Basic question about crossbow mechanics, the PHB explains what the "loading" property means, but it doesn't specify exactly when reloading takes place. Put simply if I fire my crossbow in Round 1, can I fire again in round 2 (meaning loading and firing is wrapped up as one action) or does that rounds action have to be taken reloading and then in round 3 I fire again?
Crossbows are always ready-to-fire once per action. Reloading takes place immediately before firing as a free "interact" action, similar to drawing a sword. So you still retain a bonus action and your movement.
So, yes, you can fire the crossbow once each turn as long as you have ammunition.
"Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield."
"Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make."
It states you can only fire 1 piece of ammunition from it when you take an Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. The Loading rule itself is not any kind of action, it is an rule that is an subsection of the Ammunition Rule, placing a restriction upon it. I read this as an inclusive OR so it applies to each action type individually instead of across the entire round or during a turn. The wording says nothing about a Turn or Round so there is no reason to assume it applies.
To me, this means you can fire 1 piece of ammunition as a Action, Bonus Action and Reaction all in one Round, so you can fire 3 pieces of ammo in a round but no more. Example: A 17th lvl Rogue:Scout using the Sudden Strike ability can fire 1 bolt as an Action and fire 1 bolt as a Bonus Action.
The exclusion comes in that you cannot fire 2 pieces of ammunition in a single Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. Example: A 5th lvl Fighter with the Extra Attack feature cannot fire multiple shots from a crossbow on the same Action.
It states you can only fire 1 piece of ammunition from it when you take an Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. The Loading rule itself is not any kind of action, it is an rule that is an subsection of the Ammunition Rule, placing a restriction upon it. I read this as an inclusive OR so it applies to each action type individually instead of across the entire round or during a turn. The wording says nothing about a Turn or Round so there is no reason to assume it applies.
To me, this means you can fire 1 piece of ammunition as a Action, Bonus Action and Reaction all in one Round, so you can fire 3 pieces of ammo in a round but no more. Example: A 17th lvl Rogue:Scout using the Sudden Strike ability can fire 1 bolt as an Action and fire 1 bolt as a Bonus Action.
The loading feature ends with "regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make." This makes it non-inclusive, as long as the loading property is active you can only shoot the crossbow ONCE as either an action, bonus action, or reaction until the start of your next turn (when the number of attacks you can normally make resets). So for example, if you shoot the crossbow as your action, you can't use your reaction to shoot it a second time until your next turn.
It should be noted, though, that the Crossbow Expert feat allows you to ignore the loading property and fire your crossbow multiple times each turn.
The loading feature ends with "regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make." This makes it non-inclusive, as long as the loading property is active you can only shoot the crossbow ONCE as either an action, bonus action, or reaction until the start of your next turn (when the number of attacks you can normally make resets). So for example, if you shoot the crossbow as your action, you can't use your reaction to shoot it a second time until your next turn.
It is one piece of ammunition per action type. Look carefully at the phb. Attack action is different than an attack. They use a capital A to distinguish them. This is important because certain features, such as the Extra Attack feature of the fighter, allow you to make more than one attack with the Attack action. Loading property prohibits a second attack from the Attack action, you can still use a crossbow on a reaction or bonus action thar round. It doesn't happen very often, but thems the rules. Bunny explained it correctly.
Crossbows are always ready-to-fire once per action. Reloading takes place immediately before firing as a free "interact" action, similar to drawing a sword. So you still retain a bonus action and your movement.
So, yes, you can fire the crossbow once each turn as long as you have ammunition.
Just to clarify here, the getting of the bolt/arrow and loading into the crossbow does not use up your single object interaction per turn (like drawing a sword does). The getting, loading and firing are all included in the single action/reaction/bonus, but if you would normally be able to make two attacks with a single Action then you can only make one due to the loading feature. So in one turn you could grab your crossbow from where you store it slung over a shoulder (one object interaction) then load, aim and fire it (Attack Action).
"...,REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS YOU CAN NORMALLY MAKE." phb., pg.147, ln. 20-21
"...,you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action or reaction (this is the big part) to fire it,..."
"On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed and take one action." phb. pg 189
(Taking the "Attack action", is an attack. You choose to take the "Attack action" on your turn, DURING your action phase, bonus action phase, or reaction phase.This is why you have an action phase and move phase. Anything that requires rolling to hit something, is an attack or a.k.a an "Attack Action")
A 17th level Rogue/Scout is allowed an additional attack as a bonus action (meaning he gets a bonus action, but it must be the Attack action or aka "an attack"), if he attacks. He can't use that bonus action he gets to Dash or take the "Dash action" or Hide or take the "Hide action". He can only take the "Attack action" meaning he can only make an attack.
Therefore, "NORMALLY" a 17th level Rogue/Scout, could take 2 attacks, but if he's using a crossbow, he can only make 1 attack with that crossbow "Because of the time required to load this weapon,..." However, the Rouge/Scout COULD attack with a sword, drop the sword, retrieve the crossbow, then fire a shot, effectively using his bonus action, his extra attack, to fire the crossbow, that he has yet to fire and is still loaded on this turn, during this action.
The ONLY WAY he can make 2 crossbow attacks, is if he has:
1. The Crossbow Expert feat
2. 2 light or heavy crossbows (shoot, then drop the first crossbow and grab the second one off your back, then KERPOWEEE!! 2 shots. That's the only way.)
This is the entire reason the feat CROSSBOW EXPERT exists. Otherwise that feat would be pointless.
Saying that the "Ammunition" text is apart or in some way related to "Loading", is wrong. Ammunition denotes that you NEED ammunition to shoot it, for games that like to keep track of inventory. "Drawing the ammunition from a quiver...etc." is just letting you know how to retrieve the ammunition...not how to load it. Loading the crossbow is apart of the attack action. That's why there is an entire loading paragraph on the next page.
To be clear, you can only shoot it once (w/out the Crossbow Expert feat). Once as an action (using the "Attack action") OR as a bonus action (using the "Attack action") OR as a reaction, on your turn.
If something gives you 2 attacks, that doesn't give you 2 actions. The only way to get 2 actions, is through getting a Bonus action. You can only take 1 bonus action, 1 action and 1 reaction per turn.
(Taking the "Attack action", is an attack. You choose to take the "Attack action" on your turn, DURING your action phase, bonus action phase, or reaction phase.This is why you have an action phase and move phase. Anything that requires rolling to hit something, is an attack or a.k.a an "Attack Action")
Sorry, but this is flat out wrong. The Attack action is a specific, named action. The name is even capitalized; it's a proper noun.
If a rule grants you a new kind of action, bonus action or reaction, and that rule doesn't say you're taking the Attack action, then you're not taking the Attack action. Putting it differently, the Attack action allows you to attack but not everything that allows you to attack is the Attack action (and it doesn't make sense to say "an" Attack action because there's only one.)
There's also no such thing as a "movement phase" or "action phase".
Finally, the Loading restriction only limits you to one shot per action, bonus action and reaction. A 17th level Scout can attack with the Attack action and again with the bonus action from Sudden Strike. That's two different actions, and therefore two possible crossbow attacks.
"Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make."
You can make a crossbow attack with all three of these turn segments in a single round, all the Loading property does is override any features you may have gained from your class levels, such as a Gloom Stalker's "Dread Ambusher", a Samurai's "Rapid Strike", or the "Extra Attack" feature that many classes get. If they had intended it to mean that you can only attack once per round or per turn, they would have said so. For example, a Fighter could Action Surge and make a second attack on their turn if they wanted. A 7th-level Eldritch Knight could cast a cantrip with their Action, use their "War Magic" feature to attack as a Bonus Action, then Action Surge to take the Attack action and make a second attack.
I wouldn't worry TOO much about the physics on this one, after all it's a Role-Playing Game, not a Role-Playing Simulation :)
You guys are all wrong. Don't listen to these people if you read this thread. You can only shoot once, no matter if you do it as an action, bonus action or reaction. Only once.
ill say it again for those in the back... "...,REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS YOU CAN NORMALLY MAKE." phb., pg.147, ln. 20-21
Some abilities grant you a BONUS action. Meaning, you get:
2 actions & 1 movement *(you can only use 1 BONUS action PER TURN)*
Some abilities say "You can make an attack as a BONUS action", meaning you have the CHOICE to use your 1 BONUS action to attack.
Sometimes, an ability will say "As a BONUS action, you can dodge, hide or dash", meaning you can do one of those as your 1 BONUS action.
So, if both of those abilities activate on your turn, you will have the option to:
Take 1 action, 1 movement and 1 BONUS action, but your BONUS action can only be (dash, dodge, hide or attack).
**a "BONUS action" is just a second "action". It's the same thing.
Normally you get 1 action, unless an ability gives you a BONUS action.
No... this is entirely false. Literally every line is, or contains, a false statement.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Basic question about crossbow mechanics, the PHB explains what the "loading" property means, but it doesn't specify exactly when reloading takes place. Put simply if I fire my crossbow in Round 1, can I fire again in round 2 (meaning loading and firing is wrapped up as one action) or does that rounds action have to be taken reloading and then in round 3 I fire again?
Thanks for your time.
Ignoring the debate for a moment to answer the actual original question...
Reloading, in this case, is considered to happen in the same action as your attack, as is described in the Ammunition property. "Drawing the ammunition [expended in the attack] from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack." So reloading your crossbow happens immediately before you fire it, regardless of whether you're firing it as an action, a bonus action, or (somehow) a reaction. The Loading property exists mostly to say that preparing a weapon like a crossbow to fire takes long enough that abilities which allow you to seamlessly make multiple attacks in a single action, like Extra Attack, don't function with this more cumbersome device, so you only get one shot if whatever is granting you the ability to attack with the crossbow would otherwise give you more than one attack.
Side note:
You're wrong, Sicko. You will continue to be wrong. Your understanding of how a turn works in 5e is wrong, and will continue to be wrong. Stop it. Improve your understanding before continuing to espouse incorrect information, please.
Whilst I love my Necromancer (she wears a sun dress and it has pockets!), Necromancy is not looked upon favourably here. Closing this before it turns into further arguments.
Greetings,
Basic question about crossbow mechanics, the PHB explains what the "loading" property means, but it doesn't specify exactly when reloading takes place. Put simply if I fire my crossbow in Round 1, can I fire again in round 2 (meaning loading and firing is wrapped up as one action) or does that rounds action have to be taken reloading and then in round 3 I fire again?
Thanks for your time.
Crossbows are always ready-to-fire once per action. Reloading takes place immediately before firing as a free "interact" action, similar to drawing a sword. So you still retain a bonus action and your movement.
So, yes, you can fire the crossbow once each turn as long as you have ammunition.
"Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield."
"Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make."
It states you can only fire 1 piece of ammunition from it when you take an Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction.
The Loading rule itself is not any kind of action, it is an rule that is an subsection of the Ammunition Rule, placing a restriction upon it.
I read this as an inclusive OR so it applies to each action type individually instead of across the entire round or during a turn. The wording says nothing about a Turn or Round so there is no reason to assume it applies.
To me, this means you can fire 1 piece of ammunition as a Action, Bonus Action and Reaction all in one Round, so you can fire 3 pieces of ammo in a round but no more.
Example: A 17th lvl Rogue:Scout using the Sudden Strike ability can fire 1 bolt as an Action and fire 1 bolt as a Bonus Action.
The exclusion comes in that you cannot fire 2 pieces of ammunition in a single Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction.
Example: A 5th lvl Fighter with the Extra Attack feature cannot fire multiple shots from a crossbow on the same Action.
The loading feature ends with "regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make." This makes it non-inclusive, as long as the loading property is active you can only shoot the crossbow ONCE as either an action, bonus action, or reaction until the start of your next turn (when the number of attacks you can normally make resets). So for example, if you shoot the crossbow as your action, you can't use your reaction to shoot it a second time until your next turn.
It should be noted, though, that the Crossbow Expert feat allows you to ignore the loading property and fire your crossbow multiple times each turn.
It is one piece of ammunition per action type. Look carefully at the phb. Attack action is different than an attack. They use a capital A to distinguish them. This is important because certain features, such as the Extra Attack feature of the fighter, allow you to make more than one attack with the Attack action. Loading property prohibits a second attack from the Attack action, you can still use a crossbow on a reaction or bonus action thar round. It doesn't happen very often, but thems the rules. Bunny explained it correctly.
Jesus Saves!... Everyone else takes damage.
The Loading restriction is definitely one shot per action/bonus action/reaction. If it were one shot per round it'd just say that.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Just to clarify here, the getting of the bolt/arrow and loading into the crossbow does not use up your single object interaction per turn (like drawing a sword does). The getting, loading and firing are all included in the single action/reaction/bonus, but if you would normally be able to make two attacks with a single Action then you can only make one due to the loading feature. So in one turn you could grab your crossbow from where you store it slung over a shoulder (one object interaction) then load, aim and fire it (Attack Action).
"...,REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS YOU CAN NORMALLY MAKE." phb., pg.147, ln. 20-21
"...,you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action or reaction (this is the big part) to fire it,..."
"On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed and take one action." phb. pg 189
(Taking the "Attack action", is an attack. You choose to take the "Attack action" on your turn, DURING your action phase, bonus action phase, or reaction phase.This is why you have an action phase and move phase. Anything that requires rolling to hit something, is an attack or a.k.a an "Attack Action")
A 17th level Rogue/Scout is allowed an additional attack as a bonus action (meaning he gets a bonus action, but it must be the Attack action or aka "an attack"), if he attacks. He can't use that bonus action he gets to Dash or take the "Dash action" or Hide or take the "Hide action". He can only take the "Attack action" meaning he can only make an attack.
Therefore, "NORMALLY" a 17th level Rogue/Scout, could take 2 attacks, but if he's using a crossbow, he can only make 1 attack with that crossbow "Because of the time required to load this weapon,..." However, the Rouge/Scout COULD attack with a sword, drop the sword, retrieve the crossbow, then fire a shot, effectively using his bonus action, his extra attack, to fire the crossbow, that he has yet to fire and is still loaded on this turn, during this action.
The ONLY WAY he can make 2 crossbow attacks, is if he has:
1. The Crossbow Expert feat
2. 2 light or heavy crossbows (shoot, then drop the first crossbow and grab the second one off your back, then KERPOWEEE!! 2 shots. That's the only way.)
This is the entire reason the feat CROSSBOW EXPERT exists. Otherwise that feat would be pointless.
Saying that the "Ammunition" text is apart or in some way related to "Loading", is wrong. Ammunition denotes that you NEED ammunition to shoot it, for games that like to keep track of inventory. "Drawing the ammunition from a quiver...etc." is just letting you know how to retrieve the ammunition...not how to load it. Loading the crossbow is apart of the attack action. That's why there is an entire loading paragraph on the next page.
To be clear, you can only shoot it once (w/out the Crossbow Expert feat). Once as an action (using the "Attack action") OR as a bonus action (using the "Attack action") OR as a reaction, on your turn.
If something gives you 2 attacks, that doesn't give you 2 actions. The only way to get 2 actions, is through getting a Bonus action. You can only take 1 bonus action, 1 action and 1 reaction per turn.
Sorry, but this is flat out wrong. The Attack action is a specific, named action. The name is even capitalized; it's a proper noun.
If a rule grants you a new kind of action, bonus action or reaction, and that rule doesn't say you're taking the Attack action, then you're not taking the Attack action. Putting it differently, the Attack action allows you to attack but not everything that allows you to attack is the Attack action (and it doesn't make sense to say "an" Attack action because there's only one.)
There's also no such thing as a "movement phase" or "action phase".
Finally, the Loading restriction only limits you to one shot per action, bonus action and reaction. A 17th level Scout can attack with the Attack action and again with the bonus action from Sudden Strike. That's two different actions, and therefore two possible crossbow attacks.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
"Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make."
You can make a crossbow attack with all three of these turn segments in a single round, all the Loading property does is override any features you may have gained from your class levels, such as a Gloom Stalker's "Dread Ambusher", a Samurai's "Rapid Strike", or the "Extra Attack" feature that many classes get. If they had intended it to mean that you can only attack once per round or per turn, they would have said so. For example, a Fighter could Action Surge and make a second attack on their turn if they wanted. A 7th-level Eldritch Knight could cast a cantrip with their Action, use their "War Magic" feature to attack as a Bonus Action, then Action Surge to take the Attack action and make a second attack.
I wouldn't worry TOO much about the physics on this one, after all it's a Role-Playing Game, not a Role-Playing Simulation :)
You guys are all wrong. Don't listen to these people if you read this thread. You can only shoot once, no matter if you do it as an action, bonus action or reaction. Only once.
ill say it again for those in the back... "...,REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS YOU CAN NORMALLY MAKE." phb., pg.147, ln. 20-21
Final answer.
ONLY ONE CROSSBOW ATTACK, UNLESS YOU HAVE CROSSBOW EXPERT.
On your turn you get to do:
1 action & 1 movement
Some abilities grant you a BONUS action. Meaning, you get:
2 actions & 1 movement *(you can only use 1 BONUS action PER TURN)*
Some abilities say "You can make an attack as a BONUS action", meaning you have the CHOICE to use your 1 BONUS action to attack.
Sometimes, an ability will say "As a BONUS action, you can dodge, hide or dash", meaning you can do one of those as your 1 BONUS action.
So, if both of those abilities activate on your turn, you will have the option to:
Take 1 action, 1 movement and 1 BONUS action, but your BONUS action can only be (dash, dodge, hide or attack).
**a "BONUS action" is just a second "action". It's the same thing.
Normally you get 1 action, unless an ability gives you a BONUS action.
Abilities don't grant bonus actions.
... blah nevermind.
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No... this is entirely false. Literally every line is, or contains, a false statement.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Ignoring the debate for a moment to answer the actual original question...
Reloading, in this case, is considered to happen in the same action as your attack, as is described in the Ammunition property. "Drawing the ammunition [expended in the attack] from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack." So reloading your crossbow happens immediately before you fire it, regardless of whether you're firing it as an action, a bonus action, or (somehow) a reaction. The Loading property exists mostly to say that preparing a weapon like a crossbow to fire takes long enough that abilities which allow you to seamlessly make multiple attacks in a single action, like Extra Attack, don't function with this more cumbersome device, so you only get one shot if whatever is granting you the ability to attack with the crossbow would otherwise give you more than one attack.
Side note:
You're wrong, Sicko. You will continue to be wrong. Your understanding of how a turn works in 5e is wrong, and will continue to be wrong. Stop it. Improve your understanding before continuing to espouse incorrect information, please.
Please do not contact or message me.
Whilst I love my Necromancer (she wears a sun dress and it has pockets!), Necromancy is not looked upon favourably here. Closing this before it turns into further arguments.
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