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Unleashing the Fury: Great Weapon Master and Multiple Attacks in D&D 5e

Yes, you can use Great Weapon Master (GWM) on multiple attacks in D&D 5e, within certain limitations. The feat itself provides two distinct benefits, and understanding how each interacts with multiple attacks is key to maximizing its potential. The first benefit is the ability to take a -5 penalty on your attack roll for a +10 bonus to damage. You can choose to apply this to each attack you make with a heavy weapon that you’re proficient with. The second benefit allows you to make a bonus action attack if you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack. This bonus action attack can only be used once per turn, regardless of how many creatures you slay or critical hits you score.

Understanding Great Weapon Master

Great Weapon Master is arguably one of the most potent feats available to martial characters in D&D 5e. It rewards aggressive play and offers a significant damage boost, especially at higher levels when accuracy becomes less of a concern. Let’s break down the two core components of this feat.

The Power Attack: Risk vs. Reward

The first part of GWM allows you to take a -5 penalty to your attack roll to gain a +10 bonus to damage. This is a significant trade-off, and whether it’s worth it depends on several factors:

Your Attack Bonus: A high attack bonus (from Strength, proficiency, magical weapons, etc.) makes the -5 penalty less impactful.
Enemy Armor Class (AC): Lower AC enemies are easier to hit, making the penalty less risky.
Advantage: Having advantage on your attack roll greatly mitigates the penalty. Advantage effectively gives you two chances to hit, increasing the likelihood of success even with the -5.
Party Support: Bless, bardic inspiration, or other buffs that increase your attack rolls can make the Power Attack much more reliable.

You can choose whether to use this Power Attack before each attack roll. This means you could use it on your first attack, see if it hits, and then decide whether to use it on your second attack, based on the situation. This flexibility is a major strength of the feat.

The Bonus Action Attack: Slaying and Critting

The second part of GWM grants you a bonus action attack if you either reduce a creature to 0 hit points or score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack. This is a fantastic way to capitalize on your damage output and potentially take down multiple enemies in a single turn.

However, remember the crucial limitation: you can only use one bonus action per turn. If you have another ability that requires a bonus action, you’ll have to choose which one to use. Also, if you trigger the bonus action attack multiple times in a turn (for example, by killing two enemies with your main attacks), you only get one bonus action attack.

Optimizing Great Weapon Master

To get the most out of Great Weapon Master, consider these strategies:

Increase Your Accuracy: Feats like Lucky or abilities that grant advantage (such as the Reckless Attack feature of the Barbarian) can help you overcome the -5 penalty to hit.
Party Synergy: Work with your party members to coordinate buffs and debuffs. A well-placed Bless or a debuff on the enemy’s AC can significantly increase your chances of hitting with the Power Attack.
Choose Your Targets Wisely: Focus on weaker enemies first to trigger the bonus action attack, allowing you to snowball and take down multiple foes.
Consider your Weapon: Although the article mentions scythes, greatswords and mauls are generally favored for their 2d6 damage dice, which benefits slightly from the Great Weapon Fighting Style.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Great Weapon Master

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of Great Weapon Master:

Does Great Weapon Fighting apply to all damage? No, Great Weapon Fighting only applies to the damage dice rolled for melee weapon attacks made with heavy weapons. It allows you to reroll damage dice that roll a 1 or 2, but you must use the new roll. This doesn’t apply to static damage bonuses like the +10 from GWM’s Power Attack or your Strength modifier.
What exactly is the Great Weapon Master bonus attack? If you kill a target or land a Critical Hit with a melee weapon attack using a heavy weapon, you can use a Bonus Action to make another melee weapon attack with a heavy weapon.
Does Great Weapon Master apply to versatile weapons? Yes, the “Power Attack” portion of Great Weapon Master works with versatile weapons when they are wielded with two hands, as long as they are heavy. This includes longswords and warhammers. The Great Weapon Master feat can be used with versatile weapons used with two hands because they are still considered melee weapons you are proficient with, and that have the heavy property when wielded two handed.
Is Great Weapon Master worth it at higher levels? Absolutely! As enemy AC doesn’t scale dramatically with levels, the -5 to hit for +10 damage becomes increasingly advantageous. At higher levels, characters often have access to abilities and items that further increase their accuracy, making the Power Attack a consistently reliable damage boost.
Does GWM damage double on a crit? No, only the weapon’s damage dice are doubled on a critical hit. The +10 damage from Great Weapon Master’s Power Attack is not doubled, as it is a static bonus, not a damage die.
What is the Great Weapon Master advantage, specifically? Great Weapon Master itself doesn’t grant advantage. However, having advantage on your attack rolls significantly mitigates the -5 penalty from the Power Attack, making it much more likely to hit.
Does a longsword count for Great Weapon Master? Yes, a longsword can be used with the Power Attack portion of Great Weapon Master, as long as you wield it with two hands.
How much damage does Great Weapon Master actually add? The Power Attack adds a flat +10 damage to the attack. Whether or not it is worth it, is based on your current level and the enemy’s armor class.
Does Great Weapon Master require a bonus action for the Power Attack? No, the Power Attack (the -5 to hit for +10 damage) doesn’t require an action or bonus action. You simply declare that you are using it before you roll the attack. The bonus action is only required for the extra attack you get after a kill or a critical hit.
Can you use Great Weapon Master on an opportunity attack? Yes, you can use the Power Attack portion of Great Weapon Master on an opportunity attack, as long as you are using a heavy melee weapon.
Is Great Weapon Fighting better with a greatsword or greataxe? Greatswords are generally favored because they use 2d6 for damage, which benefits slightly more from the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style.
What type of damage is Great Weapon Master? The +10 damage from the Power Attack is simply extra damage of the same type as the weapon’s normal damage (e.g., slashing for a greatsword, bludgeoning for a maul).
Does Great Weapon Master work with a greatsword? Yes, Great Weapon Master works very well with a greatsword, as it is a heavy weapon.
How do I toggle Great Weapon Master on and off in digital play environments? In many digital platforms, you can usually disable or toggle the Power Attack portion of Great Weapon Master by managing the feat’s passive effects in your character sheet or by dragging the passive to the hotbar.
Does Great Weapon Master work with a Maul? Yes, Great Weapon Master works exceptionally well with a Maul. As it’s a heavy weapon that utilizes 2d6 for damage.

Final Thoughts

Great Weapon Master is a powerful feat that can significantly enhance the damage output of martial characters in D&D 5e. By understanding how the feat works and optimizing your build and tactics accordingly, you can unleash its full potential and become a formidable force on the battlefield. Remember to carefully consider the trade-offs involved and to work with your party to maximize your chances of success. For more on gaming and education, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Can you use great weapon master on multiple attacks?