Can an Arcane Archer choose to activate arcane shot after it gets deflected?

Question

Inspired by Can I use deflect missile if I get an ally to shoot me? and Can a monk catch and throw an Arcane Archer's active Arcane Shot back at them with Deflect Missiles?, can a (friendly) Arcane Archer choose not to activate their Arcane Shot when it hits their ally, but then activate it when it hits the new target?

Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll.

_{Emphasis mine.}

So in this scenario, Monica the Monk runs on ahead, in a position where she can see Edwin the enemy mage. Archie the Archer does not have line of sight to the enemy caster. He fires his arrow at Monica the Monk, who uses her reaction to deflect it successfully.

If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction.

Let's say the arrow (thrown as an attack by Monica the Monk) now hits Edwin the enemy mage; can Archie the Arcane Archer then activate the Arcane Shot to try and affect Edwin the enemy mage with it?

Answer 1

RAW, it seems this works.

This works as written, but is almost certainly not intended and is an abuse of language. You have emphasized the key portion of the Arcane Shot ability:

You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature.

Notably, it does not say "when the attack hits". It explicitly mentions the arrow, rather than an attack, hitting the creature.

It isn't happening in my games.

If I'm the DM, this isn't happening. To me, it seems totally obvious that this is an unintended outcome of using "arrow" instead of "attack". I'm ruling against this if it happens while I am the DM.

Answer 2

No

The arcane archer's Arcane Shot ability reads in part:

Once per turn, when you fire an arrow [...] you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn't involve an attack roll.

The archer must decide to use the shots when it hits a creature. Importantly, while the general description of the ability says "hits a creature," all the Arcane Shot Options (save for Piercing Arrow and Seeking Arrow) say "The creature hit by the arrow..." and not some form of "When the arrow hits..."

This means they are more specific in their wording than the general description is and the scope of when they may be activated is limited to as soon as the archer hits the target it is shooting at.

The monk's Deflect Missile ability reads in part:

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

The Arcane Archer is hitting the Monk and therefore the monk becomes "the creature hit by the arrow."

The combat rules for 5e are based around the fundamental concept of making one attack and hitting one target. If a spell/feature does does not adhere to this rule, that exception is very explicitly called out.

Because the Monk's Deflect Missile feature lacks text stating something to the effect of "any sort of magical effect on the caught projectile is maintained for the Monk's attack", the Archer must therefore decide whether or not to use its Arcane Shot at the point when the Monk is hit.

Answer 3

No, you can't use Arcane Shot after the arrow is deflected

Looking at the requirement for this ability:

Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll.

• Requirement = You fire an arrow. (You being the Arcane archer)

The Archer attacks and hits the Monk, not the enemy creature, by this time the Monk decides to use the Deflect Missiles ability. To resolve this ability, the damage is dealt to the Monk, thereby ending the Archers attack action.

Next, when Monks Deflect Missiles is resolved, the Monk is allowed to the expend one ki and make an attack action (if the damage is reduced to zero). When the Monk then attacks the enemy creature, it is now the Monk's attack action that are being resolved, not the Archers.

As the arrow is now fired by the Monk using his hand and not a shortbow or longbow, none of the original requirements for Arcane shot are being met.

Answer 4

No

Once deflected, the arrow belongs to the monk, not the archer, and the monk doesn’t have the ability.

… when you (the archer) fire an arrow ... you (also the archer) can apply ...

... you (the monk, so not the archer) ... make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught ...

Answer 5

Arcane Shot Options can only be used while you are firing an arrow

The Arcane Shot feature states:

when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits

We can interpret this either as "triggers" or as "conditions". When I say "trigger" I mean a singular event that allows a subsequent option. "Conditions" as I am using the word refers to a state of affairs during which an option can be used.

Using the trigger interpretation there are two events described in the text. The first event is "when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action" while the second event is "when the arrow hits". If we consider these as isolated events then you could use an arcane shot option with Deflect Missiles. You have fired an arrow as part of the attack action and when the monk makes her attack the arrow does hit.

The problem with this interpretation is that it doesn't define when the first trigger ends except when the arrow hits. Without defining an end every arrow you fire would qualify for the second trigger in perpetuity. The simplest exploit with this is to get around the "as part of the Attack Action" clause. The Arcane Archer spends a couple of turns firing arrows into the air. She then collects the arrows and later, when she readies an attack, she uses them as a reaction. When they hit they satisfy the second trigger and so she uses an arcane shot option with them.

This is, however, obviously not how the feature was intended to function. It is ridiculous to imagine that any arrow that has ever been fired as a part of your attack action can trigger Arcane Shot at a later time. Here is where the "conditions" interpretation becomes relevant.

Instead of viewing "when you fire an arrow" as an instantaneous event we can think of it as a process. "When" and "While" can sometimes be used synonymously so if we interpret the sentence as "while firing an arrow" we understand that the condition must continually be satisfied for its consequences to activate.

Using this interpretation it is clear that the deflected arrow could not benefit from Arcane Shot. Once the arrow hits the monk you are no longer "firing an arrow as part of the Attack action" The fact that you previously fired that arrow is as irrelevant to the monk's attack as it would be to your readied action if you saved arrows for later.

Answer 6

Most Certainly

It works RAW

Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll.

If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction.

Since you decide when the arrow hits during the attack action and the monk's reaction happens during the fighter's attack action I see no reason that this wouldn't work RAW

Also it would be fun for everyone involved at the detriment to no one. This tactic is too situational to be abused and really it isn't even very strong to begin with. It can only be done once a turn and costs the monks reaction, a ki point, as well as holds possible injury for the monk, for the small benefit of a fighter making one attack around a corner.

So there is no reason for a DM to not allow this unless they dislike creativity and fun