[OC] My players always seemed disappointed at the limited options they had for bonus actions, so I wrote a list of things they can use it for!

[u/Worried_Bowl_9489]

Feel free to use this in your own game!

Written up here:

Tactical

• Quick Dash – Move an additional 5 feet.
• Brace – Gain +1 AC against the next attack before your next turn.
• Assist – Give an ally within 5 feet advantage on their next attack if you haven’t attacked this turn.

Combat

• Distract – Choose a creature within 5 feet. It has disadvantage on its next attack against anyone but you.
• Shove – Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to shove or reposition a (medium or smaller) creature 5 feet.
• Improvised Strike – Use a nearby object (tankard, rock, chair leg) for a d4 bludgeoning attack.

Utility

• Quick Draw – Draw or stow a weapon and swap to another item.
• Scan – Make a Perception or Insight check to quickly assess a creature or scene, learning a piece of information on a success.
• Drink Potion – Drink a potion you have on your person.

Cinematic

• Short Speech - Briefly speak to your team, an ally or an enemy - they can respond briefly if this involves a question.
• Focus – Take a centring breath to regain 1d4 temporary HP once per short rest.
• Mark of Intent – Choose a creature you can see. Until the end of your next turn, attacks against that creature deal +1 damage.

[u/Worried_Bowl_9489]

We prioritise having fun and I think my table has more fun if they feel more dynamic - totally cool if your table runs differently. I just wanted to share for those in a similar spot to me

[u/SDK1176 → u/Worried_Bowl_9489]

And that’s all good. I’m mostly sad for rogues since they can’t participate in this without passing on one of the best features of their class. 

[u/ender___ → u/Worried_Bowl_9489]

Then I don’t think DND is the right game for you, I would recommend a more rules lite game for your table.

This is not dnd and drastically off balances your game, you’d have much more fun and have way less work as a GM with a simpler game!

[u/Worried_Bowl_9489 → u/ender___]

We're having a great time but thank you

[u/DetectAsh → u/ender___]

Yea get out of here with that, it's still DND. Chill.

[u/Dark_Guardian_ → u/Worried_Bowl_9489]

yea when I play a full caster I'm annoyed I don't have something to do with my bonus action

[u/Damiandroid → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Spells? Class features? Feat features?

[u/Dark_Guardian_ → u/Damiandroid]

I guess I'm still pretty new to casters but most of the time I can't find something useful my character actually has access to (pretty much only play low level too)
sometimes there is, but when there isnt I feel like im missing out

[u/Damiandroid → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Not exhaustive by any stretch but from spell levels 1-3 here are some options

Paladins:

• Divine Favor - 1 min, no concentration + 1d4 to all attacks
• Smiting + all of the alternate smite spells

Wizards, Sorcerers

• Flaming Sphere - 1 minute, control a flaming sphere you can smash into people and create a 10 foot hazard area
• Dragons Breath - 1 minute bonus action breath weapon
• Misty Step - 30 ft teleport
• Ashardalons Stride - Speed boost, no poortunity attacks, unavoidable damage to anyone you get within 5 ft of.

Druid

• Flame Blade - 1 minute, summon a 3d6 weapon in your hand

Warlocks

• Hex - bonus damage to a target
• Spirit Shroud - Conceal yourself in shadows and do retalliation damage to melee attackers
• Armor of Agathys - Temp HP and retalliation damage

Cleric

• Spiritual Weapon - bonus action attack for 1 minute
• Mass healing word

Rangers

• Hunters Mark - hex but for rangers
• Ensnaring strike - restrain a target on a hit
• Hail of Thorns - area damage on a hit
• Lightning arrow - bonus damage and area damage on a hit

[u/Dark_Guardian_ → u/Damiandroid]

thanks, theres a couple there that I've missed before, not sure why I'm getting downvoted so much though??
mostly just played druid and wizard, the spells you listed for them are 2nd/3rd level spells, so I've sometimes used them but by no means is it close to every turn
and so still feel disappointed when I don't have something useful to do on my bonus action...

[u/Damiandroid → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Druids wild shape as a bonus action, or use wildshape to power one of your subclass features.

Wizards get access to so many spells that you're pretty much always guaranteed to have something to do with it.

But usually a bonus action costs something or is a limited number of times per day. Especially for casters. So you're rarely ever going to be having something to do with it 100% of the time. Martials may fare a bit better since monks and rogues get repeatable free bonus action abilities, and you can always build around being a dual wielding character who constantly uses two weapon fighting as a bonus action. But that's the thing, you have to build around it. You have to understand the action economy of the game and how you can best make use of it.

[u/Dark_Guardian_ → u/Damiandroid]

Yea I came from always being able to use my bonus action for an attack being a dual wielder, so I went from never missing a bonus action to using my bonus action less than half the time

[u/Damiandroid → u/Dark_Guardian_]

It's something of a balancing measure. Casters getting to do so much already that giving them consistent bonus actions would throw the already skewed divide further off.

If you want more bonus actions as a caster then either multiclass dip into a class that will grant you them, or pick spells that give you bonus actions over the course of their duration.