Wording on Ranged Attack. (Artificer, Ruby of the war mage)

[8wGremlin]

The artificer and Ruby of the War Mage, both allow you to make a ranged weapon a spell casting focus.

Now if you attack with a ranged weapon:



Can that attack be a weapon attack?
Can that attack be a spell attack?
Given 2, would Sharpshooter apply? (Wording: Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage)
note that it doesn't say "make a ranged weapon attack"
Would bracers of archery affect this as well?


Now I don't want RAI, I need RAW, not opinion, just the rules as written?

Thoughts?

[BarneyBent]

Regarding 2 and subsequent points, no. You do not "make an attack" with spellcasting focus. You cast a spell, using the components of the spell as required, and if the spell requires an attack then you make it.

Using a weapon as a spellcasting focus merely allows you to meet one of several requirements of casting the spell and is in no sense "casting the spell with the weapon", let alone making a subsequent attack role with it.

For the same reason, a Blade Warlock can't use the Improved Pact Weapon feature to get a +1 to Eldritch Blasts.

[Lavaeolus]

An attack with a ranged weapon is, unless otherwise stated, a weapon attack. There is no wording to suggest that being enhanced by the Bracers of Archery or acting a spellcasting focus turns them into spell attacks, nor that it turns them into magic weapons.

Given that, we must assume that the attack remains a nonmagical ranged weapon attack.

Note that there's nothing to suggest using a weapon to act as a spellcasting focus is the same as attacking with that weapon; it is merely letting the weapon act as a focus to allow you to cast a spell, presuming you meet other requirements.

[JackPhoenix]

The artificer and Ruby of the War Mage, both allow you to make a ranged weapon a spell casting focus.

As mentioned by others, being a spellcasting focus has no bearing on the weapon attack itself, but to answer the questions:


Now if you attack with a ranged weapon:

Can that attack be a weapon attack?

Yes, and it usually is, with one exception....


Can that attack be a spell attack?

...which is a Magic Stone shot from a sling. Magic Stone uses a spell attack, but sling is a ranged weapon.


Given 2, would Sharpshooter apply? (Wording: Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage)
note that it doesn't say "make a ranged weapon attack"

Yes and no. Per quirk of wording, Sharpshooter interacts weirdly with the aforementioned exception. The long range and cover penalty removal doesn't work in that case (as those require ranged weapon attack), but the -5/+10 part does (as it requires an attack with a ranged weapon). Somewhat related, it works the opposite way with thrown weapon: the first two points apply, but not the third (except with dart, because of course there's another exception) because it's a ranged weapon attack with a melee weapon.


Would bracers of archery affect this as well?

Yes, assuming you'd be using a bow. However, there's no way to make a spell attack with a bow.