Actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions Explained
Introduction
One of the biggest hurdles for new Dungeons & Dragons players is understanding what they can actually do during combat. Terms like Action, Bonus Action, and Reaction are used constantly, but they each serve a different purpose.
Think of them as three separate resources that determine what your character is capable of doing during and between turns. Once you understand how they work together, combat becomes much easier to follow.
Understanding Your Turn
Every character and enemy involved in combat gets a turn based on the Initiative order.
During your turn, you’ll typically have access to:
Action
Your main activity during your turn.
Bonus Action (If given)
An extra action granted by abilities.
Movement
The distance you can travel during your turn.
We cover movement in more detail in our Combat Explained guide, but here’s the quick version. During your turn, you can move up to your character’s maximum speed, which is determined by your race and any abilities or effects that modify it.
Your movement is a separate resource from your Action and Bonus Action. This means you can move before, after, or even between your Action and Bonus Action.
Here we’ll break down both Actions and Bonus Actions.
What Is an Action?
An Action is the primary thing your character does during their turn. Every character gets one Action each turn, and choosing how to use it is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during combat.
Some of the most common Actions include:
- Attack
- Cast a Spell
- Dash
- Dodge
- Help
- Hide
Since you only get one Action each turn, you’ll need to decide which option is the most useful for the situation.
What Is a Bonus Action?
A Bonus Action is an additional action granted by certain class features, spells, or abilities.
Unlike your Action, you don’t automatically get a Bonus Action every turn. You only have one if an ability specifically allows you to perform it as a Bonus Action.
Some examples include:
Cunning Action
Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action.
Rage
Enter a powerful combat-focused battle fury.
Divine Smite
Empower a weapon strike with radiant damage.
Bardic Inspiration
Inspire an ally to improve their roll.
You can only take one Bonus Action per turn, even if multiple abilities use one.
As you become more familiar with your class, you’ll learn which abilities use your Bonus Action. Using these alongside your regular Action is a great way to get the most out of your turn.
Common Beginner Mistakes
The biggest common mistake is forgetting that Dash uses your Action. Dashing allows you to move farther on your turn, but because you’ve spent your Action to do so, you cannot use that same Action to attack. We cover this in more detail in our Combat Explained guide.
One of the most common questions new players ask is:
“I didn’t use my Bonus Action. Can I use it to take another Action?”
Unfortunately not. Actions and Bonus Actions are separate resources.
If you don’t have a Bonus Action available—or choose not to use it—you simply lose that opportunity until your next turn. It cannot be exchanged for another Action.
However, outside of your turn, you may have the opportunity to use a Reaction if a specific trigger occurs.
What Is a Reaction?
A Reaction is an action you take outside of your turn when a specific trigger occurs.
Like Bonus Actions, you don’t get to use a Reaction whenever you want. Something in the game must trigger it first.
You only get one Reaction per round, and once you’ve used it, you must wait until the start of your next turn before you can use another.
Some examples of reactions include:
Attack Of Opportunity
Strike an enemy leaving your melee reach.
Shield
(Spell)
Raise your defenses against an incoming attack.
Uncanny Dodge
Halve the damage from one attack.
Counter Spell
Interrupt a creature casting a spell.
Understanding Action Economy
Now that you know what Actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions are, it’s important to understand a concept called Action Economy.
Action Economy refers to the number of actions each side can take during a round of combat.
For example:
One Fighter
one Action each turn.
Four Goblins
four Actions every round.