D&D 5E Can Someone Explain Bonus Actions?

[Nagol]

I don't have the magic item description. Is giving you that bonus jump the only thing they do?

There is no language I can find in Basic saying that if you have multiple bonus actions to choose from, you may use your regular action to enact one of them.

I might well rule that it was okay, at my table. But it isn't explicit in the rules that you can do it.

I suppose I should have included the word "hypothetical" as-in hypothetical boots of striding and springing may give a bonus action choice of jump 10'. I haven't seen any magic items yet. My interpretation revolves around the language used: "...must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven’t already taken a bonus action..."

So it must be a bonus action unless you've already used it. If it were limited to always requiring a bonus action that is much more simply written.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Actually sounds more like the post-E final updates 'free action attack' rule than it does like 4e minor actions (which really were minor, for the most part). That rule was that, when given an attack as a free action (either by a power or feature of your own, or by another character like a Warlord), you could not make another such free action attack in the same turn. It mainly just nerfed a few silly exploits that chained free action attacks - which, seems to be the point, here: you can't combine TWFing with other tricks or spells or whatever to squeeze a bunch of attacks into one round.

Compared to the swift-action spells in the playtest, it's a pretty clear & consistent rule that can be used by developers in a lot of ways to make interesting game elements without opening up excessive 'stacking,' or cluttering the game with fiddly different-for-the-sake-of-difference little rules.

 

[MarkB]

oh twf is up with all these puns lately?

They seem to have died down now - I don't think there's any immediate likelihood of any more appearing. Just try to avoid presenting an obvious opportunity for further wordplay, and we'll be free to move on to other topics.

 

[Ruzak]

A minor chuckle was my swift reaction to your post.

 

[Ruzak]

It might help a 4e player to think of them as minor actions at first, but the difference is more than mental: You cannot downgrade your normal action into a bonus action, and there is a reason for this -- it keeps the game running. It keeps people from trying to do all kinds of crazy action-economy tricks.

...

I also saw no difference between minor & bonus, particularly when comparing to the small number of minor actions available early in 4e, before the bloat.
Liker's point is an important nuance I had not considered. The trading down does seem to carry some mental overhead, which this restriction removes.

 

[GX.Sigma]

A minor chuckle was my swift reaction to your post.

This post sets a new standard. And it's free, which is a nice bonus.

 

[Ruzak]

This post sets a new standard. And it's free, which is a nice bonus.

Maybe we should stop interrupting this thread.

 

[the Jester]

Maybe we should stop interrupting this thread.

Immediately.

 

[Remathilis]

Maybe we should stop interrupting this thread.

Yeah, quit FULLing aROUND.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Yes, move along.

Thaumaturge.