Booming Blade & Bonus Actions: Can You Stack the Damage?
Yes, you can potentially use a bonus action attack after casting Booming Blade, but it is highly conditional and depends entirely on your character’s class features, feats, and equipment. Booming Blade requires the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action, and it only permits one melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of you. However, if you have a class feature that grants you a bonus action attack after taking the Attack action, and if Booming Blade triggers that feature, then you can indeed make that bonus action attack.
The Nuances of Booming Blade & Bonus Actions
The heart of the matter lies in understanding the specific triggers for bonus action attacks in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e). Most bonus action attacks are explicitly linked to taking the Attack action, which Booming Blade does not utilize directly. Instead, Booming Blade is a cantrip cast with the Cast a Spell action, it only permits one melee weapon attack.
Two-Weapon Fighting: A Classic Example
The most common example of a bonus action attack is Two-Weapon Fighting. This rule states that 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. Since Booming Blade uses the Cast a Spell action and not the Attack action, you can not use Two-Weapon Fighting after casting it.
Bladesinger Wizard: An Exception to the Rule
The Bladesinger Wizard subclass has a unique feature that changes this dynamic. Their Extra Attack feature allows them to replace one of their attacks from the Attack action with a cantrip like Booming Blade. If a Bladesinger uses the Attack Action and replaces one of their attacks with a casting of Booming Blade, they could then potentially use Two-Weapon Fighting if wielding two light melee weapons, granting them a bonus action attack.
Class Features and Feats: The Key to Combination
Other classes, like the Barbarian and Ranger, gain access to bonus action attacks through specific class features. A Barbarian in a frenzy can make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action on each of their turns. A Ranger can use the Hide action as a bonus action. The potential to combine Booming Blade with such features hinges on whether the action economy and trigger conditions align favorably. This demonstrates the complexities of character building and how understanding the rules impacts tactical decisions in D&D 5e, something frequently explored by the Games Learning Society, an organization dedicated to game-based learning.
FAQs: Booming Blade and Bonus Actions
Let’s delve deeper with some Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Does Booming Blade trigger bonus action features that require the Attack action?
No, Booming Blade does not directly trigger features that require you to take the Attack action, because it uses the Cast a Spell action. The exception is if a feature, like the Bladesinger Wizard’s Extra Attack, allows you to substitute an Attack action attack for a cantrip.
2. Can I use Polearm Master’s bonus action attack after casting Booming Blade?
No. The Polearm Master feat lets you use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the other end of your polearm when you use the Attack action. Since Booming Blade requires the Cast a Spell action, you don’t qualify for the Polearm Master bonus action attack.
3. If I have Action Surge, can I cast Booming Blade and then make a bonus action attack?
Action Surge grants you an additional action. You could use one action to cast Booming Blade and the other to take the Attack action. If the Attack action then meets the conditions for a bonus action attack (like Two-Weapon Fighting), you could make that bonus action attack.
4. Can a Rogue use Cunning Action (Hide) after casting Booming Blade?
Yes. Cunning Action allows a Rogue to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action. Since casting Booming Blade doesn’t interfere with using bonus actions, a Rogue can cast Booming Blade and then use Cunning Action to Hide, Disengage, or Dash away.
5. Does Booming Blade work with Great Weapon Master’s bonus action attack on a critical hit?
No, the Great Weapon Master feat gives you a bonus action attack if you take the Attack action on your turn and score a critical hit. Since Booming Blade requires the Cast a Spell action, it cannot be combined with Great Weapon Master’s bonus action attack.
6. Can I use Shield Master’s bonus action shove after casting Booming Blade?
No. Shield Master says that if you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield. Since Booming Blade requires the Cast a Spell action, you can’t use Shield Master’s bonus action to shove.
7. Does the War Caster feat allow me to Booming Blade as a bonus action?
No. War Caster allows you to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action as a reaction. This is different from a bonus action and also doesn’t work unless someone provokes an opportunity attack from you.
8. Can I use a Quicken Spell Metamagic to cast Booming Blade as a bonus action, then attack?
Yes, sorcerers can use Quicken Spell to cast Booming Blade as a bonus action. However, if you do cast a spell as a bonus action, you can only use your action to cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.
9. Does Booming Blade benefit from Extra Attack features?
Generally, no. Booming Blade is a spell that utilizes the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action. Most Extra Attack features only apply when you take the Attack action, as mentioned before with the Bladesinger Wizard.
10. If I cast Booming Blade with my action, can I then use Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus action?
No, you can’t use two weapon fighting because Booming Blade requires the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action.
11. Can I use Booming Blade with a ranged weapon as a bonus action?
No. Booming Blade is a melee spell. It requires a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp.
12. Can I use booming blade with a monk’s martial arts bonus attack?
No, since the Martial Arts bonus action attack requires you to take the Attack action. Booming Blade is a spell requiring the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action.
13. If I hit with booming blade on my action, can I use my bonus action to cast another spell like Healing Word?
Yes, you are free to cast any spell with a bonus action and then use your action to cast the booming blade cantrip as long as the spell you cast as your action is a cantrip if the bonus action you used was also to cast a spell.
14. Does haste let me cast booming blade as a bonus action?
No. Haste grants you an extra action on each of your turns that can be used for a lot of things, but casting a spell like Booming Blade is not one of them. Haste also says that action can only be used to Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object.
15. Can I cast booming blade on my action and then use my bonus action to rage as a barbarian?
Yes. Casting booming blade with your action does not interfere with using your bonus action to rage as a barbarian.
The Verdict: Strategic Synergy is Key
Ultimately, combining Booming Blade with bonus action attacks demands careful consideration of class features, feats, and the specific action economy of D&D 5e. While a direct link is rare, certain character builds can creatively leverage these mechanics for powerful and synergistic combat tactics. Understanding these nuances can significantly enhance your gameplay experience and open up exciting character optimization possibilities.