When using Slayer's Prey, can a Ranger attack a creature, roll the damage, then decide to spend the Bonus Action and activate Slayer's Prey (causing the extra 1d6 damage) in that same turn?
OR
Does the Ranger need to activate Slayer's Prey before they make the attack?
Slayer's Prey needs to be activated before the attack hits. Once you successfully hit and are rolling damage, you've missed the trigger.
Do you have a source for that answer? I never could find anything that fully explains it. It makes sense to me for Slayer's Prey to be activated first. In my example above, I am talking about the first round of combat, no actions have been taken, and no previous creatures have been picked as the "Slayer's Prey".
Rolling for damage is done after you determine whether or not the attack hits or misses (PHB Chapter 9, "Making an Attack"). Had to scrounge for an applicable sage advice:
"Starting at 3rd level, you can focus your ire on one foe, increasing the harm you inflict on it. As a bonus action, you designate one creature you can see within 60 feet of you as the target of this feature. The first time each turn that you hit that target with a weapon attack..."
The language is worded as indicating being done prior to a hit.
Some features also include a clause that you can post-designate a creature that you have just hit, but this feature has no such clause.
If you want, I can locate such a post-designation clause feature.
When using Slayer's Prey, can a Ranger attack a creature, roll the damage, then decide to spend the Bonus Action and activate Slayer's Prey (causing the extra 1d6 damage) in that same turn?
OR
Does the Ranger need to activate Slayer's Prey before they make the attack?
The Ranger must first designate a creature as its Slayer's Prey before it can inflict extra damage to it.
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When using Slayer's Prey, can a Ranger attack a creature, roll the damage, then decide to spend the Bonus Action and activate Slayer's Prey (causing the extra 1d6 damage) in that same turn?
OR
Does the Ranger need to activate Slayer's Prey before they make the attack?
Slayer's Prey needs to be activated before the attack hits. Once you successfully hit and are rolling damage, you've missed the trigger.
Do you have a source for that answer? I never could find anything that fully explains it. It makes sense to me for Slayer's Prey to be activated first. In my example above, I am talking about the first round of combat, no actions have been taken, and no previous creatures have been picked as the "Slayer's Prey".
Rolling for damage is done after you determine whether or not the attack hits or misses (PHB Chapter 9, "Making an Attack"). Had to scrounge for an applicable sage advice:
Divine Smite Sage Advice
Slayer's Prey's triggers "when you hit", so it needs to be active during step 2. If you activate after step 3, you've missed your window.
Slayer's Prey states:
The language is worded as indicating being done prior to a hit.
Some features also include a clause that you can post-designate a creature that you have just hit, but this feature has no such clause.
If you want, I can locate such a post-designation clause feature.
The Ranger must first designate a creature as its Slayer's Prey before it can inflict extra damage to it.