In my game as a DM I have a cleric with this spell, and in my game as a PC I'm a cleric. We've been playing it that it costs a BA to move the spiritual weapon, but once out successive attacks against a target that does not move is basically a free attack.
However, is this the rule? It's not clear from the text, but I see some debate on whether we clerics need to use our BA for spiritual weapon attacks each turn or, once out and if not moving, our BA is freed up for other things and the spiritual weapon can attack once on its own.
"As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the weapon up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 5 feet of it."
The key word here is AND.
It costs the BA to move AND attack. There is no free action to anything here. If you don't want to move the weapon (Which you may, since the word Can estabilishes choice over it), you need to spend the BA to attack anyway.
"As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the weapon up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 5 feet of it."
The key word here is AND.
It costs the BA to move AND attack. There is no free action to anything here. If you don't want to move the weapon (Which you may, since the word Can estabilishes choice over it), you need to spend the BA to attack anyway.
This is correct.
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In my game as a DM I have a cleric with this spell, and in my game as a PC I'm a cleric. We've been playing it that it costs a BA to move the spiritual weapon, but once out successive attacks against a target that does not move is basically a free attack.
However, is this the rule? It's not clear from the text, but I see some debate on whether we clerics need to use our BA for spiritual weapon attacks each turn or, once out and if not moving, our BA is freed up for other things and the spiritual weapon can attack once on its own.
"As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the weapon up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 5 feet of it."
The key word here is AND.
It costs the BA to move AND attack. There is no free action to anything here. If you don't want to move the weapon (Which you may, since the word Can estabilishes choice over it), you need to spend the BA to attack anyway.
This is correct.