Spell Attack Rolls

If you cast spells, you might be able to make a spell attack roll. These rolls are usually made when a spell makes an attack against a creature’s AC.

The ability modifier for a spell attack roll depends on how you gained access to your spells. If your class grants you spellcasting, use your key ability modifier. Innate spells use your Charisma modifier unless the ability that granted them states otherwise. Focus spells and other sources of spells specify which ability modifier you use for spell attack rolls in the ability that granted them. If you have spells from multiple sources or traditions, you might use different ability modifiers for spell attack rolls for these different sources of spells. For example, a dwarf cleric with the Stonewalker ancestry feat would use her Charisma modifier when casting meld into stone from that feat, since it’s a divine innate spell, but she would use her Wisdom modifier when casting heal and other spells using her cleric divine spellcasting.

Two of the simplest and most common actions you’ll use in combat are Stride and Strike, described in full on page 471. Stride is an action that has the move trait and that allows you to move a number of feet up to your Speed. You’ll often need to Stride multiple times to reach a foe who’s far away or to run from danger! Move actions can often trigger reactions or free actions. However, unlike other actions, a move action can trigger reactions not only when you first use the action, but also for every 5 feet you move during that action, as described on page 474. The Step action (page 471) lets you move without triggering reactions, but only 5 feet.

Strike is an action that has the attack trait and that allows you to attack with a weapon you’re wielding or an unarmed attack (such as a fist).

If you’re using a melee weapon or unarmed attack, your target must be within your reach; if you’re attacking with a ranged weapon, your target must be within range. Your reach is how far you can physically extend a part of your body to make an unarmed attack, or the farthest distance you can reach with a melee weapon. This is typically 5 feet, but special weapons and larger creatures have longer reaches. Your range is how far away you can attack with a ranged weapon or with some types of magical attacks. Different weapons and magical attacks have different maximum ranges, and ranged weapons get less effective as you exceed their range increments.

Striking multiple times in a turn has diminishing returns. The multiple attack penalty (detailed on page 446) applies to each attack after the first, whether those attacks are Strikes, special attacks like the Grapple action of the Athletics skill, or spell attack rolls.

Determine the spell attack roll with the following formula.

Spell attack roll result = d20 roll + ability modifier

used for spellcasting + proficiency bonus + other

bonuses + penalties

If you have the ability to cast spells, you’ll have a proficiency rank for your spell attack rolls, so you’ll always add a proficiency bonus. Like your ability modifier, this proficiency rank may vary from one spell to another if you have spells from multiple sources. Spell attack rolls can benefit from circumstance bonuses and status bonuses, though item bonuses to spell attack rolls are rare. Penalties affect spell attack rolls just like any other attack roll—including your multiple attack penalty.

Many times, instead of requiring you to make a spell attack roll, the spells you cast will require those within the area or targeted by the spell to attempt a saving throw against your Spell DC to determine how the spell affects them. Your spell DC is calculated using the following formula.

Spell DC = 10 + ability modifier used for

spellcasting + proficiency bonus + other bonuses +

penalties