Does spiritual weapon count for flanking?

Does Spiritual Weapon Count for Flanking?

When it comes to flanking in Dungeons & Dragons, it’s essential to understand what constitutes a successful flank. Flanking allows creatures to gain advantage on melee attack rolls against an enemy, but only if they are positioned on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space. In this article, we’ll explore whether Spiritual Weapon, a popular spell, counts towards flanking.

What is Flanking?

Before we dive into the specifics of Spiritual Weapon, let’s quickly review what flanking is. According to the official D&D 5th Edition rules, flanking occurs when two or more creatures are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space. When this happens, each of the creatures gains advantage on melee attack rolls against the enemy.

What is Spiritual Weapon?

Spiritual Weapon is a 2nd-level evocation spell that allows a caster to create a spectral weapon that can be used to attack a creature. The spell lasts for 10 rounds, and the caster can move the weapon up to 20 feet as a bonus action. The weapon deals force damage equal to 1d8 + the caster’s spellcasting ability modifier.

Does Spiritual Weapon Count for Flanking?

According to the official rules, Spiritual Weapon does not count as a creature when it comes to flanking. As a spell attack, Spiritual Weapon does not meet the criteria for flanking, which requires a creature to be adjacent to the enemy on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space.

Here are some key points to summarize:

• Spiritual Weapon is a spell attack, not a creature.
• As a spell attack, Spiritual Weapon does not meet the criteria for flanking.
• Only creatures can flank, not spell attacks.

Example Scenario

Let’s consider an example scenario to illustrate this point. Imagine a rogue named Sneaky Pete, who is adjacent to an enemy on one side. A wizard named Magic Mike is also adjacent to the enemy on the opposite side. In this scenario, both Sneaky Pete and Magic Mike are flanking the enemy, and each gains advantage on their melee attack rolls.

Now, let’s say Magic Mike casts Spiritual Weapon and uses it to attack the enemy. In this case, the enemy is still being flanked by Sneaky Pete, but not by Magic Mike’s Spiritual Weapon. The Spiritual Weapon does not count as a creature for the purposes of flanking, so it does not meet the criteria for gaining advantage on the attack roll.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Spiritual Weapon does not count as a creature for the purposes of flanking. As a spell attack, it does not meet the criteria for flanking, which requires a creature to be adjacent to the enemy on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space. Only creatures can flank, not spell attacks. This means that if you’re planning to use Spiritual Weapon to attack an enemy, you won’t gain the advantage of flanking, even if you’re positioned on opposite sides of the enemy’s space.

Here’s a summary of the key points in a table:

By understanding the rules surrounding flanking and Spiritual Weapon, you can make informed decisions about your character’s tactics and strategy in combat.