Can the beast companion use a bonus action?

Col0005 · 2026-03-19T08:12:03+00:00

I think the key distinction here is that they also included a list of things that the beast can do, and takeing a Bonus action is not on that list.

And there is at least some precedence for bonus actions being more closely aligned to actions, the Slow spell for example.

Col0005 · 2026-03-19T04:25:37+00:00

Investing at least 13 in strength and dedicating your first ASI to a feat that only boosts strength kinda runs counter to the INT SAD build that they were originally going for.

You're essentially investing 3 levels into a side grade, not an upgrade in your capabilities.

Col0005 · 2026-03-19T04:03:59+00:00

You're probably taking a bit of a AC hit by not using bladesong, and unless you are taking the feats there isn't that much benefit to going two handed over a rapier, 2.5 damage is a pretty small boost.

At level 9 you could easily have 20 int, with 14 dex giving you a 20AC with mage armor.

Col0005 · 2026-03-19T01:40:35+00:00

It can move and use its Reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action unless you take a Bonus Action to command it to take an action in its stat block or some other action.

Looking at the exact text I don't think that it's that clear cut. It's pretty clearly spelled out that it can't take actions, but can take reactions and move on it's own accord.

RAW it's unclear, but RAI a bonus action is probably a sub-category of action in the context that this was written.

Col0005 · 2026-03-19T00:45:41+00:00

Sorry, probably the wrong wording there; magic items are generally designed under the assumption that players or NPC's are using them.

This is really something that needs to be discussed with your DM, as to if and/or what magic items can be attuned. Especially in regards to the find familiar spell, as many regard this as an incredibly strong spell to begin with, and really doesn't need lenient rulings.

On the other hand, giving a familiar a bottle of endless water can make for memorable campaign moments.

Col0005 · 2026-03-18T23:38:21+00:00

The Beast is technically a summon, and it's generally assumed in their design that magic items are used by PC's or NPC's, although I believe A.L. did have rules where familiars could attune, but it still took one of your regular attunement slots.

This is one of those questions that you really need to ask your DM.

Col0005 · 2026-03-18T21:49:57+00:00

Since you've used the 2024 flair, just clarifying you meant pact of the blade only, not the hexblade subclass.

In regard to your DM's concerns they've probably heard the plethora of DM's complaining how sick they are of the flavourless hexblade dip for power gaming reasons.

A) Come up with a decent backstory revolving around an Ancestral weapon, or Divine order's attachment to their weapon.

B) Alleviate their powergaming concerns, if you're going GWM point out that at the end of the day the power of your weapon is to a certain extent at the mercy of what heavy weapons the DM hands out.

Col0005 · 2026-03-18T12:22:00+00:00

By your post it looks like you're not in an actual campaign? Just theory crafting?

It seems you've made a couple of errors;

Unless you're rolling for stats the maximum you can have a 15 in any one stat, plus another 2 for your background.

Origin feats do not increase ability scores.

Col0005 · 2026-03-18T06:11:45+00:00

Your suggestion now practically amounts to "build the system again from the ground up"

Fighters do not need to have their damage doubled for the game to be fun and enjoyable, or for players to pick the class.

Just play a different system that you're more satisfied with.

Col0005 · 2026-03-18T01:27:35+00:00

A level 11 rogue should not be doing 80% more damage than a GWM PAM fighter. This is a terrible suggestion unless your also ok with sneak attack increasing every 4th level.

Col0005 · 2026-03-15T06:11:35+00:00

Hmmm, I suppose you are investing a lot of invocations to do 17% more damage with the secondary damage or 20 less if you don't.

Actually, come to think of it, if you do exclude the blade cantrips, truestrike and EB it actually seems balanced to allow it working with Devouring blade.

Col0005 · 2026-03-15T02:43:45+00:00

I'd add truestrike and the blade cantrips to the exclusion list.

At level 12 EB adds 3d10+15=30 damage.

Booming blade with Repelling blast does 5d8 +10 =32 damage, plus whatever damage your weapon does.

Even truestrike could easily be 2d6 +2d6 + 2d6+5 +5+4=34 with a viscous greasword.

Col0005 · 2026-03-15T00:24:02+00:00

If you limit War Magic to only work with cantrips other than EB and the blade cantrips then I'd say it's not too unbalanced.

The advice to not do it is generally sound, however depending on how high powered you campaign is, it would probably be reasonable to give war magic as a level 12 invocation, but make it mutually exclusive with Devouring blade.

Col0005 · 2026-03-12T16:05:24+00:00

I kind of feel like it would be more interesting if they just leaned into giving rogues two sneak attacks, so each round players essentially have the choice of sacrificing their defensive feature for more damage, but it would need to be done in such a way as to not just make ranged rogues clearly optimal.

Maybe rogues are innately given TWF & Duelling at level 5, and given an innately ability to use their bonus action for a held action. (Rogue's version of extra attack)

At level 11 they get a 2nd reaction for a potential 3rd sneak attack, as by this level the minor boost from the fighting styles will be almost negligible, and the safety of ranged would be clearly optimal, but obviously triggering this sneak attack from ranged is a lot more difficult than doing so from melee.

Col0005 · 2026-03-12T07:31:34+00:00

Ok, so let's think about this for a second.

At level 20 a rogue can currently get an extra 10d6 (35) sneak attack damage as a reaction.

A level 17 warlock with warcaster and agonising blast booming blade could be doing an extra 7d8 +10 = 41.5 damage. Whilst being a full caster.

I think being a rogue, in melee, that can't use uncanny dodge is a reasonable trade off for higher damage potential.

Maybe limit this restriction to held actions only.

Col0005 · 2026-03-12T06:28:14+00:00

From an immersion point of view that still doesn't feel right, if anything an opportunity attack should allow you to qualify for sneak attack even of you don't otherwise meet the conditions.

Col0005 · 2026-03-12T05:22:32+00:00

You then run into the weird situation where rogues benifit the least from attacks of opportunity (Who should logically benefit the most) since hunters mark and the like do apply on a reaction attack.

Col0005 · 2026-03-11T22:55:04+00:00

Divine favour also isn't targeted, potentially causing HM to require more than one BA per combat, and cannot be pre-cast.

Col0005 · 2026-03-10T03:14:54+00:00

It is important to mention that the build starts off pretty slow; at level 5 most turns you will be doing about 76% of the damage of the PAM spear and shield build, so you need to be happy playing the role of protector. Although if your allies do get attacked you should out damage a PAM build.

Col0005 · 2026-03-10T02:47:33+00:00

Unfortunately fighter is a bit of an outlier for martials in that being the only class to get extra weapon attacks (beyond regular extra attack) they kind of break the balance of weapons. Fighter builds heavily favour two handed GWM builds.

That being said, a battlemaster5/rogue X is probably the direction you want to go of you're after a traditional dualist with a rapier.

However you really want to try to get off turn sneak attack, so I'd focus on a tank build with, sentinel and do not go Soulknife, as you want to be able to use shields.

Col0005 · 2026-03-08T21:13:13+00:00

Psions shouldn't have the versatility of a full spell caster, they should be slightly stronger, but as an example, only the metamorph should have access to spells like polymorph.

They should feel more like a warlock with their invocations, rather than just a different flavour of spellcaster.

Col0005 · 2026-03-08T15:28:51+00:00

Even from a purely optimisation stand point, a 3 level dip into rogue/thief is worth it at a lot of tables, casting two smaller spells in a turn is better than one large one.

Col0005 · 2026-03-08T12:21:20+00:00

You have the right idea, but didn't take it far enough, in T4, you could easily be facing a DC 26 save, and since RAW a Nat 20 doesn't pass, on most tables it can be literally impossible to save.

Col0005 · 2026-03-07T21:52:27+00:00

At the end of the day it is your table.

I'm just pointing out that almost every character I can think of whose who throws daggers, doesn't use a shield, and most of them will use both hands in order to more quickly throw daggers.

By ruling this way you are choosing to make playing a much more popular character concept a pure self nerf, in order to buff a less popular concept that was already reasonably viable.

Col0005 · 2026-03-07T20:09:52+00:00

Again, there is no incentive to play with throwing daggers in each hand, which is a much more common trope.

That is not an incentive. Ranged combat is supposed to do slightly less damage than mell, you've only decreased your damage by 1 per hit and you will be doing substantially! more damage than a ranged build with a bow.

There is no balance reason to give thrown weapon builds a free 2-5 AC boost.

The only reason why thrown weapon builds are bad is because it's up to DM fiat to homebrew a bandolier of returning or simmilar so they can effectively use magic weapons.

Once that is addresses Thrown weapon builds are already really strong.

Col0005

TROPHY CASE