Can a bonus action be used between attacks?
As a follow-up to the previous answer, we need to break down the possibilities of bonus actions in different scenarios.
Direct answer: Can a bonus action be used between attacks?
Yes. According to the rules for bonus actions:
- You can choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless specified otherwise.
- Actions and bonus actions are described in the Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions lines of the combat section on your character’s stat block.
This is a pretty straightforward answer: bonus actions can be used at your discretion, just like moves or reactions, as long as there isn’t something specific that disallows this.
Interactions with attacks
Single Attack
What happens if you have multiple attacks prepared and want to use your bonus action after the initial attack? Good news:
- Any action other than an action or ability that says its uses are specific (like in the bonus action description of the Hunter Ranger’s Combat Style options) can be used anytime you could perform an action.
- Note: This point is repeated for emphasis
So, in this situation, a bonus action taken after your initial attack isn’t interrupted or restricted from proceeding immediately with further action choices or preparations!
Here is the simplified logic, highlighting main concerns:
+-------------+
| Initialize |
| (Single attack)|
+----------------+
|
v
+----------------------+
| Next action is |
| a bonus action |
+----------------------+What about extra attacks, commonly seen when you have skills like Magic Missile or Green Flame Blaster? Since these special attacks are granted by different sources (Spellcasting abilities or Feat), the rules haven’t made a specific ban on intervening between them; go ahead and play your games!
Multiple Attack
When an action sequence includes multiple weapon attacks using features like Fighting Style and the like. Here again, bonus action usage does not need separate permission unless a specific clause in another feature says ‘no interruption allowed’… which happens in rare scenarios.
Don’t forget,
- Each bonus action might have independent conditions for usability, some with limitations,
- or they might, in many cases, apply to action types other than attacks: casting spells (like those that cantrip), cantrips not requiring somatic components.