D&D 5E Action Economy - Is this Correct?

[WarpedAcorn]

I wanted to check to see if this action economy works out right or if I am just stretching too far.

My fighter begins the round with a Sword and Shield standing adjacent to an enemy. His turn arrives...

-Bonus Action: Shove via Shield Mastery Feat
-Interact with Object: Drop Shield
-Free Action: Change sword grip from one to two-hand
-Attack Action: Swing sword (two-handed)
-Free Action: Action Surge
-Attack Action (Surge): Swing sword (two-handed)
-Move Action: Pick up Shield

Is this legal? I feel like I am missing something that should not make this legal.

One sidenote, we do play that the Bonus Action from Shield Mastery can come before the Attack action, so order in that regard is not a problem.

 

[Corwin]

Per the rules, it takes an action to equip or remove a shield. Also, there is no allowance for using movement to pick up an object. In 5e, movement is not an "action". It's just the total distance you can travel, on your turn, as you perform your action(s).

 

[WarpedAcorn]

Per the rules, it takes an action to equip or remove a shield. Also, there is no allowance for using movement to pick up an object. In 5e, movement is not an "action". It's just the total distance you can travel, on your turn, as you perform your action(s).

Ahhh, gotcha. Must be some previous edition thinking sneaking in. Thanks for the clarification and from saving me embarrassment at the game table!

 

[ProphetSword]

One sidenote, we do play that the Bonus Action from Shield Mastery can come before the Attack action, so order in that regard is not a problem.

I think the rules actually support this anyway, provided the bonus action doesn't specify timing. In this case, using the Shield Master ability before the Attack Action just means that the character MUST take the Attack action instead of another action in order for it to be legal.

Aside from that, Corwin is correct. Movement is not an "action," and there are no rules in 5e for trading out your Move for some other action. If you don't move, you just don't move. You don't gain any additional benefits by refusing to move.

 

[cmad1977]

As Corwin said, the move action is not interchangeable with other actions. So as far as I can tell, everything works up until you pick up your shield.


Edit: and now it appears my input is superfluous.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alatar]

I think the rules actually support this anyway, provided the bonus action doesn't specify timing.

Jeremy Crawford agrees with you.

 

[ProphetSword]

Jeremy Crawford agrees with you.

Thanks for finding that. When I wrote my reply, I knew that it existed in Sage Advice, but I was at work and didn't have time to seek it out. So, I appreciate you pointing it out so that OP was aware that what they're doing is technically legal by the rules anyway.

 

[Arial Black]

All the replies have been correct so far, but here's a bit more info:-

* if you have nothing in your hands apart from one weapon, then switching grips from 1H to 2H, or 2H to 1H, is not an action at all and you can do it whenever you like on your own turn

* you can drop an object you are holding on your turn, and it doesn't take an action

* you can pick up an object, but this takes your free object interaction. If you do something that would require your free object interaction but you have already used it this round, then it takes your action

* there is no 'move action', just an distance you can move during your turn. Therefore, you cannot swap that movement for doing something else as a 'move equivalent action'. This is a change from earlier editions

* shields are not just 'held' like a weapon; you cannot just let an equipped shield go to drop it, or equip it just by holding it. A shield only gives +2 to AC when properly equipped; just 'holding' one will not improve your AC. To either equip or un-equip a shield costs you your action.

So if your example PC were holding a weapon in each hand then he could easily drop one (not an action), grip the other in both hands (not an action), attack twice (attack action with Extra Attack), switch to holding his weapon in one hand (not an action), pick up the dropped weapon, or draw a new weapon (your one free object interaction this round), and can move as and when he like during all this (up to his move) and take any bonus action he qualifies to take.

The problem with the shield bash guy doing this is that it would take his action to un-equip the shield, but because he used his bonus action to shield bash and he only had that bonus action because he's taking the attack action, he cannot take any other action except the attack action, so the 'un-equip shield' action is not available this round. Even if it was, it would be pointless to get rid of your shield in order to use your weapon 2Hed because you wouldn't have an action left with which to attack because you'd've used to to un-equip your shield. Also, you'd need both your free object interaction to pick up your dropped shield AND your action to re-equip it.

 

[Plaguescarred]

My fighter begins the round with a Sword and Shield standing adjacent to an enemy. His turn arrives...

-Bonus Action: Shove via Shield Mastery Feat
-Interact with Object: Drop Shield
-Free Action: Change sword grip from one to two-hand
-Attack Action: Swing sword (two-handed)
-Free Action: Action Surge
-Attack Action (Surge): Swing sword (two-handed)
-Move Action: Pick up Shield

Is this legal?

No it's using way too many actions as others have pointed out donning and doffing a shield is an action, so is further item interactions. It would be more like this;

-Bonus Action: Shove via Shield Mastery Feat
-Action: Doff Shield
-Free item interact: Drop Shield
-Action: Change sword grip from one to two-hand
-Action: Swing sword (two-handed)
-Free: Action Surge
-Action: Swing sword (two-handed)
-Action: Change sword grip from two to one hand
-Action: Pick up Shield
-Action: Don Shield

One sidenote, we do play that the Bonus Action from Shield Mastery can come before the Attack action, so order in that regard is not a problem.

It's intended to work this way as per WoTC

 

[Ancalagon]

* shields are not just 'held' like a weapon; you cannot just let an equipped shield go to drop it, or equip it just by holding it. A shield only gives +2 to AC when properly equipped; just 'holding' one will not improve your AC. To either equip or un-equip a shield costs you your action.

I'm a bit shaky on the rules aspect, but as someone who's used a shield in real life more than a few times, I can definitely confirm that a shield takes a few moments to put on and off.