How DnD 5e Attack Rolls Work

Your Ability Modifier

Weapons in DnD 5e use either your Strength or Dexterity modifiers when determining your Attack Mod.

There are some general "Rules of Thumb" when it comes to which Ability Score you use for your Attack Modifier.

• If you’re using a melee weapon, you use your Strength mod
• If you’re using a ranged weapon, you use your Dexterity mod

But of course, there are exceptions to these rules. The Finesse weapon property means you can use Dexterity for a melee weapon. And, the Thrown weapon property means you can use Strength for a ranged weapon.

For example, a thrown javelin can use either your Strength or Dexterity mods when calculating your Attack Modifier. And, the same goes for a rapier for melee combat.

Either way, you use the same formula to calculate your Attack Modifier.

You just need to know which Ability Score your weapon uses.

…And, how your Ability Score Modifiers breakdown. But, that’s pretty easy too.

DnD 5e’s Ability Scores increase their respective modifiers by 1 for every 2 points in the score. Which sounds a lot more confusing than it is. Basically, every even number from 1 to 20 grants an additional +1 to your Ability Score Modifier.

So, the modifier breakdown looks like this (p. 13, PHB):

Ability Score: Modifier

1. 1: -5
2. 2-3: -4
3. 4-5: -3
4. 6-7: -2
5. 8-9: -1
6. 10-11: 0
7. 12-13: +1
8. 14-15: +2
9. 16-17: +3
10. 18-19: +4
11. 20: +5

This applies to all Ability Scores. If you have a 15 in Dexterity, you have a +2 Dexterity Modifier. If you have a 16 in Strength, you have a +3 Strength Modifier. And, so on.

Remember: the Ability Score Modifier is what you use to calculate your Attack Mod in DnD 5e. Not the Ability Score itself.

With all this in mind, let’s move on to Proficiency Bonus.

Your Proficiency Bonus

The second part of determining your Attack Modifier is your Proficiency Bonus. Luckily, this is universal across all characters and is class, race, and weapon agnostic.

Your Proficiency Bonus comes from your overall character level. Add this number to your weapon’s corresponding Ability Score Modifier to calculate your Attack Modifier if you’re proficient with the weapon you’re using.

Since this is based on your overall level (not class level, that’s different), you always use the same number. Here’s the breakdown of your character’s Proficiency Bonus based on their level:

1. 1st-4th Level: +2
2. 5th-8th Level: +3
3. 9th-12th Level: +4
4. 13th-16th Level: +5
5. 15th-20th Level: +6

So, say you have a 4th level Fighter with a Strength of 18. Their Ability Score modifier would be +4 (from the list above) and they’d have a Proficiency Bonus of +2. To figure out their Attack Modifier with a longsword (a weapon that uses Strength), we’d add their Ability Score Modifier with their Proficiency Bonus (4 + 2) for a total of +6 to hit.

Now, none of this matters if you’re fighting with a weapon you’re not proficient with.

You only add your Proficiency Bonus to your Attack Modifier if you’re proficient with that weapon.

You’ll know whether your character is proficient with a certain weapon at character creation. Each class starts with a set list of weapons they’re trained in. For example, Fighters are proficient in all Simple and Martial Weapons whereas Wizards are only trained in daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, and light crossbows. If a Wizard wanted to make an attack with a longsword, they wouldn’t add their Proficiency Bonus to their Attack Modifier.

Remember what weapons your character is trained in.

And, that’s how you calculate your Attack Modifier in DnD 5e.

…But, this all means nothing if you roll a natural 1.

How Does Extra Attack Work with a Held Attack?

Here’s a fun situation.

You have a 5th level Fighter and you decide to use the Ready action to hold your attack. Do you get to use Extra Attack when you held attack triggers?

The answer is; no. You don’t get extra attacks for a held action.

It all comes down to the wording. Extra Attack states:

"on your turn" is the important part here.

Technically, when you use the Ready action to hold an attack, you’re not taking the Attack action on your turn. You’re taking the Ready action. Also, when your held attack triggers, you usually (though it happens sometimes) aren’t attacking on your turn.

The important part of this is you aren’t taking the Attack action. So, you don’t get the benefit of Extra Attack when you Ready an attack.

This also applies to any creatures that have Multiattack. So, remember that, Dungeon Masters.

What Does Melee Weapon Attack Mean?

A melee weapon attack is a melee attack made with a weapon. But, it’s not always an attack made with a melee weapon.

Confused?

Alright, here’s a scenario; a longsword is a melee weapon. If you roll an attack against a creature within 5 feet of you, that’s a melee attack made with a weapon or a melee weapon attack. If you throw that longsword (ill-advised, but go for it), that’s a ranged attack made with a melee weapon.

Honestly, this is one of those situations where semantics really comes into play.

Jeremy Crawford even cleared this up a while back because it’s such a weird way to phrase thing.

Basically, if you make an attack with a melee weapon against a target within your reach, that’s a melee weapon attack.

How Do Opportunity Attacks Work in 5e?

Opportunity Attacks are a special attack roll you can make in DnD 5e. When a creatures moves outside of your reach, you can use your reaction to make an attack against that creature.

It’s important to note that this type of attack roll doesn’t apply to ranged attacks because the target needs to leave your reach. If your reach is 10 feet (like with a glaive), if a creature attempts to move outside of that reach, you can use your reaction an make attack against it.

These attacks happen right before your target leaves your range. But, opportunity attacks do not stop a creature from moving. Once you resolve the attack roll as normal, the creature continues its movement.

Now, another thing to note is you can only make an opportunity attack against a creature you can see.

I’ve had a couple instances pop up in my own games where a player character couldn’t see an adjacent enemy (fog cloud and darkness, specifically). One enemy went to move away from the Rogue, and the player asked if they could make an opportunity attack. But, page 195 of the PHB explicitly states "You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach."

So remember; you need to actually see your target to make an opportunity attack against it.

Another way to prevent enemies from making opportunity attack rolls against your character is the Disengage action. This action prevents all opportunity attacks against you on your turn. So, you can move in-and-out of adjacency with enemies for the rest of your turn when you take the Disengage action.

Also, one final thing about opportunity attacks; you can’t roll them against creatures that move unwillingly (ie pushed by a spell), if they teleport, or if they’re moved without using their movement, action, or reaction.

For example, if a creature is hit by and fails their saving throw against the thunderwave spell and they move outside of your reach from the 15 foot knockback, you can’t make an opportunity attack against them.

Just something to remember there.

One last thing; you can’t make melee spell attacks as opportunity attacks.

This is another semantics argument.

Technically, opportunity attacks are a special type of attack. But, spell attacks aren’t considered "attacks" in the same sense. When you make a spell attack, you’re actually using the Cast a Spell action and making a spell attack as part of the casting.

It’s really fiddly. But, it’s an important enough distinction to warrant the War Caster feat.

How Do Offhand Attacks Work in 5e?

If you’re wielding two weapons with the Light property, you can make an attack with your offhand as a bonus action.

This is often called Two-Weapon Fighting or Dual-Wielding in DnD 5e.

This is one of a few situations when you can use your bonus action to attack in DnD 5e. Usually, it’s only your action (or reaction if you held an attack).

A few general rules to remember when attack with an offhand weapon:

• You need to take the Attack action to use your bonus action to make an offhand attack
• Both weapons need to have the Light property
• Your offhand attack doesn’t add your Ability Modifier to the damage of the second attack unless the mod is negative

The sequence of events is important to making offhand attacks. First, you need to take the Attack action and roll your main hand attack. Then, after your first attack roll resolves, you can make your offhand attack as a bonus action.

And remember; your offhand attack uses up your bonus action. It’s not part of your regular Attack action even though it needs you to do that first.

I often see players wanting to dual wield a rapier and a shortsword (or some other like combination). But, Rules as Written, you can’t do that. Both weapons need the Light property if you want to make an offhand attack.

Now, if you have the Dual Wielder feat, that restriction gets lifted. Go nuts fighting with 2 longswords.

Also, you don’t add your Ability Modifier to the damage of the offhand attack unless that modifier is negative.

But, if you have the Two-Weapon Fighting Fighting Style, this detriment goes away.

Basically, offhand attacks work like this:

1. You’re using two weapons with the Light property
2. You take the Attack action with your main hand weapon and resolve that attack first
3. Then, you use your bonus action to make an offhand attack
4. Resolve the offhand attack remembering you don’t add your Ability Score to the damage

How Do Unarmed Attacks Work?

Unarmed Attacks in DnD 5e work the same way as any other melee attacks. You use your Attack action to make an attack roll against a target within your reach.

Now, unarmed attacks are different in that they don’t come with an assigned damage die. Unarmed strikes deal 1 plus your Strength modifier damage on a hit.

That’s it.

Now, there are ways to alter how much damage unarmed attacks do. Monks get a specific damage die based on their level for their unarmed strikes, the Tavern Brawler feat increases your unarmed strike damage to a d4, and the new Unarmed Fighting Fighting Style from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything gives the Fighter class an unarmed damage boost. But, for the most part, you’re dealing 1 + Strength mod for unarmed damage.

Special Melee Attack: Grapple

Grappling is a special attack you can make in DnD 5e. In place of a regular attack, you make a grapple check which is a Strength (Athletics) roll made by you against a either a Strength (Athletic) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) roll made by your target.

Basically, instead of rolling a regular attack, you can opt to make a Grapple check against your target.

Now, this does work with Extra Attack. If you have the feature, you can make a grapple check in place of one of your attacks.

There are a few caveats to remember if you want to grapple something.

1. Your target can’t be bigger than one size larger than you (so, a Medium creature can target a Large target but not a Huge one)
2. You need to have one free hand
3. Your target wins ties in the grapple check

If you succeed in your grapple check, your target is under the Grapple condition. And, they can use their action to attempt to escape with another contested roll.

The last fun thing about grappling a creature is you can move them with you. But, your speed is halved unless the grappled creature is at least two sizes smaller than you (so a Tiny creature for Medium-sized characters).

Special Melee Attack: Shove

Another special attack roll you can make in DnD 5e is a Shove roll.

As part of your Attack action, you can choose to shove your target in place of one of your attacks. Like grappling, you make contested rolls; your Strength (Athletics) check against your target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) roll.

I know quite a few players and DMs know about grapple checks. But, I feel like shove checks often get overlooked. Which is a dang shame.

If you succeed in your shove check, you either push your target up to 5 feet away from you or knock them prone.

Now, there are, of course, a couple caveats to shoving in DnD 5e:

1. Your target can’t be more than one size larger than you
2. Your target needs to be within your reach

So, no pushing Huge or larger creatures (unless you have the Powerful Build feature or are under the effects of the enlarge/reduce spell). And, you can shove a target with a ranged attack.

But, imagine the possibilities.

Have a nearby cliff? Shove a creature off it. Have Extra Attack? Use one of your attacks to knock your target prone then make your second attack at advantage and grant advantage to your melee allies until the creature stands up.

Just remember that shoving as an attack in DnD 5e is an option.

DnD 5e Weapon Ranges

Ranged weapons and attacks in DnD 5e usually have two distances; normal and long. The normal range where you make attack rolls normally. The long range means you can still attack targets out to that distance but you do so with disadvantage.

So, what does this mean?

Well, if you look at a ranged weapon, you’ll see two ranges listed separated by a forward slash. The first number is your normal range and the second is your long range.

For example, the longbow has a range of 150/600. This means your roll normally for ranged attacks out to 150 feet. But, past that and out to 600 feet, your ranged attacks are at disadvantage.

You can’t make attack rolls against targets past a weapon’s long range. And, the same is true to features and spells that only have one listed range.

Ranged Attacks with an Adjacent Enemy

Often, a hostile creature move adjacent to you when all you want to do is make ranged attacks.

This actually makes attacking at range a lot harder.

If a hostile creature is within 5 feet of you in DnD 5e, all of your ranged attacks are made at disadvantage.

Now, the enemy needs to be within 5 feet of you (not necessarily within their reach) and they can’t be incapacitated, needs to see you, and can’t be incapacitated. So, you need to either move away or find some way to remove yourself from a hostile creature to get back to shooting normally.

I’ve had players ask if ranged attacks are still at a disadvantage if they’re attacking a different target from the adjacent enemy. But, it doesn’t matter who’re you’re attacking. All ranged attacks are at a disadvantage if an active enemy is within 5 feet of you.

If they can’t see you (because of invisibility or some other ability), then you’re golden and can keep firing normally.

But, letting enemies bog down your ranged allies is a huge detriment to your team.

…Or for your enemies if you do the same to them. Remember that.

Melee Spell Attacks

Some spells require you to make a melee spell attack as part of the casting.

Much like melee weapon attacks, melee spell attacks can only be made against targets within your reach. Other than that, you roll an attack and add your Spell Attack Bonus. If you meet or exceed your target’s AC, you hit and get to roll damage.

Now, spells in DnD 5e are a bit weird in that they don’t have a "reach."

Spells that require a melee spell attack roll are usually listed as having a range of "Touch." Which means you need to be able to reach out and actually touch your target. It’s not specifically a 5 foot range. But, it’s basically your character’s reach.

Ranged Spell Attacks

Like melee spell attacks, certain spells in DnD 5e ask you to make a ranged spell attack in their casting requirements.

And, like their melee counterparts, you simply roll a d20 to attack and add your Spell Attack Bonus to get your total to hit.

Now, unlike ranged weapon attacks, ranged spell attacks don’t have a normal and a long range. They have one range and that’s it. If your desired target is beyond that distance, they can’t be targeted.

For example, the fire bold cantrip has a range of 120 feet. If a creature is 125 feet out, you can’t target them with the cantrip.

Other than the lack of different range listings, ranged spell attacks have the same restrictions as their mundane counterparts. If you’re adjacent to a hostile creature, your ranged spell attacks are at disadvantage.

And remember; you’re not taking the Attack action with melee and ranged spell attacks. You’re using the Cast a Spell action.

It’s a small, but important distinction.