The Shove Action in DnD 5E: How & When to Push for Advantage

Shove action is a term used in Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition to describe an attack action that costs 5 feet of movement and can shove an opponent.

Shove Action in DnD 5E

This blog post talks about the different effects that shove have on opponents depending on their size, what they are being shoved into, and whether or not they pass the shove’s saving throw.

What causes Shove Action in DnD 5E?

The shove action basically only exists because other player characters (PCs) kept hitting each other with their little tiny tiny arms when it was time for melee combat. As a result, this attack was invented for PCs who can’t move 10 feet within an opponent’s reach to hit them with anything else.

Different Effects of Shoves

A Shove Action in DnD 5E can have different effects on opponents depending on their size. They are being shoved into, and whether or not they pass the shove’s saving throw. These different effects include: sliding through squares adjacent to the attacker until reaching an empty square.

The moving distance is equal to half of the attacker’s speed directly away from the attacker. And being moved at a distance equal to half of the attacker’s speed in a direction chosen by the attacker. If an opponent is shoved into a wall that does not have sufficient space for them to enter, they take damage as normal for the collision but are not considered to be grappled by that wall.

Ranged Shoves

If an attack with a range of 30 feet is made on an opponent that is within that range, they are considered to be shoved as if they were in melee with the attacker. The attacker may choose to force their target in one of the ways. Through squares adjacent to them until they reach an empty square. This way makes it possible for them to move to a location where they can continue combat as desired.

Two-Weapon Shove

This is a special type of shove that is only possible with the use of two weapons. Using a two-weapon shove attack counts as an attack for both weapons if the attacker uses two hands to wield them, or as a single attack if the attacker uses one hand to wield them. This move can cause opponents to be shoved in any direction chosen by the attacker, including straight into walls. Though due to the potential for damage from this, this may not be their desired action. Opponents who make their saving throw take normal shove damage and are not forced into solid objects but those who fail their save take double shove damage and are forced into that object.

Final Verdict

Two-weapon Shoves in DnD 5E are even more effective with a feat like Great Weapon Master. Make sure to put that into your character build. There are times when you need to push a target 5 feet in a specific direction and you’re wondering if you can Shove a creature. Shove always directs the object away from you. Some DMs may allow you to shove a target sideways, but the rules for Shove in the Player’s Handbook do not support this. It’s a great place for your DnD game!

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