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I know the spell Thorn Whip has a range of 30' but is considered a melee spell attack. It gives the ability to choose to pull a creature up to 10' closer to you.

If the enemy is 5' from you and you cast thorn whip can you pull the creature into your space or past you? Does the pull effect do nothing?

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You can pull the creature into your space, but you cannot move a hostile creature past you.

In the PHB on page 191, under Creature Size: Space:

A creature's space is the area in feet that it effectively controls in combat, not an expression of its physical dimensions.

So there's nothing in RAW that would prevent you from pulling the opponent into your space. You have control over the 5-foot space, to do with as you will. However, like @GcL said below, you may run into issues with this part on the same page:

Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can't willingly end your move In its space.

This is a little up in the air to me... You're technically not ending your move, you're using an action to bring the creature into your space. It's also unclear if that's the creature's space now or not. After all, you were there first.

As far as moving it past you, on the same page:

You can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you.

This pertains to a creature moving on their own, however, so this ruling may be up to the DM.

Also, like you said in your post, it says closer to you, not towards you. That makes me think that it cannot move past, since that would no longer be moving it closer. That may be nit-picking, though.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to our stack and please take our tour! You don't need to signal edits and instead should just update your answer with it in it's final form. The edit history is a way for other users to see how something has changed, but the final answer should contain your logic and support fully. \$\endgroup\$
    – NautArch
    Dec 9, 2019 at 19:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ The space rule talks about being surrounded, not specifically about occupying the same space. A 5 foot radius nearly 80 square feet. On a square grid, there are 9 squares in range (the one in the middle and 8 surrounding). The rule that might have bearing on pulling a creature into your space or square would be: "Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can't willingly end your move in its space." The target isn't willingly ending it's move there, but the caster is if they have any movement remaining. \$\endgroup\$
    – GcL
    Dec 9, 2019 at 19:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ If you were huge or bigger you'd have space inside you to keep pulling the opponent into even after they entered you. May be worth a mention. \$\endgroup\$
    – Please stop being evil
    Dec 9, 2019 at 20:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ @GcL you're right, I misread that. I'll fix it and do more reading when I have time. \$\endgroup\$
    – TheLittlePeace
    Dec 9, 2019 at 20:54

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