Making an Attack
****************

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. Pick a target within your attack’s
   range: a creature, an object, or a location.
2. Determine modifiers. The DM determines whether
   the target has cover and whether you have advantage
   or disadvantage against the target. In addition, spells,
   special abilities, and other effects can apply penalties
   or bonuses to your attack roll.
3. Resolve the attack. You make the attack roll. On a
   hit, you roll damage, unless the particular attack has
   rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause
   special effects in addition to or instead of damage.

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.

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, as explained
in chapter 10.

**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.

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. In
addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later
in this chapter.

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.

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.

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.

When you are unarmed, you can fight in melee by
making an unarmed strike, as shown in the weapon
table in chapter 5.

Opportunity Attacks
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for enemies
to drop their guard. You can rarely move heedlessly past
your foes without putting yourself in danger; doing so
provokes an Opportunity attack.

You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile
creature that you can see moves out of your reach. To
make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction
to make one melee attack against the provoking
creature. The attack interrupts the provoking creature's
movement, occurring right before the creature
leaves your reach.

You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by
taking the Disengage action. You also don‘t provoke an
opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone
or something moves you without using your movement,
action, or reaction. For example, you don’t provoke an
opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s
reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.

Two-Weapon Fighting
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light
melee weapon that you're holding in one hand. you can
use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee
weapon that you’re holding in the other hand. You don’t
add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus
attack. unless that modifier is negative.

If either weapon has the thrown property, you
can throw the weapon, instead of making a melee
attack with it.

Grappling
^^^^^^^^^

When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it,
you can use the Attack action to make a special melee
attack, a grapple. If you're able to make multiple attacks
with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.

The target of your grapple must be no more than one
size larger than you, and it must be within your reach.
Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target
by making a grapple check, a Strength (Athletics)
check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the
ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to
the grappled condition (see appendix A). The condition
specifies the things that end it, and you can release the
target whenever you like (no action required).

**Escaping a Grapple.** A grappled creature can use its
action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength
(Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by
your Strength (Athletics) check.

**Moving a Grappled Creature.** When you move, you
can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but
your speed is halved. unless the creature is two or more
sizes smaller than you.

Shoving a Creature
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee
attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or
push it away from you. If you’re able to make multiple
attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces
one of them.

The target of your shove must be no more than one
size larger than you. and it must be within your reach.
You make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the
target’s Strength (Athletics) 0r Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check (the target Chooses the ability to use). If you win
the contest, you either knock the target prone or push
it 5 feet away from you.
