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I've found two chains of Twitter posts by Jeremy Crawford that I can't seem to make sense of.

According to a Crawford tweet from August 2018:

Actions and bonus actions aren't interchangeable.

However, this series of Crawford tweets in March 2016 says that a rogue can Dash twice in one turn if they Dash as a bonus action.

So how can a rogue use both their action and bonus action to Dash with Cunning Action? It is specified in Cunning Action that the Dash can only be used with a bonus action.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Hi Haloha, welcome to rpg.se! Take the tour and visit the help center for more information. This is a nice first question, good luck and happy gaming! \$\endgroup\$
    – linksassin ♦
    Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 3:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ @NautArch: That's not the problem here, though. It's that Crawford tweets usually don't try to explain background / basics of how rules work in general, just how they apply to a specific situation. Stuff that is fully explained / covered by the PHB is assumed background knowledge for reading Crawford tweets (e.g. the Actions in Combat section of the basic rules covers using Dash as an action; it's assumed "everyone" knows that so Crawford assumes it), thus they're often not great for learning the basic rules, or what rules might apply to situations other than the one being discussed. \$\endgroup\$
    – Peter Cordes
    Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 14:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ The second quote in your question... doesn't seem to be a quote at all - just your paraphrased summary of the tweets embedded in that second linked page. I've edited to remove the quotation marks around that and clarify the description. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 23:04

4 Answers 4

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Dash is normally an action. The Cunning Action rogue class feature says (in part):

You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Cunning Action specifically lets you use a bonus action to Dash. In general, a bonus action couldn't be used this way, but Cunning Action lets you do it. Cunning Action doesn't prevent you from using your action to Dash; it only gives you additional ways to use your bonus action.

How does this work? As an action, the rogue uses Dash because this is normally how Dash works; any character can Dash as an action. Later, they use their bonus action to Dash, because Cunning Action allows them to.

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You can Dash twice on your turn with Cunning Action

You say:

It is specified in Cunning Action that the Dash can only be used with a bonus action.

It doesn't say that. What it does say is that the Cunning Action allows you to take a bonus action on your turn. That bonus action can only be to Dash, Hide or Disengage.

therefore you can use an Action to Dash and double that up with a Bonus Action Dash via your Cunning Action

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Anyone can Dash as an action. This is the general rule.

Rogues can also use Cunning Action to Dash as a bonus action. Nothing says they lose the ability to Dash as a normal action.

You said:

It is specified in Cunning Action that the Dash can only be used with a bonus action.

No. It is specified that the Cunning Action feature grants a bonus action, which "can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action".
That does not mean that Dash, Disengage, and Hide can only be used via Cunning Action.
(All apples are fruit. Not all fruit are apples.)

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The wording of Cunning Action is

You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

The interpretation you are suggesting would be more consistent with the following wording

The Dash, Disengage and Hide actions are a bonus action for you, instead of an action.

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