D&D 5E Double Dash

Xeviat · Jul 16, 2019

Quick question: do you allow monks, rogues, and users of expeditious retreat to "double dash" (bonus action dash, action dash, move with their regular speed)? Or do you limit them to only using a given action once per turn?

I suspect most allow for double dashing. It does mean that Rogues and others are much faster than other characters in chases or other things like that. If you limit someone to only using the dash action once per round, then those abilities are more about multitasking (attacking while dashing) rather than inherent speed boosts.

What are your thoughts?

FrogReaver · Jul 16, 2019

Xeviat said:
Quick question: do you allow monks, rogues, and users of expeditious retreat to "double dash" (bonus action dash, action dash, move with their regular speed)? Or do you limit them to only using a given action once per turn?

I suspect most allow for double dashing. It does mean that Rogues and others are much faster than other characters in chases or other things like that. If you limit someone to only using the dash action once per round, then those abilities are more about multitasking (attacking while dashing) rather than inherent speed boosts.

What are your thoughts?

Monks already get an inherent speed boost. So they are the fastest dashers.

I let let them double dash. The rules never forbid it and my players seem to enjoy it the few times it comes up.

jaelis · Jul 16, 2019

I allow it when it comes up, but I don't think it makes much sense. I agree it would be more logical if you could only dash once per round, but eh, it is just a game.

If I ever ran an actual chase scene, I would use the DMG chase rules instead.

iserith · Jul 16, 2019

Yes on the double-dash. There tends to be a LOT of movement in my games due to terrain, so it comes up quite a bit.

Xeviat · Jul 16, 2019

I'm thinking about it right now because I'm working on some expanded/defined skill rules. I wanted to make a "sprint" option in Athletics, to allow for characters to actually run. The question of double dashing comes up in what assumptions I'm making for human sprinting speeds.

Slit518 · Jul 16, 2019

This isn't Mario Kart, we don't Double Dash.

I see Dash as a Bonus Action as giving more options in the action economy.

Attack, Move, Dash.

Hide, Move, Dash.

Disarm Trap, Move, Dash.

Spell, Move, Dash.

CleverNickName · Jul 16, 2019

Sure, why not? I don't see why you couldn't.

Zardnaar · Jul 16, 2019

Sure seems fine RAI and RAW.

The Crimson Binome · Jul 16, 2019

I actually don't allow it, but that's more-or-less a side-effect of an overhaul elsewhere within the rules, which prevents anyone from taking the same action twice in the same turn. I don't see anything inherently wrong with a rogue moving faster than a fighter, all else being equal, but a blanket rule against repeated actions is easier to implement than individual rules against (e.g.) a dragon breathing fire three times on its turn.

the Jester · Jul 17, 2019

Xeviat said:
Quick question: do you allow monks, rogues, and users of expeditious retreat to "double dash" (bonus action dash, action dash, move with their regular speed)?

Absolutely. It makes for some insanely-mobile characters, but I am okay with that.