RangerWickett
Legend
The genesis of this question is that I'm looking to come up with a few default bonus actions anyone can use.
Normally if you fight with a light melee weapon in your main hand and spend your action to Attack, you can then spend a bonus action to get one more attack with a different light off-hand weapon, though you don't get to add your ability modifier to the damage (unless it's negative).
A typical light weapon does d6 damage (average 3.5), while a typical non-light one-handed weapon does d8 damage (average 4.5).
So I suppose the game is saying that if you're willing to sacrifice 1 point of damage per attack with your primary weapon (d6 instead of d8), then getting one extra bonus action attack that probably 3 damage is also balanced. That's a net of 2 damage.
(I know there's all sorts of other reasons you want extra attacks, like if you want more chances to land sneak attack, or if you spend feats or have fighting styles to improve it. But for a normal adventurer, an off hand attack as a bonus action nets an average of 2 damage.)
Anyway, if Attack is an action, and casting a spell is an action, would it be balanced to let a wizard cast a spell, then make an attack with a dagger as a bonus action (doing an average of 2 damage)? Or what if a character Dashes as an action? Would a bonus action attack with a club be fair then?
Heck, since anyone could have a free hand and just punch (doing 1 damage), is there a reason there isn't just a default option like:
Light Attack
Spend a bonus action to make an attack. If the attack hits, instead of rolling for damage and adding bonuses from ability modifiers, you just deal 1 damage if you are unarmed or only have one weapon, perhaps by delivering a pommel strike or a tiny slice. However, if you make this bonus action attack with a weapon that you aren't using for other attacks this turn, it does 2 damage instead.
Normally if you fight with a light melee weapon in your main hand and spend your action to Attack, you can then spend a bonus action to get one more attack with a different light off-hand weapon, though you don't get to add your ability modifier to the damage (unless it's negative).
A typical light weapon does d6 damage (average 3.5), while a typical non-light one-handed weapon does d8 damage (average 4.5).
So I suppose the game is saying that if you're willing to sacrifice 1 point of damage per attack with your primary weapon (d6 instead of d8), then getting one extra bonus action attack that probably 3 damage is also balanced. That's a net of 2 damage.
(I know there's all sorts of other reasons you want extra attacks, like if you want more chances to land sneak attack, or if you spend feats or have fighting styles to improve it. But for a normal adventurer, an off hand attack as a bonus action nets an average of 2 damage.)
Anyway, if Attack is an action, and casting a spell is an action, would it be balanced to let a wizard cast a spell, then make an attack with a dagger as a bonus action (doing an average of 2 damage)? Or what if a character Dashes as an action? Would a bonus action attack with a club be fair then?
Heck, since anyone could have a free hand and just punch (doing 1 damage), is there a reason there isn't just a default option like:
Light Attack
Spend a bonus action to make an attack. If the attack hits, instead of rolling for damage and adding bonuses from ability modifiers, you just deal 1 damage if you are unarmed or only have one weapon, perhaps by delivering a pommel strike or a tiny slice. However, if you make this bonus action attack with a weapon that you aren't using for other attacks this turn, it does 2 damage instead.