How Many Bonus Actions Do You Get in D&D 5e?
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The short, definitive answer is: you get one bonus action per turn in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e). This is a core rule of the game, and regardless of your class, race, or specific abilities, this remains a constant. However, the nuances surrounding bonus actions often lead to confusion, as the ability to use one depends on a variety of factors. This article will delve deep into the mechanics of bonus actions, providing a comprehensive guide to how they work, when you can use them, and answering frequent questions players have about them.
Understanding the Basics of Bonus Actions
In D&D 5e, your turn is typically composed of several elements: Movement, an Action, a Bonus Action, a Reaction, and an Item Interaction. While all characters have access to movement, an action, and a reaction on their turns, bonus actions require specific features, spells, or abilities to trigger. It’s crucial to understand that simply having a bonus action option doesn’t mean you automatically have a bonus action to use each turn. You must have a specific ability that allows you to perform a certain action as a bonus action.
The “One Bonus Action” Rule
The most important rule is that you can only take one bonus action on your turn. If you have multiple abilities that allow you to perform various actions as bonus actions, you must choose which one to use. There are no ways in the core rules to gain an additional bonus action per turn. Even the powerful Haste spell doesn’t grant an additional bonus action; it provides an extra action. This limitation adds a strategic element to the game, forcing players to carefully consider how to best utilize their available options.
Triggering a Bonus Action
Unlike actions, which are often straightforward (such as attacking or casting a spell), bonus actions require a specific trigger. These triggers can include:
- Class Abilities: Many classes, like Rogues with Cunning Action or Monks with Flurry of Blows, have inherent features that grant bonus action options.
- Spells: Certain spells, such as Healing Word or Misty Step, are cast using a bonus action.
- Feats: Some feats may grant abilities that can be used as bonus actions.
- Magic Items: Specific magic items might allow you to perform actions as a bonus action.
Without one of these triggers, you do not have a bonus action to take. It is not a default action that every character automatically possesses every turn. This concept is very important to understanding the action economy of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bonus Actions
To further clarify the intricacies of bonus actions, here are some frequently asked questions:
1. Do I Get a Bonus Action Every Round?
No, you don’t get a bonus action every round automatically. You can only use a bonus action on your turn if you have a feature, spell, or ability that allows you to do so. If you lack such a feature and don’t meet any other specific trigger, you do not get to take a bonus action.
2. Can I Get More Than One Bonus Action?
Absolutely not, the game is designed to not allow more than one bonus action on your turn. There are no rules within the standard rules of D&D 5e that grant you more than one bonus action. Abilities and spells like Haste give you an extra action, not a bonus action.
3. Can I Use a Bonus Action if I Can’t Take an Action?
Yes, you can still use your bonus action on your turn as long as it doesn’t have a prerequisite that requires an action. For example, a Rogue could use their bonus action to Dash or Hide even if they can’t perform an action. However, they wouldn’t be able to make an off-hand attack as a bonus action unless they’d taken the Attack action previously.
4. If I Have Multiple Bonus Action Options, Can I “Stack” Them?
No, bonus actions do not stack. You can only take one bonus action on your turn. If you have multiple options, you must choose which one you want to use during that turn. You cannot combine or chain multiple bonus actions.
5. Does an Extra Action From Action Surge Give Me an Extra Bonus Action?
No. Action Surge, a Fighter ability, grants an additional action on your turn, not a bonus action. It does not allow you to use a second bonus action.
6. Can I Cast Two Spells in One Turn Using a Bonus Action?
Yes, if one of the spells is cast as a bonus action, and the other is a cantrip cast as your action. The core rule is that if you cast any spell as a bonus action you can only cast a cantrip with your action.
7. Is Jumping a Bonus Action?
No, jumping is considered part of your movement. It does not require an action or a bonus action. However, your jump distance is limited by your remaining movement for that turn.
8. Does Opening a Door Use a Bonus Action?
No, opening a door typically uses part of your movement. It’s an interaction with the environment, not an action. It does not use up your bonus action, and is not an action.
9. Can I Use a Weapon Throw as a Bonus Action?
Yes, some weapons with the thrown property can be used as a bonus action under specific conditions, often related to Two-Weapon Fighting. Without two weapon fighting though you won’t get the added proficiency bonus with your off hand attack.
10. Can I Move After Using a Bonus Action?
Yes, you can move before, after, or even in between the use of your action and bonus action. Your movement can be broken up throughout your turn, as long as you haven’t already spent your full allotted movement.
11. Can You Dash as Both a Bonus Action and an Action?
Yes. You can take one action, which may be the Dash action. Many abilities and spells allow you to Dash as a bonus action. If you have one of these abilities, you can absolutely take the Dash action twice in one turn and move three times your speed.
12. Do Rangers get Bonus Actions?
Yes, certain Ranger abilities grant the option to use a bonus action. For example, at 14th level, Rangers can use the Hide action as a bonus action.
13. Can a Readied Action Use a Bonus Action?
Yes, if you are using a readied action that involves a bonus action, it can be triggered outside your turn, even if it normally would have to occur on your turn. This allows you to use a reaction and a bonus action (that would normally only happen on your turn) on another creatures turn.
14. Does Casting a Bonus Action Spell Use a Spell Slot?
Yes. If the bonus action requires a spell, you must still use a spell slot to cast it. For example, spells like Misty Step consume a spell slot each time you cast them using your bonus action.
15. Is Eldritch Blast a Bonus Action?
No, Eldritch Blast is not a bonus action. Some character builds might convert Eldritch Blast to a bonus action. Typically, the spell is cast with your regular action.
Mastering Bonus Actions
Bonus actions are a crucial part of the action economy in D&D 5e. While you only get one bonus action per turn, many character builds are designed to use them frequently. Understanding the rules and restrictions surrounding bonus actions is crucial to playing effectively. By knowing how to trigger them, what actions you can perform, and when you can use them, you can significantly enhance your character’s capabilities on the battlefield. Use this guide as a reference, but always consult the player’s handbook for any rules clarification in the heat of the moment during a game.