Does Great Weapon Master Use a Bonus Action? A Comprehensive Guide
Yes, the Great Weapon Master (GWM) feat in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition does utilize a bonus action, but only under specific circumstances. It’s not a constant bonus action usage like some other feats. The bonus action component of GWM comes into play when you either score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon attack on your turn. In either of those situations, the feat allows you to then make one additional melee weapon attack as a bonus action. This means the bonus action isn’t always available but is a powerful option when triggered. The other major benefit of GWM – the power attack option that trades accuracy for damage – does not use a bonus action.
Understanding the Two Parts of Great Weapon Master
To fully grasp how GWM uses a bonus action, it’s essential to understand the two distinct components of this feat:
Bonus Action Attack Trigger
This is the part of GWM that involves the use of a bonus action. It activates when you achieve one of the following on your turn:
- Critical Hit: When your attack roll results in a natural 20.
- Enemy Reduction to 0 Hit Points: When your melee weapon attack brings an opponent down to zero health.
When either of these conditions is met, you gain the opportunity to use your bonus action to make one additional melee weapon attack. This is crucial because you get a free swing which can lead to more damage output, or more chances to trigger the bonus action attack again.
Power Attack Feature
This component of GWM allows you to take a -5 penalty on your attack roll in exchange for a +10 bonus to damage. This option is always available to you when making a melee weapon attack with a heavy weapon you are proficient with, but it does not require or use a bonus action. It’s part of the initial attack action. You decide whether to use it before you roll the attack and is part of the primary attack action. This means it can be used even if you’ve already used your bonus action, provided you haven’t used your action.
How the Bonus Action Attack Works
The bonus action attack granted by GWM has a few important characteristics:
- One Bonus Action: Like all bonus action abilities, you can only use one bonus action per turn. This means that if you have another bonus action you want to use, such as a spell, you have to pick between them. If you have already used your bonus action on something else, you cannot use the bonus attack from Great Weapon Master.
- Melee Weapon Requirement: The bonus action attack must be a melee attack. It cannot be a ranged attack.
- Independent Attack Roll: The bonus action attack roll is treated as a standard melee weapon attack. You apply all modifiers as usual, but the power attack component of GWM cannot be used with this bonus action attack.
- No Second Bonus Action Attack: If the bonus action attack happens to be a critical hit, or drops another creature to 0 HP, it does not trigger a new bonus action attack. This is an important distinction to prevent infinite swings.
Why Great Weapon Master is Powerful
The bonus action attack is a huge component of why Great Weapon Master is so potent. It allows players to potentially deal extra damage on their turn. While it doesn’t happen every round, it’s a reliable method to maximize damage when you are landing hits. Coupled with the power attack feature, it creates a damage ceiling.
- Damage Increase: When you use the bonus attack, it’s often another opportunity to land the higher damage from using the power attack from Great Weapon Master, or even to crit!
- Synergy: This bonus action attack can have great synergy with other feats and class abilities.
Great Weapon Master is Not Always Active
It’s essential to note that while GWM is very potent, it isn’t always actively granting a benefit. The bonus action attack is only usable in specific circumstances. Players have to focus on making those attacks land to have this bonus opportunity, this encourages taking risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions regarding Great Weapon Master and bonus actions:
1. Does Great Weapon Master always use a bonus action?
No. The bonus action component of GWM is only triggered when you score a critical hit or reduce an enemy to 0 hit points with a melee weapon attack. The power attack option doesn’t use a bonus action, it’s part of your attack action.
2. Can you use the bonus attack more than once per turn with GWM?
No. You can only make one bonus action attack per turn, even if you score multiple critical hits or reduce multiple enemies to 0 hit points. The bonus action is used once.
3. Does the bonus action attack from GWM use the -5/+10 power attack feature?
No, the bonus action attack doesn’t use the power attack feature. It’s just a regular melee attack. You roll to hit normally and your damage is your weapon damage.
4. Can you use other bonus actions on your turn if you use the GWM bonus attack?
No. You can only take one bonus action per turn. If you use the bonus action from GWM, you cannot perform any other bonus action that turn.
5. Can I use the bonus attack with a ranged weapon?
No. The bonus action attack granted by GWM is explicitly for melee weapons only.
6. What happens if my bonus action attack critically hits or drops another enemy?
The bonus action attack will not trigger another bonus action attack. Once you have triggered the bonus action attack you can’t trigger another one from that attack.
7. Does Great Weapon Master work with versatile weapons?
Yes. GWM works with versatile weapons (like a longsword or warhammer) when they are wielded with two hands, as they are considered melee weapons at that time.
8. Does the damage bonus from GWM double on a critical hit?
No. Only the damage dice of your weapon are doubled on a critical hit. The +10 damage from the power attack of GWM is a flat bonus and not a die, and thus, it doesn’t double.
9. Can the power attack part of GWM be toggled on and off?
Yes, usually, in online virtual tabletops or video games, you can toggle the power attack part of GWM on and off, but this isn’t a core rule and some DMs may not allow it. In standard play, you declare before the roll whether you will take the minus 5 penalty.
10. Does Great Weapon Master work with polearms?
Yes, the heavy polearms like the glaive and halberd can be used with GWM, and also polearm master (PAM) together. This can make a powerful character.
11. Does Great Weapon Fighting apply to the damage from a GWM-attack?
No. Great Weapon Fighting lets you reroll 1s and 2s on damage dice. The +10 damage from GWM isn’t from dice so this ability wouldn’t apply to it.
12. Does Great Weapon Master work with a lance?
No. Lances do not have the Heavy property and do not benefit from the power attack element of GWM. However, a lance does work with the bonus action attack if you critically hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points using it.
13. What is the difference between the bonus attack from GWM and a two-weapon fighting bonus attack?
The bonus action attack from GWM is triggered by a critical hit or a kill. The two-weapon fighting bonus action is available if you wield two light weapons but adds no damage modifiers and has other limitations.
14. Can you use Action Surge with Great Weapon Master?
Yes. If a fighter class uses action surge, then they can take another action, and then if that action lands a critical or brings a monster to zero HP, then they can make another attack with their bonus action. They can’t, however, use more than one bonus action per turn.
15. Is Great Weapon Master overpowered?
Great Weapon Master is considered a very powerful feat, but it isn’t game breaking. It requires a tactical approach with a consideration to the risk of -5 hit chance for +10 damage. If a player manages to consistently get advantages, the -5 chance doesn’t matter as much.
Conclusion
The Great Weapon Master feat is a powerful tool for melee combat characters, providing both a risk/reward power attack option and the potential for a bonus action attack when you score a critical hit or defeat a foe. Understanding how the bonus action component works is crucial to utilizing GWM effectively and maximizing your damage output.