RAW question about commander's strike

[Keravath]

First, this is a question about rules as written and not rules as intended :) ... I am pretty sure I know what was intended.

There are several abilities that grant bonus action attacks. Crossbow expert and polearm master for example.

"Crossbow expert:
When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow you are holding."

At third level, one of the maneuvers that a battlemaster can take is commander's strike.

"Commander's Strike. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll."

So, if a character takes the attack action with a one-handed weapon, Crossbow expert allows them to make a bonus action attack. Can a battlemaster fighter with both crossbow expert and commanders strike forego the bonus action attack granted by crossbow expert in order to enable commanders strike? The text of commanders strike doesn't specifically indicate that the attack that is given up has to be one of the attacks granted by the Attack action.

[Lunali]

If you use your bonus action to make a crossbow attack, you might be able to give up that attack as you suggest, but you no longer have your bonus action to do so.

[bid]

When you have multiple bonus action granted, you can pick any one of them. BA commander's strike, BA XE, BA cunning action or even pick none of them. You can't take 2 of them, but 1 or 0 is ok.

It's the same thing for the main action, you may take the attack action, the cast a spell action, or whichever other choice offered to you.

[crayzz]

The text of commanders strike doesn't specifically indicate that the attack that is given up has to be one of the attacks granted by the Attack action.

You're right, it doesn't, and you're also right that the RAI meaning is obvious. That said, both the crossbow shot and the commander's strike require a bonus action: you don't have the crossbow show until you use your bonus action to get it, and once you've done so commander's strike isn't useable. What you're describing would have to go like this:


Take attack action
Use bonus action to get crossbow shot
Forgo crossbow shot and use bonus action to use commander's strike


Doesn't work. Incidentally, this is a reason I like the bonus action mechanic in 5e. There is a lot of cheese that just can't happen because you only get one bonus action per round.