If you have a Warlock that has the Warcaster feat, could you grapple the enemy, then Witch Bolt it the next round?
You only need one free hand to cast with Warcaster, and only one free hand to grapple. Casting an attack spell in melee would be at disadvantage, but if you hit, as long it doesn't break free, or break the Warlock's concentration, you would hold the creature in place and continuously Witch Bolt it, correct?
I understand that Grappling doesn't prevent the enemy from attacking you either, it just reduces its movement to zero.
[RPG] Can you witch bolt the bad guy you’re grappling
dnd-5egrapplespellswarlock
Best Answer
There is nothing to prevent a character from casting Witch Bolt on a target that the character has grappled.
Grappling places the target in the grappled condition which reduces their movement to zero. It only takes one hand free per Page 74 of the 5e Basic Player Rules.
Allowing you to cast Witch Bolt with the other free hand due to the rule on Somatic spell components on page 205 of the PHB
However the target of the grapple is free to attack the person who is grappling him. Which will cause concentration checks if damage is done to the caster.
Also as a house rule, a referee may decide that because Witch Bolt is a lightning effect and since the caster is grappling the target, that the caster is subject to the effects of the spell due to how electricity and lightning works in the real world. Again this is not in the RAW rules, it would be a house rule. I am mention because in my experience it is common for referee apply what they know of real life to various rulings even in a fantasy game like D&D.
While it is useful in that it prevent the target from moving beyond the 30 foot range of the spell, the fact the target can still attack means that it is likely that concentration checks will ensue. If failed it negates the point of casting the Witch Bolt in the first place. Combined with the disadvantaged ranged spell attack roll makes this a marginal tactic in my opinion.