Does Wrath of the Storm end the Sanctuary spell?

Question

The Sanctuary spell states:

If the warded creature makes an attack or casts a spell that affects an enemy creature, this spell ends.

Wrath of the Storm (a Tempest Cleric feature) allows the cleric to rebuke and damage an enemy that hits it (assuming of course the enemy passed its saving throw to make an attack in the first place). This feature doesn't seem to qualify as an attack or spell.

So would use of the feature end the spell?

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This answer to a related question suggests that: RAW, the answer might be no. But RAI, it would be yes. Is there a better clarification, or something else I've missed?

Answer 1

Based on the 2018 errata, the answer is "yes."

The old final sentence of the spell, which you quoted in your question, was modified in the 2018 Player's Handbook errata. The final sentence is now as follows (emphasis mine):

If the warded creature makes an attack, casts a spell that affects an enemy, or deals damage to another creature, this spell ends.

Thus Wrath of the Storm would end sanctuary, as would any other means of dealing damage, even a means that is technically not an attack or a spell.

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The following was the answer prior to the 2018 errata. I've preserved it for historical context, but it is obsoleted by the answer above.

Rules-as-written is no because Wrath of the Storm is not an attack or a cast spell and therefore does not meet the conditions necessary to end the spell.

Rules-as-intended is yes because "a damaging activity ends the spell" according to Jeremy Crawford (emphasis mine). Crawford's use of the word "activity" is telling. It implies that the design intent is that any damaging activity on the part of the Sanctuary-warded creature ends the spell regardless of the particular mechanical category of that activity. (This is consistent with Crawford's design intent that rules, and by implication rulings-as-intended, be read in idiomatic English.)

Since such a conflict between rules-as-written and rules-as-intended may be fixed in errata or a future edition as indicated by Crawford, it is probably most future-proof to go with the yes ruling.

Answer 2

As of the 2018 errata, the sanctuary spell ends if the warded creature deals any damage to another creature

The sanctuary spell description now reads:

If the warded creature makes an attack, casts a spell that affects an enemy, or deals damage to another creature, this spell ends.

The bolded portion was added in the 2018 PHB errata. If the warded creature deals any damage to another creature, the spell ends.

The Tempest Domain cleric's Wrath of the Storm feature description says:

Also at 1st level, you can thunderously rebuke attackers. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d8 lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one.

Thus, if you are warded with sanctuary, and you use Wrath of the Storm to deal damage to an enemy creature, the sanctuary spell ends.