[RPG] If a monk reduces damage to 0 using Deflect Missiles, does the attack still hit

attackdnd-5emonk

If a monk catches an arrow, does the attack still hit?

The monk's feature Deflect Missiles says:

you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack … reduced [the damage] by 1d10 + … If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free.

In the latter case, is the attack still considered a hit?

This is pertinent for effects such as a Battle Master's Combat Superiority maneuvers. As such, it would seem like it must still be a hit since the damage from the attack (that which you are reducing) is changed by some of these effects.

Best Answer

Yes, the attack is still a hit

The Deflect Missiles feature, as you have quoted, says (emphasis mine):

you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack

Additionally, the rules for damage state:

With a penalty, it is possible to deal 0 damage, but never negative damage.

Therefore, even though the attack results in 0 damage, it is still considered a hit. As a result, any effects that apply when a target is hit by that weapon attack are still applied.

However, the attack didn't do any damage

JC also clarified that:

Taking 0 damage is the same as taking no damage

(source)

So, game effects which rely on taking or dealing damage may not be applied. For example, injury based poisons (which rely on dealing certain kinds of damage to be delivered) would not be applied on the monk, since the attack that was delivering them dealt no damage.

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