Action Surge for a Fighter

[Lost_Nomad]

I'm only new to playing D&D.
I'm currently a Level 3 Dwarf Fighter.
as I understand, When I reach Level 5 I get an extra attack as part of my action.
so If I were to use action surge do I get another single attack or another double attack?

Thanks in advance

Lost_Nomad

[Cl0001]

Action surge basically resets what you are allowed to do each round. So at 5th level, action surge will get you 2 extra attacks (3 if dual wielding), an extra movementand a bonus action. I forget if this includes reactions, but I'm too lazy to check. I'd just ask your dm. I know a lot of people who house rule it to only be 1 attack because at high levels action surge can trivialize boss fights.

[Greeniron]

If you use the attack action with your second action, you will get 2 attacks.

[Phoenix042]

I'm only new to playing D&D.
I'm currently a Level 3 Dwarf Fighter.
as I understand, When I reach Level 5 I get an extra attack as part of my action.
so If I were to use action surge do I get another single attack or another double attack?

Thanks in advance

Lost_Nomad

WOW are these people wrong.

Okay, so please, PLEASE, ignore what the others said. The two attacks part isn't wrong, really, just horribly incomplete. The other answer is worthless.

When you take action surge, you can get another whole action to spend that round. If you take the attack action with your surge, you make as many attacks as you normally do with the attack action.

A 5th level fighter can normally make 2 attacks on one turn by taking the attack action. If that fighter uses action surge and takes the attack action again, he can make 2 more, for a total of 4.

At 11th level, fighters gain a third attack when they take the attack action. Action surge lets you make those three attacks again, so an 11th level fighter can make 6 attacks in one round by using his action surge and his regular action to take the attack action twice.

At 20th level, such a fighter could make a total of 8 attacks.

Note that action surge does NOT give you an extra bonus action, reaction, movement, or anything else. You can however use your action surge to take actions other than attacking. For example, a 5th level dwarf fighter could move 25ft and take the attack action, attacking twice. Then he could use his action surge to take the dash action and move another 25ft. Usually, that's a waste of an action surge, but sometimes that extra movement really matters.

[Kane0]

Action surge gets you a second action to use on your turn. You can use this action to attack, cast a spell, use items or abilities that use actions, etc.

At level 5 you get extra attack, which allows a second attack when you take the attack action. So when you use action surge for another action, you can take the attack action and make two attacks. If you use your regular action to attack too that gives you a total of four attacks from two attack actions, not including any bonus action attacks or abilities you may have access to.

I blame WotC for doubling up so much on terminology ('level' is the worst, historically speaking)

[PeteNutButter]

WOW are these people wrong.

Okay, so please, PLEASE, ignore what the others said. The two attacks part isn't wrong, really, just horribly incomplete. The other answer is worthless.

When you take action surge, you can get another whole action to spend that round. If you take the attack action with your surge, you make as many attacks as you normally do with the attack action.

A 5th level fighter can normally make 2 attacks on one turn by taking the attack action. If that fighter uses action surge and takes the attack action again, he can make 2 more, for a total of 4.

At 11th level, fighters gain a third attack when they take the attack action. Action surge lets you make those three attacks again, so an 11th level fighter can make 6 attacks in one round by using his action surge and his regular action to take the attack action twice.

At 20th level, such a fighter could make a total of 8 attacks.

Note that action surge does NOT give you an extra bonus action, reaction, movement, or anything else. You can however use your action surge to take actions other than attacking. For example, a 5th level dwarf fighter could move 25ft and take the attack action, attacking twice. Then he could use his action surge to take the dash action and move another 25ft. Usually, that's a waste of an action surge, but sometimes that extra movement really matters.

Just to ensure that there is no dispute via dissenting opinions, Phoenix here has it right.

Pay attention to the no extra bonus action. No matter how many attacks a fighter gets with or without action surge he will only ever make one offhand attack when two weapon fighting.

[Greeniron]

WOW are these people wrong.

Okay, so please, PLEASE, ignore what the others said. The two attacks part isn't wrong, really, just horribly incomplete. The other answer is worthless.

My answer is not wrong or incomplete, is it just not as clear as your response.

[Lost_Nomad]

Thanks heaps guys

especially Phoenix.

[Sabeta]

Snip

I want to say that this isn't 100% accurate either.
Action Surge gives you One and only One Action to spend on your turn; however that Action can be EITHER an Action (such as Attack) or a Bonus Action if you have one that applies to the Situation.

Which means if you have Bonus Actions that "When you attack, you can Bonus Action this" you can't do it. If you have a Bonus Action that says "As a Bonus Action, you can do this" then you can. Continuing the Fighter. A Polearm Master Fighter may Attack with his Halberd, then take his Bonus Action d4 Attack, and then Action Surge to take his Second Wind. I just want to make it clear that you get one Action OR Bonus Action, but not both.

[Saggo]

I want to say that this isn't 100% accurate either.
Action Surge gives you One and only One Action to spend on your turn; however that Action can be EITHER an Action (such as Attack) or a Bonus Action if you have one that applies to the Situation.

Which means if you have Bonus Actions that "When you attack, you can Bonus Action this" you can't do it. If you have a Bonus Action that says "As a Bonus Action, you can do this" then you can. Continuing the Fighter. A Polearm Master Fighter may Attack with his Halberd, then take his Bonus Action d4 Attack, and then Action Surge to take his Second Wind. I just want to make it clear that you get one Action OR Bonus Action, but not both.

Action and Bonus Action aren't interchangeable. You get one extra Action and it can only be an Action.

[Coffee_Dragon]

Action Surge gives you One and only One Action to spend on your turn; however that Action can be EITHER an Action (such as Attack) or a Bonus Action if you have one that applies to the Situation.

Umm nope. You get an action. As with any action, you can't trade it in for a bonus action.

[Sabeta]

Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn you can take another action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.

Care to elaborate?

[Saggo]

Care to elaborate?

In 5e you don't automatically have a bonus action.

"You can take a bonus action only when a special ability, spell, or other feature of the game states that you can do something as a bonus action. You otherwise don’t have a bonus action to take (p189)."

So all that says is on top of your regular action and the bonus action you may or may not have, you can take one extra action.

[Coffee_Dragon]

Care to elaborate?

Read it like this: "On your turn you can take another action on top of [your regular action and a possible bonus action]."

Edit: How am I ninjad twice in the same thread by the same person?

[Draco4472]

Care to elaborate?

You normally get one action and one bonus action. That states that you get a 2nd action in addition to your first action and bonus action you may or may not have/will use.

Dual-wielding fighters get a bonus action to make an offhand weapon attack, and a 5th level character can therefore make 3 attacks in one turn with the extra attack feature. However, a dual-wielder cannot use his bonus action as an action or item interaction. Because they're using two light weapons (or non-heavy w/ the feat), they get a bonus action to make an attack, and only have that option they can perform as a bonus action.

A level 2 rogue however gets a feature called cunning action, which allows them to do one of many things as a bonus action.

In short, action surge only gives you another action, not a bonus action, the two types of actions are not interchangeable w/ one another, and unless you get a feature that says you can do x as a bonus action, you don't get one.

Trust me, I know my dual-wielding. Look at my avatar :smallbiggrin:.

[Sabeta]

Read it like this: "On your turn you can take another action on top of [your regular action and a possible bonus action]."

Edit: How am I ninjad twice in the same thread by the same person?

If all you got was an Action then why would the ability bother mentioning bonus actions. I know your normal turn includes one action, a possibly bonus action, and a possible reaction. If you didn't get either an Action or Bonus Action, the ability should read

"On your turn you can take a second Action. You must finish a short or long rest in order to use this feature again."

Like, neither you nor the ninja has shown me why I can't Second Wind on an Action Surge.

[Sicarius Victis]

If all you got was an Action then why would the ability bother mentioning bonus actions. I know your normal turn includes one action, a possibly bonus action, and a possible reaction. If you didn't get either an Action or Bonus Action, the ability should read

"On your turn you can take a second Action. You must finish a short or long rest in order to use this feature again."

Like, neither you nor the ninja has shown me why I can't Second Wind on an Action Surge.

If it worked the way you're interpreting it, it would have said something along the lines of "On your turn, you can take either one additional action or one additional bonus action". Instead, it says "On your turn, you can take one additional action". Actions and bonus actions aren't interchangeable. Mentioning "and a possible bonus action" was most likely just to clarify that Action Surge doesn't use up your bonus action.

And seriously, why would you ever want to use Action Surge to take an additonal bonus action in the first place?


Snip

Should we go up a level or down a level?

[Sabeta]

Too many situations to count, but I frequently use it for Second Wind when I'm low on health as a way to keep up the pressure while still healing a bit. A multi classes Rogue or Monk has a dozen reasons, and some spellcaster multiclasses might.

But Action Surge doesn't say it uses your Bonus Action, so why would people assume that? Why mention what a turn normally consists of if all action surge does is grant you a single additional action. I understand that an action isn't interchangeable with bonus actions. Which is why Action Surge says you get one, if possible. Actually, since it says "and" Im beginning to wonder why it's not both.

[MeeposFire]

The language is just clarifying that you get this extra action in addition to your regular action and your possible bonus action. It is only possible because unless you have an ability that gives you a use for your bonus action then you really don't have one.

In order for the ability to give an extra action or a bonus action it would have to say "On your turn you can take one additional action or bonus action on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action".

The actual text says what is additional and it only says an action is additional and everything else is regular (as in normal) and unlike in 4e you cannot trade an action for a lesser action.

[Callin]

Way I read it "On your turn you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and your bonus action" As in you may take an Additional action along with your normal Action and bonus action. So emphasis here "On your turn you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and your bonus action"

Shadowmonked by Meepo and clearer

[Saggo]

Like, neither you nor the ninja has shown me why I can't Second Wind on an Action Surge.
Yes we did, Coffee_Dragon (who I promise I'm not stalking!) showed you exactly how to read it and I showed you why it bothered to say "possible".

Even Jeremy Crawford is adamant that it gives you an Action and not a Bonus Action.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2014/11/27/action-surge-grants-one-action/


But Action Surge doesn't say it uses your Bonus Action, so why would people assume that? Why mention what a turn normally consists of if all action surge does is grant you a single additional action. I understand that an action isn't interchangeable with bonus actions. Which is why Action Surge says you get one, if possible. Actually, since it says "and" Im beginning to wonder why it's not both.

No one said it used your bonus action.

[Kane0]

As an aside, Action surge is the only way so far to bypass the 'one spell per turn' rule as well.

[MeeposFire]

As an aside, Action surge is the only way so far to bypass the 'one spell per turn' rule as well.

Well you can use a bonus action spell but in that case the spell you cast with your action must be a cantrip.

It is possible to cast 3 spell s in a turn using action surge either using a reaction spell on your turn and any two other spells. The other more common option is a bonus action spell and then you can use your two actions (one from action surge) to cast two cantrips.

[Sicarius Victis]

Too many situations to count, but I frequently use it for Second Wind when I'm low on health as a way to keep up the pressure while still healing a bit.

Instead of just using, you know, your regular bonus action to Second Wind?

[Malifice]

I want to say that this isn't 100% accurate either.
Action Surge gives you One and only One Action to spend on your turn; however that Action can be EITHER an Action (such as Attack) or a Bonus Action if you have one that applies to the Situation.

Which means if you have Bonus Actions that "When you attack, you can Bonus Action this" you can't do it. If you have a Bonus Action that says "As a Bonus Action, you can do this" then you can. Continuing the Fighter. A Polearm Master Fighter may Attack with his Halberd, then take his Bonus Action d4 Attack, and then Action Surge to take his Second Wind. I just want to make it clear that you get one Action OR Bonus Action, but not both.

No, you only get an extra action, not an extra bonus action.

Actions and bonus actions are not interchangeable.

When action surging, you get an [action] plus an [action] plus a possible [bonus action].

[Lollerabe]

I'm sorry Sabeta but your are just blatantly wrong here.

The wording is there to ensure that pcs know that their bonus action isn't lost if they action surge so fx.

I have a lvl 6 fighter with 30ft ms and GWM, I run 30 ft and smack the BBEG twice, neither of these hits trigger my cleave BA, I then action surge and attack twice again however one of these hits crits and enables my BA bonus attack which I then use.

The wording simply informs me that I can use my BA before or after I action surge, which is nice because I can then optimize my action economy better. There's no rule that supports your reading of the ability, you can't forgo an action to gain another BA as many have pointed out.

[Gwendol]

I'm only new to playing D&D.
I'm currently a Level 3 Dwarf Fighter.
as I understand, When I reach Level 5 I get an extra attack as part of my action.
so If I were to use action surge do I get another single attack or another double attack?

Thanks in advance

Lost_Nomad

You get to take another action on your turn, which means if you are taking the attack action you get to attack twice, again, thanks to extra attack.

[odigity]

You get to take another action on your turn, which means if you are taking the attack action you get to attack twice, again, thanks to extra attack.

Gwendol, you really should read the thread (not just the original post) to see if a question has been answered already. Which it has. Many many times over.