1) The spell takes a bonus action to cast and specifically says you can attack with it on the turn it is cast.
2) On subsequent turns you can use a bonus action to move the weapon up to 20' if you want to and make another attack.
You can NOT use your action to make an attack with a spiritual weapon. You can only use a bonus action. Spiritual weapon is a spell that only does exactly what it says it does.
"You create a floating, spectral weapon within range that lasts for the duration or until you cast this spell again. When you cast the spell, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to ld8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. 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."
Spell is a bonus action to cast, when you cast it you can make an attack. On subsequent turns you can use your bonus action to move it up to 20' and make another attack against a creature within 5' of it.
You can not use the spell to make an attack as an action - that is not an option listed in the spell. Your character could make a melee weapon attack OR your character could cast a cantrip or take a number of other actions. One thing they can not do it make another attack as an action with the spiritual weapon.
Why not? You can ready any "action" (lower case a sense), not just one of the Action-actions. See examples provided, which are moving (almost never an Action) and pulling levers (which is typically a free object interaction). Spiritual Weapon grants you a special action you can take on your turn (using a Bonus Action).
And, the example I provided was to Ready a use for later on your own turn. Take a closer look.
In theory, it should be possible to prepare a bonus action with the Ready action since bonus actions are a special kind of action. The problem is that you can take only one bonus action during your turn, and taking that bonus action with the Ready action arguably doesn't change the fact that what you did is a bonus action. You'd end up wasting using your action and reaction to take a bonus action you already had the ability to take, and still wouldn't get a second bonus action.
Some minor nitpicks: neither of the examples you cited are proof that you can ready non-action activities. The Ready action explicitly allows movement instead of an action, and pulling a lever can be done with the Use An Object action since that action can also do anything you'd be able to do with your free object interaction. The game doesn't really have a concept of Actions-with-a-capital-A, it's just that the names of the normal action options are capitalized as proper nouns.
It's one of the weird things with 5e. They call it an Action and a "Bonus Action", implying (or even specifically saying) that Bonus Action is a lesser/faster activity.
But they don't let you give up you "bigger" action for the "lesser" one. Might as well call it Action A and Action B.
Spell cast as a Bonus Action is specifically described as "especially swift" and yet you can ready a Fireball but you can't ready a Misty Step.
Thank you for the thread that made me aware of another thing I will be fixing at my table.
Why not? You can ready any "action" (lower case a sense), not just one of the Action-actions. See examples provided, which are moving (almost never an Action) and pulling levers (which is typically a free object interaction). Spiritual Weapon grants you a special action you can take on your turn (using a Bonus Action).
And, the example I provided was to Ready a use for later on your own turn. Take a closer look.
You're right about the taking it later on your turn, I glossed over that.
Still, Ready only allows readying an action, not a bonus action. The examples provided are all either actions or movement (which is also explicitly allowed). Pulling a lever is accomplished used the [Tooltip Not Found] action.
I realize there is a bit of inconsistency regarding whether bonus actions are also actions or not (being unable to take actions implies being unable to take bonus actions, but spells that require a bonus action can't be cast using your action, nor vice versa), but the intent has been clarified as to Ready not allowing bonus actions to be readied. For example, you can't Ready spells that take a bonus action to cast (and I do realize this is not what you're proposing in your example), only spells with a cast time of "1 action". Also, note that you can only take one bonus action during your turn, so your example is not allowed, even if bonus actions can be Readied.
Why not? You can ready any "action" (lower case a sense), not just one of the Action-actions. See examples provided, which are moving (almost never an Action) and pulling levers (which is typically a free object interaction). Spiritual Weapon grants you a special action you can take on your turn (using a Bonus Action).
And, the example I provided was to Ready a use for later on your own turn. Take a closer look.
Simply put you can't ready a Bonus Action. Its convoluted but Help states an Action not a Bonus Action so its not possible.
Examples include ... "If the goblin steps next to me, I move away."
"I move away" is not an Action.
You are well aware that "action" in the PHB can be used to describe actions like Two-Weapon Fighting, which is a Bonus Action. There is nothing within Ready which indicates it means "Action", and explicit examples that it does not.
In theory, it should be possible to prepare a bonus action with the Ready action since bonus actions are a special kind of action. The problem is that you can take only one bonus action during your turn, and taking that bonus action with the Ready action arguably doesn't change the fact that what you did is a bonus action. You'd end up wasting using your action and reaction to take a bonus action you already had the ability to take, and still wouldn't get a second bonus action.
Some minor nitpicks: neither of the examples you cited are proof that you can ready non-action activities. The Ready action explicitly allows movement instead of an action, and pulling a lever can be done with the Use An Object action since that action can also do anything you'd be able to do with your free object interaction. The game doesn't really have a concept of Actions-with-a-capital-A, it's just that the names of the normal action options are capitalized as proper nouns.
You do not "take" a Bonus Action when you Ready. Ready is itself an Action, not the size of whatever you're reading. You cannot Ready movement using movement.
Ready is an action, and launders any size of activity into a future Reaction after trigger.
"I ready a Misty Step to teleport away if anyone comes next to me" is something that you can do with Ready. This is not new or controversial. (whoops, no you can't, but only because there's seperate language prohibiting spells with casting times other than Action). nevertheless...
I'm aware that people don't often think of using Ready to attack twice with Spiritual Weapon, its a crafty life hack. But you're needing to read waaaayyyyyy too much unwritten language into Ready to tell me that it discriminates between eligible actions based on the size of their Action vs Bonus Action vs Reaction economy. That is not how the examples read, neither of which are Action-using actions. (pulling a lever is a free object interaction, movement is movement)
It's one of the weird things with 5e. They call it an Action and a "Bonus Action", implying (or even specifically saying) that Bonus Action is a lesser/faster activity. But they don't let you give up you "bigger" action for the "lesser" one. Might as well call it Action A and Action B.
"Bonus" only implies that it's additional. They changed it from "minor action" in 4th precisely because they didn't want to imply that a bonus action is in some sense a smaller or faster action; the spellcasting rules are a special case (and allowing BA spells to be cast as an action doesn't break much in my opinion, because of the rules on bonus action spells.)
It might seem needlessly constricting but it does greatly reduce the complexity of taking your turn. The substitution rules in 4e meant there were 5 different combinations of move action, minor action and standard action to consider and there were free actions on top of that.
I'm aware that people don't often think of using Ready to attack twice with Spiritual Weapon, its a crafty life hack. But you're needing to read waaaayyyyyy too much unwritten language into Ready to tell me that it discriminates between eligible actions based on the size of their Action vs Bonus Action vs Reaction economy. That is not how the examples read, neither of which are Action-using actions. (pulling a lever is a free object interaction, movement is movement)
See my earlier post. The real issue is that you still can't take 2 bonus actions in one turn. The Use An Object action can do everything that a free object interaction can and the Ready action explicitly lists movement as an alternative to preparing an action.
You can only move the spiritual weapon as a bonus action. So either you are taking two bonus actions on your turn or else you are not engaging in the kind of action that can move the spiritual weapon.
And you can only take an Action on your own turn, and yet, Ready operates to allow you to take that Action as a Reaction on a turn other than your own! Gasp!
When you take your reaction to execute an action that was earlier Readied, you are not using an Action, or a Bonus Action. You are using a Reaction. There is no prohibition against taking an Action, Bonus Action, and Reaction on the same turn.
The reason we say you can’t ready a bonus action is that Crawford says you can’t, because you can only ready an action and a bonus action isn’t an action.
I’m on board with the idea that you can only ready an action, because that’s literally what the Ready text says. I’m on board with the design intent being that a bonus action not be an action, because that’s what Crawford says.
But, I’m kinda with CC on there not being any actual textual support for the hard distinction, at least in terms of whether or not you can ready a bonus action. The bonus action rules put some limits in place that mean you can’t use your main action to make a second bonus action; I think it’s also pretty clear you can’t use your reaction to make a second bonus action on your turn. But the Ready action already includes specific wording that lets you use your reaction to take an action outside your turn. Bonus actions are described as “additional actions,” not as separate, non-action entities. The text paints bonus actions as a subset, not a disjoint set.
Doesn't matter. There is one rule that says you can only take one bonus action on your turn. And there is another rule that says you can only move the spiritual weapon as a bonus action. So either you are using your bonus action to move it and then another bonus action to move it again, or else your action/ready/reaction chain never engages in a bonus action, which means you cannot move the spiritual weapon. Either way, it's a conflict.
You always fall on one side of that equation and either side prevents you from doing it twice.
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"Not all those who wander are lost"
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1) The spell takes a bonus action to cast and specifically says you can attack with it on the turn it is cast.
2) On subsequent turns you can use a bonus action to move the weapon up to 20' if you want to and make another attack.
You can NOT use your action to make an attack with a spiritual weapon. You can only use a bonus action. Spiritual weapon is a spell that only does exactly what it says it does.
"You create a floating, spectral weapon within range that lasts for the duration or until you cast this spell again. When you cast the spell, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to ld8 + your spellcasting ability modifier.
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."
Spell is a bonus action to cast, when you cast it you can make an attack. On subsequent turns you can use your bonus action to move it up to 20' and make another attack against a creature within 5' of it.
You can not use the spell to make an attack as an action - that is not an option listed in the spell. Your character could make a melee weapon attack OR your character could cast a cantrip or take a number of other actions. One thing they can not do it make another attack as an action with the spiritual weapon.
Only bonus action. There is nothing letting you use your action to attack with it.
No, but you can attack by yourself in addition to using the spiritual weapon to attack. That still counts for quite a bit.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I wonder if you could find a way to do it with Ready, by using both your Action and Reaction up?
Action: Ready: "I will attack with my Spiritual Weapon, the next creature that I attack with my Spiritual Weapon"
Bonus Action: use the Spiritual Weapon 30 foot move and attack as normal
Reaction: execute the Ready trigger, to attack with Spiritual Weapon
? That would work, right ?
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Can't Ready a Bonus Action, so no. :(
Even if you could, you couldn't use it for Spiritual Weapon's Bonus Action attack, since it explicitly states "on our turn".
Why not? You can ready any "action" (lower case a sense), not just one of the Action-actions. See examples provided, which are moving (almost never an Action) and pulling levers (which is typically a free object interaction). Spiritual Weapon grants you a special action you can take on your turn (using a Bonus Action).
And, the example I provided was to Ready a use for later on your own turn. Take a closer look.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
In theory, it should be possible to prepare a bonus action with the Ready action since bonus actions are a special kind of action. The problem is that you can take only one bonus action during your turn, and taking that bonus action with the Ready action arguably doesn't change the fact that what you did is a bonus action. You'd end up wasting using your action and reaction to take a bonus action you already had the ability to take, and still wouldn't get a second bonus action.
Some minor nitpicks: neither of the examples you cited are proof that you can ready non-action activities. The Ready action explicitly allows movement instead of an action, and pulling a lever can be done with the Use An Object action since that action can also do anything you'd be able to do with your free object interaction. The game doesn't really have a concept of Actions-with-a-capital-A, it's just that the names of the normal action options are capitalized as proper nouns.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
It's one of the weird things with 5e. They call it an Action and a "Bonus Action", implying (or even specifically saying) that Bonus Action is a lesser/faster activity.
But they don't let you give up you "bigger" action for the "lesser" one. Might as well call it Action A and Action B.
Spell cast as a Bonus Action is specifically described as "especially swift" and yet you can ready a Fireball but you can't ready a Misty Step.
Thank you for the thread that made me aware of another thing I will be fixing at my table.
You're right about the taking it later on your turn, I glossed over that.
Still, Ready only allows readying an action, not a bonus action. The examples provided are all either actions or movement (which is also explicitly allowed). Pulling a lever is accomplished used the [Tooltip Not Found] action.
I realize there is a bit of inconsistency regarding whether bonus actions are also actions or not (being unable to take actions implies being unable to take bonus actions, but spells that require a bonus action can't be cast using your action, nor vice versa), but the intent has been clarified as to Ready not allowing bonus actions to be readied. For example, you can't Ready spells that take a bonus action to cast (and I do realize this is not what you're proposing in your example), only spells with a cast time of "1 action". Also, note that you can only take one bonus action during your turn, so your example is not allowed, even if bonus actions can be Readied.
Simply put you can't ready a Bonus Action. Its convoluted but Help states an Action not a Bonus Action so its not possible.
No, it really doesn't.
"I move away" is not an Action.
You are well aware that "action" in the PHB can be used to describe actions like Two-Weapon Fighting, which is a Bonus Action. There is nothing within Ready which indicates it means "Action", and explicit examples that it does not.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
You do not "take" a Bonus Action when you Ready. Ready is itself an Action, not the size of whatever you're reading. You cannot Ready movement using movement.
Ready is an action, and launders any size of activity into a future Reaction after trigger.
This works.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
"I ready a Misty Step to teleport away if anyone comes next to me" is something that you can do with Ready. This is not new or controversial.(whoops, no you can't, but only because there's seperate language prohibiting spells with casting times other than Action). nevertheless...I'm aware that people don't often think of using Ready to attack twice with Spiritual Weapon, its a crafty life hack. But you're needing to read waaaayyyyyy too much unwritten language into Ready to tell me that it discriminates between eligible actions based on the size of their Action vs Bonus Action vs Reaction economy. That is not how the examples read, neither of which are Action-using actions. (pulling a lever is a free object interaction, movement is movement)
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
"Bonus" only implies that it's additional. They changed it from "minor action" in 4th precisely because they didn't want to imply that a bonus action is in some sense a smaller or faster action; the spellcasting rules are a special case (and allowing BA spells to be cast as an action doesn't break much in my opinion, because of the rules on bonus action spells.)
It might seem needlessly constricting but it does greatly reduce the complexity of taking your turn. The substitution rules in 4e meant there were 5 different combinations of move action, minor action and standard action to consider and there were free actions on top of that.
See my earlier post. The real issue is that you still can't take 2 bonus actions in one turn. The Use An Object action can do everything that a free object interaction can and the Ready action explicitly lists movement as an alternative to preparing an action.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
You can only move the spiritual weapon as a bonus action. So either you are taking two bonus actions on your turn or else you are not engaging in the kind of action that can move the spiritual weapon.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
And you can only take an Action on your own turn, and yet, Ready operates to allow you to take that Action as a Reaction on a turn other than your own! Gasp!
When you take your reaction to execute an action that was earlier Readied, you are not using an Action, or a Bonus Action. You are using a Reaction. There is no prohibition against taking an Action, Bonus Action, and Reaction on the same turn.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
The reason we say you can’t ready a bonus action is that Crawford says you can’t, because you can only ready an action and a bonus action isn’t an action.
I’m on board with the idea that you can only ready an action, because that’s literally what the Ready text says. I’m on board with the design intent being that a bonus action not be an action, because that’s what Crawford says.
But, I’m kinda with CC on there not being any actual textual support for the hard distinction, at least in terms of whether or not you can ready a bonus action. The bonus action rules put some limits in place that mean you can’t use your main action to make a second bonus action; I think it’s also pretty clear you can’t use your reaction to make a second bonus action on your turn. But the Ready action already includes specific wording that lets you use your reaction to take an action outside your turn. Bonus actions are described as “additional actions,” not as separate, non-action entities. The text paints bonus actions as a subset, not a disjoint set.
Doesn't matter. There is one rule that says you can only take one bonus action on your turn. And there is another rule that says you can only move the spiritual weapon as a bonus action. So either you are using your bonus action to move it and then another bonus action to move it again, or else your action/ready/reaction chain never engages in a bonus action, which means you cannot move the spiritual weapon. Either way, it's a conflict.
You always fall on one side of that equation and either side prevents you from doing it twice.
"Not all those who wander are lost"