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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Asgorath" data-source="post: 7569774" data-attributes="member: 6921966">So, what are some examples of bonus actions that do have timing requirements by your definition of a bonus action timing requirement?  And, what makes them different to Shield Master?Let's consider the wording of the feat:"If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield."Some questions:1) If the word "then" was inserted after the comma, would you consider that a timing requirement?2) If the word "if" was replaced with "after", would you consider that a timing requirement?3) How does this sentence differ from the 3rd bullet in the feat?  It follows the same "If X, Y" format.  Does that mean I get to "use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect" as long as at some point on my turn I end up being "subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage"?I searched through the Classes and Combat chapters of the PHB on D&D Beyond, and found exactly zero instances where the word "then" came after the comma in a sentence with the form "If X, Y".  If we apply the logic that sentences that take this form have no timing restrictions between X and Y, specifically that Y can happen as long as X eventually happens, the rules start saying some very strange things.Martial Arts: "if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn".  Why can't I do an unarmed strike when I Dash or take some other non-Attack action, because I declare that I'll take the Attack action on some future turn?Natural Explorer: "If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace."  Why can't I move stealthily at normal pace when I'm traveling with my party, because I declare that I'll travel alone tomorrow?Ranger's Companion: "If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself."  Why can't the beast act on its own when I'm conscious, because I declare that I'll knock myself unconscious later tonight?Stroke of Luck: "if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20."  Why can't I treat any roll I like as a d20, because I declare that I'll fail an ability check in the future?I could go on, but you get the idea.  The PHB is filled with sentences that take the form "If X, Y" with a clear (to me) implication that there is a timing requirement between X and Y and that X must happen before Y can happen.  Isn't it a natural conclusion that this "If X, Y" phrasing is the way the rules describe a trigger and its effect?  Yes, they could've used the word "after" in all cases instead of "if", or added the word "then" after the comma, but both of those simply take up more space on the page which might've meant the rules didn't fit in the book any more (assuming a strict page budget and the desire for as much art as they can get into the book).  As an editor, given the goal of fitting all the art into the book, then I think it's a reasonable choice to settle on the "If X, Y" phrasing as being the standard way of communicating a trigger throughout the rules because it's the most efficient use of letters.</blockquote>

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