Level Up (A5E) Press the Attack/Fall Back update

[lichmaster]

Because it says "When you take the attack action", that implies it follows after.

If the text had instead said "if you take the attack action, do blah".... then the bonus action could happen before.

Hmm.. need to read if and how LU frames bonus actions differently. For me this simply means: you declare you want to attack (so you're obliged to take that action), before you do so you use the bonus action to mark a target for PtA, and then proceed to attack.

 

[BookTenTiger]

No in that case the bonus action works as intended. Here's the difference:

TWF
I do an attack action, and get an attack. I now spend a bonus action and get another attack. Perfect, everything's working great.

PTA
I do an attack action, and get an attack. I now spend a bonus action, and get a bonus on attacks until the beginning of my next turn. Except....I don't have any attacks left to use the bonus on.

I see what you're saying now. Press the Attack is an outlier because the Bonus Action occurs after you declare your Attack Action, but before you actually take it.

 

[Stalker0]

Hmm.. need to read if and how LU frames bonus actions differently. For me this simply means: you declare you want to attack (so you're obliged to take that action), before you do so you use the bonus action to mark a target for PtA, and then proceed to attack.

And clearly this is what the designers intend as well, but since we have a chance to get it perfect before its finalized in print (and there are people that are that lawyery about the text), that I wanted to remove any possible rules issue that could be removed.

 

[Morrus]

Yep “before” instead of “when”.

 

[lichmaster]

And clearly this is what the designers intend as well, but since we have a chance to get it perfect before its finalized in print (and there are people that are that lawyery about the text), that I wanted to remove any possible rules issue that could be removed.

I applaud your intent, but it may not be necessary.
I skipped my current reading to get to the description of Making an Attack (pag 444). It lists 3 steps
1) Select a target
2) Apply modifiers
3) Resolve the attack

PtA would trigger after 1. Maybe the phrasing could be "When you take the Attack action, after you select a target you can spend a bonus Action to Press the attack."

 

[Legendweaver]

Nice, this sounds almost identical to my suggested text back in that...other...thread =)

I will try to rally the troops and run another playtests with these new rules, and shall report back...!

 

[Composer99]

As far as I can see, there's no problem with the bonus action wording in Press the Attack, because the rule for what you can do on your turn is (page 438):

On Your Turn
When it is your turn, you can move a distance up to your Speed and take your actions. You can declare your intent for your turn in any order, breaking up your movement between actions or using your bonus action first. You can also choose to do absolutely nothing.

If anything, rules text of a bonus action option would have to specify an order of action resolution for it to exist.

That is, the "when" in "When you take the Attack action" is a conditional term, not an ordering term.

 

[Imaculata]

I think this is just delightful clever game design. Well done.

 

[Miirik]

Quick clarification: When you use "Press the Attack," do all of the target's attacks against you have advantage until the beginning of your next turn, or do ALL creatures' attacks against you have advantage.

 

[Morrus]

Quick clarification: When you use "Press the Attack," do all of the target's attacks against you have advantage until the beginning of your next turn, or do ALL creatures' attacks against you have advantage.

What it says!