84
votes
Accepted
Is there a meaningful difference between giving a monster multiattack and giving it multiple turns per round?
Numerous spells, abilities, and actions change
The boss is stronger in strange ways, because they...
Can try to save four times per round against hold monster and similar save-or-suck spells. Other ...
- 16.7k
56
votes
Accepted
Allowing Disengage for free
Disengaging and not provoking opportunity attacks is a big part of some classes, features, abilities and tactics, such as:
Class features like Monks' Step of the Wind & Rogues' Cunning Action
...
- 11.2k
54
votes
How to prevent a wake up conga line?
Trading one action for five actions is a very good deal.
It's hard to overstate how good the effect you're talking about is. Spells that manipulate the 'action economy' are almost always extremely ...
- 60.1k
53
votes
Am I using my high level spells wrong?
What they mean
Your friend is concerned that once you need to fight more than one or two encounters per (in-game) day, you will be frustrated not to have spells available to you. Action Economy is ...
- 36.1k
51
votes
Can a character with the Extra Attack feature and the Crossbow Expert feat shoot a hand crossbow 4 times in the same turn?
You can attack three times.
Your first ambiguity isn't really ambiguous at all. The distinction between an Attack action and an attack is pretty clear. Heck, both of the quotes in your question make ...
- 141k
51
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to gain the benefits of lying prone without incurring disadvantage on attacks? If so, is this broken?
You are describing a sound tactic
(in the game and in the real world)
It has been said that the goal of military action is to take a fair fight, and make it unfair. Most of martial history, from drone ...
- 36.8k
49
votes
Accepted
Will anything break if I allow the Warlock pact weapon to be called with a bonus action instead of an action?
There might be some synergy issues with other melee or Warlock abilities- Hex is a nice potential chunk of Warlock DPR and takes a Bonus Action to cast/retarget, while Polearm Mastery's extra attack ...
- 1,490
47
votes
Is it possible to gain the benefits of lying prone without incurring disadvantage on attacks? If so, is this broken?
This is possible and not broken
No part of the rules prevents the scenario you've described so it does work. Now let's address why it isn't as strong as you think:
This requires a very specific kind ...
- 71.6k
41
votes
If a target affected by the Slow spell uses the Metamagic option Quickened Spell when casting a spell, does that spell take effect on the same turn?
RAW, yes, it does take effect that turn. The spell's casting time becomes 1 bonus action so it is not affected by the Slow spell.
- 459
40
votes
Accepted
If a Spell has a casting time of 1 minute, what part of the caster's action economy would it take up if it was cast in combat?
You have to concentrate to maintain the spell, and spend your action each turn casting the spell
Longer casting times are noted in the PHB and Basic rules. I'll quote the relevant text from D&D ...
- 25.8k
37
votes
Is dropping a weapon "free", in terms of action cost?
The only indication we have within the rules that dropping things might be free is that dropping an object is not included in the (fairly extensive) list of example object interactions.
However, ...
- 141k
37
votes
Accepted
What are the balance ramifications of always preventing creatures from taking reactions before their first turn?
Squishier creatures will be harder to protect
The largest, most general consequence will be that frontliners will have a harder time protecting their squishier allies. In my experience, both PC and ...
- 1,714
35
votes
Does removing the bonus action requirement of two weapon fighting make it unbalanced?
Unequivocally: Yes
The single biggest limitation on PCs (or any creature) is the restriction imposed by the action economy, specifically:
one move
one action
potentially one interaction (free)
...
- 187k
34
votes
Accepted
How long does it take to equip a shield?
Page 146 PHB.
It takes 1 action to don or doff a shield.
Getting Into and Out of Armor
The time it takes to don or doff a type of armor or a shield is shown in the Donning and Doffing Armor table.
...
- 55.5k
34
votes
Accepted
If your bonus-action spell is counterspelled, are you still restricted to casting a cantrip that turn?
RAW is unclear
Based on the language use of interrupt and spell fails and has no effect, there can easily be confusion in interpreting the final effect of a cast or uncast spell.
This question covers ...
- 122k
34
votes
Accepted
How to prevent a wake up conga line?
Ask your DM to implement individual initiative in these instances
Group initiative for monsters is convenient, but has limitations. From what you describe in your question, your DM is (probably ...
- 5,301
32
votes
Can I cast a levelled spell (Cure Wounds) as an action, then use Quickened Spell to cast a cantrip (Eldritch Blast) as a bonus action?
The DM is right: You can't cast a leveled spell as an action if you cast any spell as a bonus action
The sorcerer's Quickened Spell Metamagic option allows you to cast an action spell as a bonus ...
- 37.6k
31
votes
Accepted
Does attempting to escape a grapple cost an action, or just a single attack within the Attack action?
A grappled creature can use its action to escape.
It says an action, so it requires an action. If it could be done as one of several attacks, it would say so, just like it says for making a grapple.
...
- 141k
31
votes
Is there a meaningful difference between giving a monster multiattack and giving it multiple turns per round?
The D&D 5E system already has built-in rules for important creatures acting out of turn or more than once per turn: Legendary Actions and Lair Actions.
Legendary Actions happen a certain number of ...
- 47.5k
25
votes
Are actions and bonus actions interchangeable?
This has been officially answered in the Sage Advice Compendium:
Q: Can a bonus action be used as an action or vice versa? For example, can a bard use a bonus action to grant a Bardic Inspiration die ...
- 60.1k
25
votes
Is there any practical way to magically summon/create a weapon and throw it in one turn?
Yes: Shadow Blade
In addition to the other methods already mentioned, there is a 2nd level spell available to Wizards and Sorcerers, found in the Xanathar's Guide to Everything. (XGtE p. 164)
...
- 36.8k
24
votes
Does the Witch Bolt spell end if you use a bonus action, reaction, or movement (remaining within the spell's range)?
You said it yourself, witch bolt "ends if you use your action to do anything else". Using your bonus action isn't using your action.
In 5e, it's just "action" not "standard" action, and as you also ...
- 12k
24
votes
Can a character with the Extra Attack feature and the Crossbow Expert feat shoot a hand crossbow 4 times in the same turn?
To cover the aspect of how many attacks the fighter would get:
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/sageadvice_feats
Do the first and third benefits of Crossbow Expert turn a hand
crossbow ...
- 670
24
votes
Accepted
Can you Ready a 1st-level or higher spell when you already have cast a 1st-level or higher spell as a bonus action?
No, you can't.
When you use the ready action you cast the spell in your turn and hold it.
PHB p. 193 (emphasis mine):
When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy
If you cast a ...
- 17.9k
24
votes
Can the Dual Wielder feat be used to free a hand for casting somatic spells, while two weapon fighting?
No, it won't.
If you're sticking to the rules as written, then this sequence runs afoul of the Other Activity On Your Turn rule:
You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment ...
- 60.1k
24
votes
As a Magus, does Spellstrike take 3 actions?
Answer
The Spellstrike activity allows you to Cast a Spell and Strike spending only the two actions required by Spellstrike.
Sources
The Core Rulebook states the following on page 461 under Actions -&...
- 341
23
votes
Can you attack more than once using multiple weapons with the "loading" property?
Sort of. Alice can fire both crossbows the first turn she wants to, but on turns after that she'll only be able to fire one. The Loading property states:
Because of the time required to load this ...
- 141k
23
votes
Accepted
Is there any practical way to magically summon/create a weapon and throw it in one turn?
A simple option is inherent in the Eldritch Knight, at 3rd level, via the Weapon Bond feature. The EK may summon a bonded weapon as a bonus action, and then attack with it as an action.
- 15.6k
23
votes
Accepted
Does the tentacle rod prevent multiattack?
Multi-attack is an action, so tentacle rod would not prevent multi-attack.
Players get multiattack too (of sorts), not just monsters. The Fighter gets Extra Attack at 5th level. The class feature ...
- 1,439
23
votes
Allowing Disengage for free
It would make melee focused enemies significantly less dangerous
Basically, anything that only has melee attacks is already a bit on a pickle because there are strong ranged options available. One ...
- 11.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible