D&D 5E Can I use action surge in the middle of another action (between attacks when attacking with extra attack)?

[Maxperson]

Since movement is allowed between attacks, what about:

Move 20 feet. Attack (kills foe).
Action Surge to Dash, gaining another 30 feet of movement and continue to move my remaining 40 feet, engaging a second foe.
Extra Attack on second foe.

I'm just moving and attacking, after all.

Extra attack is part of the attack action. Once you engage action surge you are initiating a new action. The old one would be over.

 

[Guest 7037866]

Extra attack is part of the attack action. Once you engage action surge you are initiating a new action. The old one would be over.

Not at all IMO. Actions are not "discrete" in that sense.

Saying a PC is taking the Attack action means they are attacking on their turn. That's all. With Extra Attack, they can attack twice, instead of only once, during their turn.

Their turn (or an action taken) isn't over just because they start a new action via Action Surge, Haste, or whatever. A PC (or creature) has finished its turn when it has no action resolution left and no movement left. Until those two things happen, it can still "do something" on its turn.

Saying a PC takes the Attack action enables them to make one (or possibly more) attacks. Using Action Surge to take the Attack action again is simply adding to the number of attacks the PC can make during their turn.

There is SO much more about D&D that the rules can't cover then what they can, that by saying "because they don't tell us we can, it must mean we can't" the game would be horribly restricted.

A simple rule: Until an action is resolved completely, new actions cannot be taken. If you do take a different action, any unresolved benefits of your previous action are wasted. (This would be a "general" rule, so specific rulings on features, moving between attacks, reactions, etc. would be fine, of course.)

With such a rule, you would be completely validated. And issues around Shield Master, Two-Weapon Fighting, some spells, etc. would be settled definitively.

However, no such rule exists in 5E... So such things have to be decided by each DM for themselves. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with your interpretation, either, except when you claim it is "RAW", which it blatantly isn't.

 

[Irlo]

A good example - you move and take an OA. Can you take the attack action and kill that enemy before the OA is resolved. If not then it’s proof you cannot use your action anytime on your turn.

OAs are not on your turn. You get them as a reaction on another's turn.

In this case, "take an OA" means "be targeted by an OA."

 

[FrogReaver]

OAs are not on your turn. You get them as a reaction on another's turn.

They are if you trigger one for an enemy.

 

[ECMO3]

You must be reading different rules than me.

Well if it says you can interupt extra attack with a reaction, please provide where it says this "explicitly".

 

[ECMO3]

OAs are not on your turn. You get them as a reaction on another's turn.

That is not true an AOO can come on anyone's turn.

 

[ECMO3]

Once you engage action surge you are initiating a new action. The old one would be over.

It does not say this anywhere in the rules.

Further this would mean if I dodge and then action surge attacks at me are no longer at disadvantage .... since the old action is over.

 

[Maxperson]

They are if you trigger one for an enemy.

Then it's not relevant. The enemy's OA specifically interrupts the turn of the person being attacked. Specific beats general.

 

[Maxperson]

It does not say this anywhere in the rules.

You keep doing this. Unless something is explicitly written, it is not RAW. Therefore it is not RAW to allow action surge to work like you ask in the OP.

Further this would mean if I dodge and then action surge attacks at me are no longer at disadvantage .... since the old action is over.

This is wrong per RAW. Dodge does not last until your next action. It lasts until your next TURN. The both actions are in the same turn if you use action surge.

 

[Maxperson]

That is not true an AOO can come on anyone's turn.

Rarely, but again not relevant since OAs specifically interrupt the action being performed and then the action resumes where it left off.