Does Dissonant Whispers provoke an opportunity attack?

2 thoughts on “Does Dissonant Whispers provoke an opportunity attack?

  1. Mike says:

    I thought if a creature is moved involuntarily then opportunity attacks do not apply. Since the creature is affected by a spell that makes it move then how is it open to the attack?

    • tideoftime says:

      The ruling (per the books and SA responses elsewhere) is that a creature moving doesn’t invoke an OA *if* the creature didn’t employ its Movement, Action, Bonus Action (relative to those who can for such purposes, like rogues) or Reaction in order to do so. Examples of it not applying: character is pushed back by Thunderwave or similar effect, or a knockback feature included in a creature’s attack, etc. Example of where it does: Dissonant Whispers, as the target must use their Reaction *if available* (key point there — it the target doesn’t at that instance have its Reaction available, it doesn’t move as a result) to move away from the caster, direction-wise. Other examples of that are indicated in some other spells or similar effects.

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