[RPG] Does an ability or spell grant me the bonus action with which to use it

actionsdnd-5e

The 5e D&D Basic Rules v0.1 description of casting times says that spells with a casting time of "bonus action" require a bonus action to cast (p. 79, emphasis mine):

Most spells require a single action to cast, but some spells require a bonus action, a reaction, or much more time to cast.

Bonus Action

A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

It's pretty clear that bonus actions aren't automatic (p. 69):

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.

So to cast a spell like Healing Word (p. 93), do I

  • need to be granted a bonus action that I can use, or do I
  • have a bonus action I can use?

I guess I'm unclear on whether I need to have a bonus action before I can spend it on something, or whether having an ability, spell, or whatnot that can be done as a bonus action grants me the bonus action I need to use it.

Best Answer

The way bonus actions work is:

  1. You can't take more than one bonus action per turn
  2. If using an ability/spell/whatever is done as a bonus action, you can do it (bearing in mind #1)

So bonus actions aren't something you have or are granted — they are something you do up to a limit of one. Casting the spell is itself doing or taking the bonus action. Anything that is a bonus action means "you can do this on your turn, as a bonus, if you haven't already done some other bonus-type action."

D&D Basic Rules v0.1, page 69 (emphasis mine):

Various class features, spells, and other abilities let you take an additional action on your turn called a bonus action.

You never need something else to give you a bonus action before you can take a bonus action. It is only a description of the type of action it is when you do that thing. It's not a point or expendable that you collect first, and then spend. It's a type of action.

The converse is that if you don't have anything to do this turn that is a bonus action, then you can't take even one bonus action this turn.

So smoke em' if you've got em'!

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