D&D 5E spiritual weapon against prone enemy advantage or disadvantage?

[ECMO3]

Rules for prone:
An Attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the Attack roll has disadvantage.

My arguement - the "attacker" is the caster who is more than 5 feet away, so disadvantage. The player says it is advantage because it is a melee attack.

Who is correct?

 

[Professor Murder]

RAW: You are correct based on the wording of the spell and the prone condition.
Personal Interpretation: The weapon is making the attack, the caster is just directing it, as they might a summoned creature. I'd rule for the player. That said, I also don't use the RAW for prone in this regard, instead making the distinction ranged vs melee attacks. Else weapons with reach also have disadvantage when further than 5 ft.

 

[Flamestrike]

What does advantage in this case represent?

In this case it's the defender being unable to defend themselves properly due to being on the ground.

The spiritual weapon get advantage.

 

[Lyxen]

What does advantage in this case represent?

In this case it's the defender being unable to defend themselves properly due to being on the ground.

The spiritual weapon get advantage.

I'd rule the opposite. The spell is very clear: " When you cast the spell, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon." So it's clearly the caster who is the attacker, NOT the weapon. The disadvantage that you get is not seeing the target clearly since it's on the ground and you are far away.

OP is correct, the player is not, there is no ambiguity here. It's not a summoned creature, it's a magic artefact that is directly wielded by the caster.

 

[Flamestrike]

The disadvantage that you get is not seeing the target clearly since it's on the ground and you are far away.

You dont get disadvantage on melee spell attacks for a creature being prone.

You get advantage on melee spell attacks for a creature being prone (because they're the ones at a disadvantage).

 

[Lyxen]

You dont get disadvantage on melee spell attacks for a creature being prone.
You get advantage on melee spell attacks for a creature being prone (because they're the ones at a disadvantage).

No, this is not what the prone condition says, it's not a question of melee or ranged or spell or anything of the kind, it's purely a question of distance of the attacker to the target: "An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the attack roll has disadvantage."

As the attacker is clearly the caster, it's HIS location compared to the target that matters, nothing more.

 

[Shiroiken]

It's pretty unambiguous that RAW it had disadvantage. However, RAW never takes logic and consistency into consideration; just consider the blinded vs blinded melee situation. It's not unreasonable for a DM to either ignore the disadvantage, or even grant advantage for the attack.

 

[Lyxen]

It's pretty unambiguous that RAW it had disadvantage. However, RAW never takes logic and consistency into consideration; just consider the blinded vs blinded melee situation. It's not unreasonable for a DM to either ignore the disadvantage, or even grant advantage for the attack.

Then I agree with you, the prone condition is simple, but honestly, why should a creature with reach change from advantage to disadvantage (a huge change) when it just moves slightly back from 5 feet to 10 feet away ?

Like everything, this is the case that requires local ruling by a DM, it's just that Spiritual Weapon is such a common spell that if you start to make rulings, players will expect them to be in use all the time, and it could get complex...

And honestly, I have no problem with the blinded vs. blinded either.

 

[Helldritch]

I concur with @Lyxon his interpretation. The attacker must be within 5 feet of the prone target to get advantage on the roll.

 

[Retreater]

If I were the player getting attacked (or making the attack), I'd agree with whatever decision my DM makes. Make something that sounds logical to you and be consistent.