[RPG] Does the Sharpshooter feat work on ranged spells that require an attack roll

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I had a player ask me whether the Sharpshooter feat (PHB, p. 170) works on spells, but I wasn't entirely sure. It says “ranged weapon attacks”, but I'm not sure if an eldritch blast cantrip counts as a ranged weapon attack.

Does the Sharpshooter feat work on ranged spells that require an attack roll, such as the eldritch blast spell?

I'm pretty sure it doesn't, given that the book also provides the Spell Sniper feat that indicates that it works on “ranged spell attacks” (PHB, p. 170), but I'd like to get a second or third opinion on it.

(I think the player was asking about it because they want the −5 attack / +10 damage that Sharpshooter offers, because Spell Sniper does not include that.)

Best Answer

You are correct; the Sharpshooter does not affect spell attacks.

The description of the eldritch blast cantrip states that you “Make a ranged spell attack”; it does not involve a weapon or a weapon attack at all.

Therefore, it is not affected by the benefits of the Sharpshooter feat (PHB, p. 170) - the first two of which apply to "ranged weapon attacks", and the last of which applies to "an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with".