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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tetrasodium" data-source="post: 8685072" data-attributes="member: 93670">A (newer) player recently said how they'd  like to make their cantrip spell attack into guiding bolt before they decide if they want to burn the spell slot citing the adept stunning strike herald's smite & various maneuvers using the same "and I'm going to make that into  [guiding bolt]" phrasing regularly used near them  around the table".  At the time I laughed it off & said no but looking into it made me start wondering. While smite is per long rest like the player's spell slots & most maneuvers are an action or reaction.  The maneuvers are almost all an action or reaction & smite is a per long rest ability but adepts can stunning strike by spending 1 exertion at no action cost after seeing if one of their multiple damage dealing attacks land & get that exertion back by spending hit dice or just spending nothing but a short rest making it seem like that player's "why not, what if it was hold person instead of guiding bolt?" question put stunning strike in a questionable position.Does stunning strike  do the stun instead of the damage that attack would have otherwise done?  Is  stunning strike not costing anything in the action economy  an oversight?</blockquote>