I understand Flame Blade cannot be used with Extra Attack, but if a Druid has the Flame Blade in her hand can she use it to make an Attack of Opportunity?
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Rules as Written, No
Flame Blade has a specific action that uses a melee spell attack. It is not an attack action. An attack of opportunity only requires a melee attack, not the attack action, so that does not immediately disqualify it.
What disqualifies it is that the spell specifically requires an action to use (a reaction is not an action). The blade is not literally a weapon, and so it cant be used for multi-attack or opportunity attacks. It specifically requires an action to make a melee spell attack. The reasoning might be that it requires some mental ability to concentrate the blade or to hold on to, but you're not using your physicality to wield it. Whatever the reasoning, it was not designed to be used exactly as a weapon is used.
Jeremy Crawford also agrees
The intent is no.
It should be noted that you can make opportunity attacks with other weapons, provided you meet the circumstances for that to occur. Wielding the flame blade does not prevent you from making AoO, you just can't make them with the flame blade.
Obviously, if your DM allows it, there's no logical in-world reason why you couldn't take a swing with it. However, 3d6 fire damage is a pretty powerful opportunity attack.
answered May 25, 2016 at 20:21
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\$\begingroup\$ The Sage Advice Compendium gives an example of the Banshee, that has a listed Action of Corrupting Touch which makes a "melee spell attack" that can be used as an opportunity attack. If the druid has the Flame bBlade already in hand, and the Banshee is allowed to use a melee spell attack from an action as an AoO reaction, why not the PC? \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 25, 2016 at 23:00
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2\$\begingroup\$ @keithcurtis if I had to guess, it'd be by virtue of the fact that it's not a PC. A lot of monsters have weapons that deal more damage than they do in the hands of a PC and they have actions and abilities that PC's do not have access to. Furthermore, monsters are balanced specifically by what they can do. Their actions and abilities are built into their CR, in the same way their health and AC are. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 25, 2016 at 23:17
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2\$\begingroup\$ It seems to build down to a semantic use of the terms "use action to make an attack" granted by the spell and "use reaction to make an attack" granted by the AoO rules. It would seem that specific beats general and that you could not do it, but I think I'd feel like a pretty stingy DM to disallow it. :) \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 26, 2016 at 1:56
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1\$\begingroup\$ I agree with the RAW conclusion. However, purely in terms of the last statement regarding a powerful opportunity attack, rogues have much stronger opportunity attacks, considering their sneak attack probably applies (depending on if the sneak attack conditions are met). Also, a creature can always choose not to allow itself to be opportunity attacked, which would be sort of obvious if the creature threatening you is wielding a flaming blade. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 26, 2021 at 19:28