An interesting problem came up in game the other day:
A Battle Master fighter (PHB p. 73-74) successfully used the Goading Attack maneuver against a wizard and then successfully disengaged in an attempt to draw fire from the spellcaster.
The spellcaster then hit the main party with an area-effect spell.
For Goading Attack, the rules state the following:
…You add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll, and the
target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target
has a disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you
until the end of your next turn.
However, there is nothing in this that covers spellcasting. It appears Goading Attack has no effect if the spellcaster to cast a spell on another member of the party.
This seems… off. Sure, the wizard took an extra D8 of damage, but shouldn't there be some consequence to the successful Goading Attack?
I'm pretty sure that because it doesn't expressly cover spellcasting, Goading Attack is only meant to cover weapon attacks or spells that require an attack roll. Is that correct?
Best Answer
This is embarrassing, but I think I've found an answer to my own question:
The definition of an attack is provided on Player's Handbook p. 194 under the "Making an Attack" heading, or here in the basic rules:
If the spellcaster has to make a spell attack roll (as opposed to spells that force the targets to make a saving throw), then if they are "goaded" they do so at a disadvantage when attacking anyone but the "goader".
Otherwise, there's no other effect.