is used in the attack
3) Adv or ally nearby

There is no requirement for MWA. Case in point: Magic stone allows you to 'use' a sling while making a Ranged Spell Attack, so....
1)There is an attack that hits (presumably)
2) A ranged weapon is used in that attack. (assuming use a sling intead of throwing)
3) So just need adv or ally nearby.



In both cases, and so many more, people keep assuming the *result* of a rule is the same as being an actual rule....which it is not..

[WickerNipple]

Kindness doesn't cost you anything, sir. Be nice.

And choosing a voice other than authority when you're not an authority doesn't cost you anything either. Telling people you're privy to a design decision to underline a wrong answer is how stupidity breeds on the internet.

[BladeWing81]

And choosing a voice other than authority when you're not an authority doesn't cost you anything either. Telling people you're privy to a design decision to underline a wrong answer is how stupidity breeds on the internet.

she might have been very wrong in her assertion but you're just being a colossal **** about it.

[DracoKnight]

Nope! You are still casting a spell, not a making a weapon attack. You cannot sneak attack with spells. (Though you certainly can crit with one.) The incompatibility with sneak attack was an intentional move on the part of the designers.

Actually the designers clarified that their intention was to *allow* Sneak Attack with Greenflame Blade and Booming Blade.

EDIT: I should've read the rest of the thread before correcting you. My apologies. :)