Can you make a bonus-action attack from Two-Weapon Fighting before you take your action?

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The rules on Two-Weapon Fighting state:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in the other hand.
However, the description of bonus actions states:
You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus actionâÂÂs timing is specified
So, can you attack with your bonus action first?
dnd-5e actions attack two-weapon-fighting
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up vote
4
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favorite
The rules on Two-Weapon Fighting state:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in the other hand.
However, the description of bonus actions states:
You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus actionâÂÂs timing is specified
So, can you attack with your bonus action first?
dnd-5e actions attack two-weapon-fighting
Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
The rules on Two-Weapon Fighting state:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in the other hand.
However, the description of bonus actions states:
You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus actionâÂÂs timing is specified
So, can you attack with your bonus action first?
dnd-5e actions attack two-weapon-fighting
The rules on Two-Weapon Fighting state:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that youâÂÂre holding in the other hand.
However, the description of bonus actions states:
You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus actionâÂÂs timing is specified
So, can you attack with your bonus action first?
dnd-5e actions attack two-weapon-fighting
dnd-5e actions attack two-weapon-fighting
edited Sep 7 at 22:53
asked Sep 7 at 18:47
MrHiTech
646121
646121
Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
add a comment |Â
Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
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up vote
19
down vote
accepted
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action, because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action (in which you attack with a one-handed light weapon), because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
Jeremy Crawford addresses this on Twitter here (prompted by the wording of the Shield Master feat):
Clarification about bonus actions: if a feature says you can do X as a bonus action if you do Y, you must do Y before you can do X. For Shield Master, that means the bonus action must come after the Attack action. You decide when it happens afterward that turn.
This contradicts a previous ruling by him via Twitter, in which he stated that, "As with most bonus actions, you choose the timing, so the Shield Master shove can come before or after the Attack action." Crawford acknowledges this change here:
In 2017, I changed the ruling on bonus action timing because the old ruling was illogical. The original ruling failed to account for the fact that X relying on Y is a form of timing. The new ruling corrects that oversight.
And further explains his reasoning here:
The old ruling on bonus action timing didn't quiet questions on that timing. Instead, the illogical ruling fueled questions, and it even inadvertently led some fans to think our choice of words like "if" or "when" had super-precise meanings in bonus actions. They don't.
As you quote, the Two-Weapon Fighting rule says:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
The bonus-action attack is conditional upon you using the Attack action and attacking with a qualifying weapon. As such, you can't use your bonus-action attack before you've taken the action that qualifies you for it.
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Note that 'Attack' doesn't require you to use the same hand each time. If you want to use the other weapon first, just use that hand for your Attack action and the other for your Bonus action. This works for your example of two simple martial weapons. In the Shield Master example, you'd still need to attack first.
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
19
down vote
accepted
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action, because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action (in which you attack with a one-handed light weapon), because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
Jeremy Crawford addresses this on Twitter here (prompted by the wording of the Shield Master feat):
Clarification about bonus actions: if a feature says you can do X as a bonus action if you do Y, you must do Y before you can do X. For Shield Master, that means the bonus action must come after the Attack action. You decide when it happens afterward that turn.
This contradicts a previous ruling by him via Twitter, in which he stated that, "As with most bonus actions, you choose the timing, so the Shield Master shove can come before or after the Attack action." Crawford acknowledges this change here:
In 2017, I changed the ruling on bonus action timing because the old ruling was illogical. The original ruling failed to account for the fact that X relying on Y is a form of timing. The new ruling corrects that oversight.
And further explains his reasoning here:
The old ruling on bonus action timing didn't quiet questions on that timing. Instead, the illogical ruling fueled questions, and it even inadvertently led some fans to think our choice of words like "if" or "when" had super-precise meanings in bonus actions. They don't.
As you quote, the Two-Weapon Fighting rule says:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
The bonus-action attack is conditional upon you using the Attack action and attacking with a qualifying weapon. As such, you can't use your bonus-action attack before you've taken the action that qualifies you for it.
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
accepted
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action, because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action (in which you attack with a one-handed light weapon), because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
Jeremy Crawford addresses this on Twitter here (prompted by the wording of the Shield Master feat):
Clarification about bonus actions: if a feature says you can do X as a bonus action if you do Y, you must do Y before you can do X. For Shield Master, that means the bonus action must come after the Attack action. You decide when it happens afterward that turn.
This contradicts a previous ruling by him via Twitter, in which he stated that, "As with most bonus actions, you choose the timing, so the Shield Master shove can come before or after the Attack action." Crawford acknowledges this change here:
In 2017, I changed the ruling on bonus action timing because the old ruling was illogical. The original ruling failed to account for the fact that X relying on Y is a form of timing. The new ruling corrects that oversight.
And further explains his reasoning here:
The old ruling on bonus action timing didn't quiet questions on that timing. Instead, the illogical ruling fueled questions, and it even inadvertently led some fans to think our choice of words like "if" or "when" had super-precise meanings in bonus actions. They don't.
As you quote, the Two-Weapon Fighting rule says:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
The bonus-action attack is conditional upon you using the Attack action and attacking with a qualifying weapon. As such, you can't use your bonus-action attack before you've taken the action that qualifies you for it.
add a comment |Â
up vote
19
down vote
accepted
up vote
19
down vote
accepted
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action, because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action (in which you attack with a one-handed light weapon), because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
Jeremy Crawford addresses this on Twitter here (prompted by the wording of the Shield Master feat):
Clarification about bonus actions: if a feature says you can do X as a bonus action if you do Y, you must do Y before you can do X. For Shield Master, that means the bonus action must come after the Attack action. You decide when it happens afterward that turn.
This contradicts a previous ruling by him via Twitter, in which he stated that, "As with most bonus actions, you choose the timing, so the Shield Master shove can come before or after the Attack action." Crawford acknowledges this change here:
In 2017, I changed the ruling on bonus action timing because the old ruling was illogical. The original ruling failed to account for the fact that X relying on Y is a form of timing. The new ruling corrects that oversight.
And further explains his reasoning here:
The old ruling on bonus action timing didn't quiet questions on that timing. Instead, the illogical ruling fueled questions, and it even inadvertently led some fans to think our choice of words like "if" or "when" had super-precise meanings in bonus actions. They don't.
As you quote, the Two-Weapon Fighting rule says:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
The bonus-action attack is conditional upon you using the Attack action and attacking with a qualifying weapon. As such, you can't use your bonus-action attack before you've taken the action that qualifies you for it.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action, because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
You can't take the bonus-action attack before the Attack action (in which you attack with a one-handed light weapon), because the bonus-action attack is conditional upon you taking that action.
Jeremy Crawford addresses this on Twitter here (prompted by the wording of the Shield Master feat):
Clarification about bonus actions: if a feature says you can do X as a bonus action if you do Y, you must do Y before you can do X. For Shield Master, that means the bonus action must come after the Attack action. You decide when it happens afterward that turn.
This contradicts a previous ruling by him via Twitter, in which he stated that, "As with most bonus actions, you choose the timing, so the Shield Master shove can come before or after the Attack action." Crawford acknowledges this change here:
In 2017, I changed the ruling on bonus action timing because the old ruling was illogical. The original ruling failed to account for the fact that X relying on Y is a form of timing. The new ruling corrects that oversight.
And further explains his reasoning here:
The old ruling on bonus action timing didn't quiet questions on that timing. Instead, the illogical ruling fueled questions, and it even inadvertently led some fans to think our choice of words like "if" or "when" had super-precise meanings in bonus actions. They don't.
As you quote, the Two-Weapon Fighting rule says:
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.
The bonus-action attack is conditional upon you using the Attack action and attacking with a qualifying weapon. As such, you can't use your bonus-action attack before you've taken the action that qualifies you for it.
answered Sep 7 at 19:02
V2Blast
15.5k235101
15.5k235101
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up vote
0
down vote
Note that 'Attack' doesn't require you to use the same hand each time. If you want to use the other weapon first, just use that hand for your Attack action and the other for your Bonus action. This works for your example of two simple martial weapons. In the Shield Master example, you'd still need to attack first.
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Note that 'Attack' doesn't require you to use the same hand each time. If you want to use the other weapon first, just use that hand for your Attack action and the other for your Bonus action. This works for your example of two simple martial weapons. In the Shield Master example, you'd still need to attack first.
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Note that 'Attack' doesn't require you to use the same hand each time. If you want to use the other weapon first, just use that hand for your Attack action and the other for your Bonus action. This works for your example of two simple martial weapons. In the Shield Master example, you'd still need to attack first.
Note that 'Attack' doesn't require you to use the same hand each time. If you want to use the other weapon first, just use that hand for your Attack action and the other for your Bonus action. This works for your example of two simple martial weapons. In the Shield Master example, you'd still need to attack first.
answered Sep 13 at 20:19
MarkTO
1496
1496
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
add a comment |Â
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Yes, but then IâÂÂd have to add my modifier to the 1st attack, rather than the second attack unless I had two weapon fighting.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:51
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
Welcome to the site. Take the tour. This should be a comment. Answers are exclusively for answering the original question.
â MrHiTech
Sep 13 at 22:55
add a comment |Â
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Related: Bonus action before Action for Crossbow Expert?, Shield Master - Can the shield push be taken before an attack?, Can an Eldritch Knight use the bonus-action attack granted by War Magic before casting the spell as an action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59
One more: Can I use a bonus action before my action?
â V2Blast
Sep 7 at 18:59