Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Exploring Extra Attacks in D&D 5E

No single feat directly grants you the ability to attack twice in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5E). The Extra Attack feature, which allows you to attack twice (or more) when you take the Attack action, is primarily a class feature granted to martial classes like Fighters, Barbarians, Paladins, and Rangers at level 5. Some subclasses, like the Swords Bard and Valor Bard, gain it at level 6. While feats don’t directly grant Extra Attack, some feats synergize with multiple attacks, enhance your combat prowess, or offer alternative actions that contribute to overall damage output.

Delving Deeper: How Extra Attacks Work

The core mechanic for multiple attacks stems from the Extra Attack class feature. Here’s the crucial understanding:

• Attack Action: Extra Attack only activates when you take the Attack action on your turn. This means using your action specifically to make a melee or ranged weapon attack.

• Stacking: The Extra Attack features from different classes don’t stack unless explicitly stated. If you multiclass and gain the Extra Attack feature from multiple classes, you still only get two attacks (or the number specified by the Fighter’s Extra Attack, which does stack).

• Spellcasting: Casting a spell, even one that involves making an attack roll, does not trigger Extra Attack. You can’t cast a spell and then follow it up with your multiple weapon attacks. However, certain class features, like the Bladesinger’s Extra Attack at level 6, do allow you to substitute one of your attacks for a cantrip.

• Bonus Actions: Dual wielding allows you to use your bonus action for an additional attack.

Feats That Enhance Combat Prowess with Extra Attack

While no feat directly gives you Extra Attack, some feats complement it, maximizing your damage output and combat effectiveness:

• Great Weapon Master: This feat allows you to make a powerful attack at a penalty to accuracy. If you hit with a heavy weapon, or score a critical hit, you can make an additional attack as a bonus action. This is especially potent for classes with Extra Attack, as it provides more opportunities to trigger the bonus action attack.

• Sharpshooter: Similar to Great Weapon Master, Sharpshooter offers a damage boost at the cost of accuracy when making ranged attacks. The increased damage per hit stacks well with the increased number of attacks from Extra Attack.

• Polearm Master: This feat grants you an additional attack as a bonus action when wielding a polearm. Like Great Weapon Master, more attacks increase your damage potential.

• Dual Wielder: While it doesn’t grant the Extra Attack feature, this feat can improve your damage when dual-wielding light weapons. It allows you to use non-light weapons and adds to the power of each attack.

Alternative Actions and Feats

Other feats and actions can enhance your combat role, even without directly providing Extra Attack:

• Action Surge (Fighter): The Fighter class feature Action Surge allows you to take an additional action on your turn. This means you could take the Attack action twice in one turn, effectively doubling your number of attacks (even at low levels).

• Haste (Spell): The Haste spell grants an additional action, which can be used for attacking (and thus, using the Extra Attack feature).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further illuminate the intricacies of attacking and related mechanics in D&D 5E:

1. Can a Rogue attack twice? No. Rogues do not gain the Extra Attack feature. Their damage output relies on Sneak Attack, which deals significant damage with a single, well-placed strike.

2. If I multiclass and get Extra Attack from two different classes, do I get to attack three times? No. The Extra Attack feature from different classes does not stack. You only get the number of attacks specified by the highest level of Extra Attack feature you have (unless the class explicitly states otherwise).

3. Does Action Surge stack with Extra Attack? Yes. Action Surge grants you an additional action on your turn. You can use that action to take the Attack action and benefit from Extra Attack, resulting in more attacks in one turn.

4. Can I use Extra Attack with a spell that requires an attack roll? No. The Extra Attack feature only applies when you take the Attack action. Casting a spell is the Cast a Spell action, even if the spell involves making an attack roll.

5. Does Dual Wielder give me Extra Attack? No. The Dual Wielder feat does not give you Extra Attack. It provides other benefits related to dual wielding, like using non-light weapons, increasing your AC, and drawing or stowing two weapons at once.

6. If I have the Great Weapon Master feat, can I make more than one bonus action attack per turn? No. You can only make one bonus action attack per turn, regardless of how many times you trigger the Great Weapon Master’s bonus attack condition.

7. Can I Ready an action to attack, and then use my Extra Attack when my trigger occurs? If you Ready the Attack action, and the trigger occurs on your turn, then yes, the Extra Attack feature will apply. If the trigger occurs outside of your turn, Extra Attack does not apply.

8. Can a Fighter attack four times? Yes. Fighters gain Extra Attack (2) at level 5, Extra Attack (3) at level 11, and Extra Attack (4) at level 20, meaning they can attack up to four times when taking the Attack action on their turn.

9. Can I get Sneak Attack more than once per turn? You can only apply Sneak Attack damage once per turn. However, you can apply it again on someone else’s turn if you make an attack of opportunity.

10. What happens if I am holding two quarterstaffs? You can still choose to wield a quarterstaff in each hand, but you won’t get any additional attacks from doing so without taking the dual wielder feat.

11. Can I use Action Surge to cast two leveled spells in one turn? No. While Action Surge grants you an extra action, the rules on spellcasting generally limit you to casting only one leveled spell per turn unless a specific feature states otherwise.

12. Does Polearm Master require Extra Attack to be useful? Not necessarily. While Polearm Master synergizes well with Extra Attack, it’s still useful on its own. The bonus action attack adds a significant damage boost, even without multiple main action attacks.

13. Is dual wielding a viable option for a Fighter? Dual wielding can be viable, particularly early on. However, the Fighter’s Extra Attack feature benefits more from two-handed weapons or ranged weapons, as those styles often offer higher damage output and more powerful feats.

14. Can I choose the same Fighting Style twice if I multiclass? No. The rules explicitly state that you cannot choose the same Fighting Style twice, even if you gain access to Fighting Styles from multiple sources (e.g., multiclassing).

15. Where can I learn more about game mechanics and educational applications? You can explore more about the intersection of gaming and learning at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. GamesLearningSociety.org explores how games can be used for educational purposes.

By understanding how the Extra Attack feature works and how various feats interact with it, you can create a formidable and effective character capable of dealing significant damage in combat. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting your D&D journey, mastering these mechanics will elevate your gameplay experience.