The features bonus for a fighter leveling up to level 5 state that the character is bestowed with an Extra Attack.
Extra Attack states that:
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn
Does this mean:
- I roll a D20 once, if successful, do a damage roll, roll a D20 again, if successful, do another damage roll?
- I roll a D20 once, if unsuccessful, I lose the extra attack and my turn ends?
- I roll a D20 once, if unsuccessful, I roll a D20 again, if successful do a damage roll, and if unsuccessful then the turn ends?
Best Answer
Options 1 AND 3 are both correct in terms of how this feature works.
The Extra Attack feature simply gives you an extra attack anytime you take the Attack Action. You can take the second attack regardless of whether you hit or miss with the first attack.
Keep in mind that this feature is only available when you take the Attack Action. If you take any other Action, you do NOT then get to make one attack because of this feature. Converserly, you cannot take the Attack Action, and then take a different Action (like Dash, Disengage, etc) instead of your second attack.
Also, it's important to remember that your turn doesn't necessarily end once you take your second attack. The only thing that ends is the Attack Action portion of your turn...you may still have Bonus Actions or Movement available to you depending on what else has happened during your turn.
Finally, both @Medix2 and @JDM7 have brought up excellent points in the comments below: not only can you choose to move between your multiple attacks, you can basically 'trade' one (or more) of your attacks for the ability to do something other than just a normal weapon attack.