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Spell Sniper says:

When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell’s range is doubled.

Can I apply that to the part of Storm Sphere that says:

Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to cause a bolt of lightning to leap from the center of the sphere toward one creature you choose within 60 feet of the center. Make a ranged spell attack. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is in the sphere. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 lightning damage.

The spell itself does not require the caster to make an attack roll. But there is the option to make a spell attack. I'm not sure if the Spell Sniper feat could be applied here.

Would the lightning attacks of the Storm Sphere benefit from the Spell Sniper feat?

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    \$\begingroup\$ I have edited your question a bit. For future reference, it is better to only quote the parts of the material that you need for your question (and any needed context) because it makes your question easier to read by far and thus easier to answer. Anyone answering your question will have access to the full thing regardless. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rubiksmoose
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 13:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ Does this answer your question? Which spells benefit from the Spell Sniper feat? \$\endgroup\$
    – AncientSwordRage
    Commented Jul 22, 2020 at 15:27

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Storm Sphere wouldn't benefit from the range increase provided by Spell Sniper.

Spell Sniper's first dot point specifically states:

When you cast a spell...

The lightning bolt that leaps from the center of the sphere and the subsequent attack roll is an effect that happens after the spell has already been cast and thus does not gain the double range benefit of Spell Sniper.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Minor correction: It wouldn't benefit from the range increase, but Spell Sniper's second effect should still apply, right? \$\endgroup\$
    – Ruther Rendommeleigh
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 12:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ The second bullet for the feat only talks about ranged spell attacks, so it should still apply even though the first bullet does not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nick Brown
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 19:21
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No

If we break down the instruction in the Feat, I'd conclude that it won't work:

  • When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell’s range is doubled.

Making a spell attack as a bonus action is not using the "Cast a spell" action, so the extra spell attacks wouldn't count. And the stated spell does not require you to make an attack roll, it merely has some additional effects that do.

During the actual casting (which is what brings forth the sphere) no attack rolls are made, so you can't benefit from spell sniper there.

After the spell is available, you are making attack rolls but they're not coming from the "cast a spell" action, so you can't benefit from spell sniper there either.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Do note that "casting a spell" and "using the 'Cast a spell'" action are two entirely different things. It just so happens that in this case they coincide, but that's not necessarily true (e.g. casting a spell through innate spellcasting). \$\endgroup\$
    – Olorin
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 15:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Or casting a spell via a magic item. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nick Brown
    Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 19:20

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