The Bonus Action. You might see abilities such as the Circle of the Moon’s Combat Shape mention Bonus Actions and wonder “what does that mean?” It’s a very specific aspect of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition that has a bit of confusion around it. We’re here to clear it up for you! See our How Many Bonus Actions Per Turn 5E Guide for more!
How Many Bonus Actions Per Turn 5E
You get one Bonus Action every turn. You can take this bonus action at any point (unless otherwise stated).
Unlike any other ability in 5E, bonus actions are a very specific list. Your classes, feats, or racial abilities give you Bonus Actions, and there aren’t any real ways to use them otherwise; If you don’t have an ability that specifies it is a Bonus Action, you can’t take any Bonus Actions.
The only Bonus Action that is universal is the Dual Wielding Bonus Action. A character with a light weapon in each hand can spend a bonus action to swing that weapon, if they spent an Action to attack that turn. They deal weapon damage without Ability Score modifier (if they don’t have the Two Weapon Fighting Style!). That’s the only real Bonus Action that isn’t class-based.
Any Other Way to Get More?
Bonus actions are once per turn. You cannot use an Action to perform a Bonus Action, nor can you use a Bonus Action to get an action.
Abilities that specify that you gain an addition action each turn do not give you another Bonus Action. Class abilities like the Fighter’s Action Surge, and spells like Haste, only give you Actions. That makes Bonus Action into a rare commodity, limited to once per turn and untouched by any currently published Wizards material.
If you gain extra turns in a round, then each of those turns can use a bonus action. For example, the Thief Rogue can take two turns in the first round at level 17. That rogue can use an action, move action, and bonus action on both of those turns.
See Also: How Long Can You Hold Your Breathe In 5E?
Wrapping Up Bonus Actions
The Bonus Action is a crucial part of most builds. Having a way to consistently use your Bonus Action vastly improves your ability to perform in combat. For some classes, like the Artificer, Bonus Actions are a primary source of damage and resource generation. For others, like the Circle of the Moon Druid, Bonus Actions are useful for speeding up turns and letting you do more attacks.
Unfortunately, you only get one per round. Make sure you use it wisely! Bonus actions are strong, but their limitations make them in-demand for a lot of classes, like the Sorcerer. Choose your actions wisely; your normal ones, and your bonus ones!
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