Spell Modifier/attack - Dungeons & Dragons Discussion - D&D Beyond

• Adventurer
• Join Date: 3/20/2020
• Posts: 3
• Member Details

For a character with a +4 modifier and +6 attack, which affects whether or not a spell hits and how much a spell does in terms of damage/heal?

• Protector
• Join Date: 3/24/2017
• Posts: 1,042
• Member Details

Quote from Carnage101 >>

For a character with a +4 modifier and +6 attack, which affects whether or not a spell hits and how much a spell does in terms of damage/heal?

There's no general rule - read the spell and do what it says.

I'm assuming by "+4 modifier" you mean that their spellcasting modifier is +4, and by "+6 attack" you mean that their spellcasting modifier plus their proficiency bonus is +6.

Most commonly, a spell will tell you whether the caster needs to make a spell attack (in which case, roll a D20 and add +6) or whether the target needs to make a saving throw (in which case the difficulty of the saving throw is 8 + spellcasting modifier + proficiency bonus, which would be 14).

Usually, the spellcasting modifier or attack bonus do NOT affect the damage or healing power of a spell.

(However, all of these are generalizations - there are some spells or features which change things. Read the spell and do what it says! Is there a particular spell you were thinking of?)

• Swashbuckler
• Join Date: 3/3/2020
• Posts: 437
• Member Details

It appears OP believes the spellcasting ability modifier affects spell damage. It generally does not.

It was worded in such a way as if expecting us to confirm that it does.

Further, only attack spells like fire bolt use the attack modifier on the attack roll (and does not get ability modifier to damage). Others have a spell DC which does not use the attack modifier at all.

• (Perfect)
• Join Date: 7/28/2017
• Posts: 1,334
• Member Details

Quote from Carnage101 >>

For a character with a +4 modifier and +6 attack, which affects whether or not a spell hits and how much a spell does in terms of damage/heal?

If you have a +4 to your spellcasting ability modifier, and a +6 spell attack bonus(meaning you're still level 1-4), Your spell attack rolls use the +6 modifier. If you cast a spell that requires someone to make a saving through, the DC for the save would be 14(8 + prof. bonus + ability modifier, so 8 +2 +4). As for damage rolls, IF the spell says the damage equals some roll plus your spellcasting ability modifier, you would use the +4. Keep in mind that adding your ability modifier to the damage roll of a spell is NOT the default like it is with a weapon attack. If the spell does not explicity say to add it, then you don't. Spiritual Weapon is an example of a spell that adds it. But if you look at spells like Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Finger Of Death, and cantrips like Fire Bolt, Ray Of Frost, Toll The Dead etc., they do not add it. Some class abilities(Agonizing Blast, Potent Spellcasting, etc) let you add it even if the spell text doesn't include it in the damage roll.

• Adventurer
• Join Date: 5/2/2020
• Posts: 7
• Member Details

So if I had a +3 modifier. But a +11 spell attack bonus for a spell like inflict wounds, would it be +9 or higher?

• (Perfect)
• Join Date: 7/28/2017
• Posts: 1,334
• Member Details

Quote from Geek_king >>

So if I had a +3 modifier. But a +11 spell attack bonus for a spell like inflict wounds, would it be +9 or higher?

A +11 spell attack bonus, when your modifier is only +3?!? The highest your proficiency bonus gets to is +6, and that's at 17th level. At that point, your spell attack bonus would be +9, not +11. And I would have serious questions about why you went all the way to Level 17 without raising your casting stat to at least 18. :)

Even then, your question doesn't really make sense. "would it be +9 or higher" for what? And how did you get +11 for a spell attack bonus? What are your ability scores, what level are you, and what magic items do you have that are boosting your spell attacks?

• Adept
• Join Date: 3/21/2020
• Posts: 40
• Member Details

Quote from Geek_king >>

So if I had a +3 modifier. But a +11 spell attack bonus for a spell like inflict wounds, would it be +9 or higher?

I think your getting confusseled, let me try to explain with an example.

So my 5th level cleric has a modifier of +3, that is because clerics use wisdom for spell casting and he has a wisdom score of 16 which is a +3 modifier. For a wizard it would be the intelligence modifier used etc.

Now that modifier is just used with other 'modifiers' to calculate spell DC and the spell attack modifier. It is not used on its own (rare exceptions see below *)

If the spell involves making an attack roll eg inflict wounds it is the spell attack modifier that will be added to the d20 you roll.

The spell attack modifier is calculated by adding the spell modifier which was +3 in this example to your proficiency bonus. Which at level 5 is +3, so my cleric has a spell attack modifier of +6.

So if casting inflict wounds I would roll d20 and then add 6. The damage for this spell is just (cast at level 1) 3d10, normally there is no modifier to spell damage (see below*).

If the spell requires the target to make a saving throw the DC for that roll is 8 + the spell casting modifier (not spell attack modifier) + proficiency bonus, so for my cleric thats 8+3+3 which is 14.

* Whilst normally spell damage/effect is a flat roll with no modifier some very specific class feature etc do allow you to add a modifier (not spell attack modifier) eg warlocks with the agonising blast invocation can add their charisma modifier to the damge roll for eldritch blast. Or healing spells which can have various modifiers to the hp regained roll etc. However these are the exceptions.