The player’s Handbook explains that you can take one action on your turn in combat, in addition to moving. Extra Attack allows you to do more than one attack when you take the Attack Action, but it cannot be used as an attack in the Attack action or as part of the Extra Attack feature. Casting a spell is not the Attack action, so Extra Attack cannot be triggered by it.
The Extra Attack feature only works when you take the Attack action, and casting a spell is using the Cast a Spell action, not an Attack action. If you take the Attack action, you cannot also cast a spell that requires 1 action to cast, such as firebolt. The Ready action can be used to read an attack but is a distinct action from the Attack action altogether.
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. Haste spells allow the target to take an extra action on each of its turns for the spell’s duration, with certain limitations.
Extra Attack only applies to weapon attacks, and throwing an item counts, but attack spells don’t. A spell is a full action not related to an attack, and having multiattack does not allow for you to also cast a spell.
In general, primary spellcasters are generally balanced on the basis of spikier damage/effectiveness than martial characters with extra attacks.
📹 Can You Cast More than One Spell Per Round? | Um… Actually
How does spellcasting in 5E work? How many spells can I cast? Can I be a master spell caster? This video might help YOU find …
How many times can I use extra attack 5e?
Upon reaching the fifth level, the player gains the ability to attack twice when taking an attack action on their turn. Upon attaining the 11th level, the number of permitted attacks increases to three. At the 20th level, the number of permitted attacks increases to four.
Can you cast spells if you have extra attack?
It should be noted that the additional attack capabilities and spells are not restricted to weaponry; rather, they can only be utilized through the Attack Action. It should be noted that casting a spell and performing special actions do not qualify. It should be noted that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by an extension, and that your browser does not support cookies.
Can you use green flame blade with extra attack?
It should be noted that the Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade are incompatible with the extra attack function, as both require the use of a full action.
Do spells use the attack action?
Although spells may potentially involve an attack, they are not typically cast as attacks. The casting of spells is technically classified as either an action, a bonus action, or a reaction, depending on the spell’s casting time. Nevertheless, additional attacks necessitate the expenditure of an attack action and are not subject to the same rules as spells.
How many times can you use extra attack?
At the fifth level, the character is able to attack twice on their turn. This number increases to three at the eleventh level and four at the twentieth level. At the twenty-first level, the character is able to attack four times on their turn.
Can you use a cantrip with extra attack?
It is not possible to utilise the Attack action to cast spells, as this is solely intended for weapon attacks, including unarmed strikes. The “Cast A Spell” action is employed for this purpose. Furthermore, it should be noted that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by an extension, and that the browser in question does not support cookies.
Does multi attack work with spells?
Multiattack is not a viable option for PCs, as it is exclusive to NPC creatures and an action. Those who possess the Extra Attack ability are permitted to undertake additional attacks during the Attack action. Please be advised that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by extensions, and that your browser does not support cookies.
Can you use Eldritch blast twice with extra attack?
The Eldritch Blast, with a character’s one-action casting time, allows a Warlock to cast it only once per turn.
Can you cast a spell and attack with extra attack?
The Extra Attack feature, which is available to various classes, including fighters and paladins, does not permit the casting of additional attack spells. This feature is contingent upon the utilization of the Attack action, as opposed to the Cast a Spell action. It should be noted that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by extensions, and cookies may not be supported.
Can you make a bonus action attack after a spell?
In D and D 5e, spellcasters often have valuable bonus action spells, but they can only cast cantrips with their action for the rest of the turn. If they have already used a leveled spell with their action, they cannot use a bonus action spell. It is important for spellcasters to plan their turn before it comes up to avoid mistakes.
The sorcerer class can bend the rules of spellcasting with their Metamagic class feature, which allows them to turn any action spell into a bonus action at the cost of two Sorcery Points. This allows them to cast powerful spells like Fireball or Chain Lightning as a bonus action, freeing up their main action for other purposes.
Bards can perform one of their main class features as a bonus action, such as Bardic Inspiration, which can bolster another ally’s ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws without costing an action. They can also use their subclass features to spend their Bardic Inspiration dice and roll them to nerf a monster’s next saving throw, which also costs a bonus action.
However, this may conflict with a bard’s bonus action spells, so they should choose the best course of action on each turn and put their bonus action to good use every time. Some classes neglect their bonus actions, while others do the opposite and may have too many options for it.
Can you use 2 spells with extra attack?
The player correctly argues that casting a spell twice with Extra attack is not possible, as the bonus action casts the spell and then the attack action is performed. The “Melee spell attack” is not casting a spell but using the player’s Charisma. However, the spell should support extra attack or off-hand attacks, but its duration and ability to be cranked up with a higher level slot may be too good for multiclassing uses. It is important to use a weapon as intended or not use it at all. The player should use the weapon as intended or not use it at all.
📹 Should you use Booming Blade or Extra Attack? D&D5e
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:35 Booming Blade 6:40 Level 5 11:20 Level 11 14:58 Level 17 Join my discord: …
Crusher. Booming blade. Warcaster polearm master. Quarter staff and shield. BB attack and move enemy back 5 ft from crusher. Enemy closes back to melee taking 2ndary damage. Take attack of opportunity via polearm master as enemy enters your reach. Cast BB via warcaster. Hit and move enemy back 5ft again via crusher. Allow enemy harsh decision to close again and take a second instance of secondary damage.
A most intriguing question : Could Sorcerer use Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade to make an extra attack with quickened spell as a bonus action ? It change all, specialty for obsessional multiclasser ! Cause you could avoid to take a 5 level in warrior but get an alternative extra attack ! Then with Haste, is it possible to cast 2 Booming Blade and to have an 3e attack ? Also, what we want is to have extra attack but to keep an hand free to cast others spell and not loosing time with the Warcaster feat.
Most of the time I feel “greenflame blade” is the better “all around” melee cantrip. Booming blade has it’s niche, mainly war caster Apportunity attacks, and as a basic zoning tool, to discourage fleeing or runing after you (Arcane Trickster can to some shenanigans with bonus disengage for example) Early, or in a “low loot” campaign, it might be a good way to get your hands on an excellent damage type, in thudner damage.
I was kind of expecting the comparation between extra attack and booming blade paired with a flaming sphere, i know in over half of the cases you can get booming blade but can’t get flaming sphere, but when you can it’s kind of iconic; i don’t think the results would vary anyways, and i don’t even think its appropriate, i just thought it would have been fun.
What I’m hearing is, my spell focused lore bard should definitely take booming blade… (i know that wasn’t the question. But it goes to show, when those scarce spell slots run out, that rapier is going to do a lot better with booming blade than without… especially when everyone and their mom is immune to fire)
From my experience, booming blade isn’t for the martial core classes (at least not after lv5). It does shine though on the hands of a melee hasted dragon sorcerer. For the cost of one spell and a few sorc points, you become a dpt machine, as it is really hard for melee sorcerers to run out of sorcery points. If you’re using a character that staying around him is a problem itself (aasimar comes to mind), then booming blade also becomes good as most enemies will want to get some distance. But for the overall fighter, paladin, ranger, monk (or weird barbarian), booming blade will always be a lesser option than just attacking twice (sometimes thrice)
The ruling on green flame blade & booming blade don’t make sense, range of self(you are the origin of the spell) makes perfect sense, but as you use the weapon as a material component, and make a melee attack with it, why not just remove the ruling on 5ft radius” & just leave it at making a melee attack with the weapon” so if it has reach, you get to use your reach, & if you are a bug bear you get to use your extra reach, it just sounds dumb that you can imbue a reach weapon with magic, but you can’t use the weapon for it’s intended purpose of making an attack with reach, why would the magic stop working as soon as part of the weapon goes more than 5ft from you while you are still holding it?
I think booming blade is a good incentive for the enemy to stay there and attack you. And that’s a minor control option you wouldn’t get with extra attack. As an eldritch knight with high ac and warcaster, I want the enemy to focus me and the secondary damage of two booming blades is a good motivation for a free cantrip. The dpr is lower, but the enemy behavior has values as well
I know you said you were going to ignore hit chance, but I feel this conversation falls in line with “two attacks without advantage > one attack with advantage.” Booming Blade would need to extraordinary damage to be able to outshine the effect attacking more than once has on one’s average DPR. With the way 5e works, attacking more often is frequently going to be better than hitting harder when given the choice.
If I were to play, say, a gnomish war mage, I would absolutely consider booming blade, but that’s because I love the idea of a small but fierce gnome with a level of fighter getting up close and personal. Also, whenever I use the arcane deflection feature, I can’t cast a leveled spell anyway, so booming blade and a telekinetic shove would be a pretty reasonable way to disengage and free myself for some maneuvering.
Great article. I do think not taking into account to hit percentages has a bit of an effect on this. For example, it would add in the loss to hit from Great Weapon Master. Another aspect, that you can’t really account for with stats but I think is important, is advantage. There are lots of ways you might have advantage on your first attack but not others, which boosts booming blade, but then if you have advantage on all attacks extra attack looks better. It’s definitely one of those things you really do need to be thinking about a few different probability factors to get the most out of it.
Choosing to misty step while under the effects of booming blade is willing movement. There are a few ways to willingly move without using your own movement. Misty step would proc the damage. You stating that the creature needs to use its own movement is not a parameter that’s actually in the spell description. The spell dictates you take damage if you willingly move, not that the movement has to be from your own movement. A creature on a controlled mount would also take the booming blade damage if they guided the mount to move.
just use booming blade (BB) with a bludgeoning dmg weapon and get the crusher feat, that way you can use BB and at the same time move the enemy away from you or your allies, this will not proc BB extra damage, but now they do have to move to melee range, and anyway if the enemy can’t move that means you essentially got the sentinel feat for free, BB is not about dmg but utility
You didn’t even consider theost reliable way to trigger the secondary damage: the crusher feat! Even if you and an ally are adjacent to an enemy, you can just hold your action until your ally attacks. Then you attack and knock the enemy away from both of you. Melee enemies are far more likely to take the secondary damage when you have crusher. Also I can’t tell if you changed the probability of hitting when you used GWM. You only mention the bonus to damage.
Wouldn’t it also make sense to use booming blade as a way to prevent enemy movement? The DM knows the enemy is gonna take damage if it moves, so even if the enemy itself doesn’t recognize the spell, the DM can still metagame it. But if you use it on a creature that you don’t want to move for one reason or another, is the fear of that damage enough to prevent the movement?
Hah, I was just putting together some calculations comparing attacks vs attack cantrips! I roughly came to the same conclusion: Extra Attack is much more reliable, but there are circumstances where the cantrip can be useful. I think Defenders will probably get more mileage out of attack cantrips than max DPR Striker. I’d also like to highlight the interaction between Booming Blade, War Caster, and Sentinel to make the most of your Reaction attack if you have the spare feats lying around. I agree that your assumption for Booming Blade’s proc chance is very generous, and I wish that unreliability would come up more often in discussions on this topic. Personally, I’ve found Green-Flame Blade much more reliable in my games at low/mid-tier, despite the damage type and extra enemies required. Crusher can be a decent way to ensure GFB’s extra damage, but make sure you discuss it with your GM beforehand since that that order of operations is up for interpretation.
One question about BB: If a target hit by BB is moved against its will or teleports, does the BB effect stay on them, potentially triggering the secondary damage if the target uses its movement after the forced movement/teleportation, or did they move out of the sheath of thunder energy, just like misty stepping or being thunder waved out of a web spell?
Interestingly, there’s nothing in Great weapon Master that says you have to use it as part of the Attack action. “Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon …” Similarly there’s nothing in Booming Blade that says you have to use a 1-handed weapon. “You brandish the weapon used in the spell’s casting and make a melee attack with it against one creature ..” So it seems you could combine them, if you wanted.
Okay I know you are right, but the real question – Is Booming blade better then being a Monk? LOL. Seriously the damage is nice the best part of it is movement being a penalty to the creature. While death is the ultimate penalty in the game, this FEELS like you are controlling the enemy and threatening it.
I have never gotten the internet’s love affair with Booming Blade compared to Greenflame Blade. The secondary damage is contingent in either case but the contingency is very much in the control of the target, whereas with GFB it’s in the control of the attacker. Yes, Fire resistance is more common, but needing fire to do things is also pretty common. The boom itself can and often should be a problem, too, e.g., for a stealthy character. I think melee attack cantrips are at their best with a readied action or with a character who only has one attacks, such as a Sorcerer/Paladin MC who’s mostly Sorcerer or during a Warcaster attack.
With my Artificer, I usually: turn 1: Thunder Gauntlets 2attacks/round (aimed at separate targets for disadvantage effect). Turn 2: Booming Blade with a Bonus Action Shield Master Shove. Now the creature will be at disadvantage to hit anyone other than me, and they will have to cross that gap to get back into melee with me. Thanks to the new spell Kinetic Jaunt I have more maneuverability to try variations of this
Hey Chris, love your articles and content. Here’s a thought I had and seems to work according to RAW: If I have both the Sentinel and War Caster feats and the enemy moves away from me it provokes an AoO from my Sentinal feat regardless of whether or not it takes the disengage action, but my Warcaster feat allows me to alternatively cast a spell if it’s 1 action casting time and only targets the AoO provoker. I cast Booming Blade doing all the stuff and damage that I can get away with doing with that spell, and since I alternatively used my reaction to cast a spell instead of taking a weapon AoO that means I did not take an AoO, and therefore the Sentinel feature of reducing a target’s movement to 0 when hitting it with an AoO doesn’t trigger that means right after my reaction spell, Booming Blade is cast, the target will finish it’s already stated movement which triggered my Warcaster feat in the 1st place and move away from me… that will trigger the Booming Blade’s secondary damage automatically. The target cannot change it’s already performed action of moving away which triggered your ability to cast Booming Blade in the 1st place, so it auto triggers the secondary damage as it moves away. After that it can stop 10 feet away from you or continue moving or whatever. It doesn’t really matter as the all the damage, primary and secondary, from Booming Blade has already occurred. Good luck and have fun!
Teleporting triggers Booming Blade. I’m going to have to disagree with you on your interpretation that it doesn’t. Jeremy Crawford writes in Sage Advice that standing up from prone does not trigger Booming Blade because, “Standing up costs movement but moves you nowhere. To move while prone, you crawl or use magic (PH, 191).” There is a distinction between “moving” (leaving one location and arriving at another) and “movement speed” a distance you can walk/climb/fly/swim on a turn. Standing up costs “movement” but it does not move you. Misty Step does not use up any of your “movement speed” but you are indeed moving from one place to another (up to 30 feet). You are willingly using magic to move, as referenced in the tail end of the above quote: “To MOVE while prone, you crawl or USE MAGIC”. Booming Blade requires you willingly move, not that you use any of the movement afforded by your character’s speed.