D&D 5E Monsters with bonus actions

[trentonjoe]

Is there a monster that has bonus action? Or is all that stuff covered under the multiattack umbrella? I want to add some special abilities to normal monster and was looking for an example but couldn't find one after a quick glance of the MM.

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

For whatever reason, that's just not how they stat them up. If you look at an NPC like the Bandit Captain (I think that's the one, anyway), he's clearly meant to invoke the two-weapon fighting rules, but his off-hand attack is just listed as part of his Multiattack action. I think they were afraid of things getting too complicated, if creatures had a simple bonus action that they were expected to take ever turn. I mean, it wouldn't feel like a bonus action, if it's something obvious and straightforward like that.

 

[trentonjoe]

Thanks, I thought I remembered using one but I guess it was just me playing with the rules.

 

[redrick]

Is there a monster that has bonus action? Or is all that stuff covered under the multiattack umbrella? I want to add some special abilities to normal monster and was looking for an example but couldn't find one after a quick glance of the MM.

Thanks in advance.

How about the goblin?

"Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns." DM Basic Rules, page 30.

I think the Multiattack stuff gets consolidated, because the creature doesn't have any other possible bonus actions in its statblock, so there's no need to differentiate between a bonus action attack and a regular attack. On the other hand, if I were to allow one of my Bandit Captains to take some improvised action as a bonus action, I probably wouldn't have him make the 3rd off-hand dagger attack. But that's just my ruling.

 

[trentonjoe]

Thanks! The Gnoll's Rampage has it as well.

 

[Jediking]

Abilities like Pounce often allow the creature to make a bonus attack on a hit as well

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Warhorse has a bonus action trample, too.

 

[CapnZapp]

Epic monsters (dragons, demon lords etc) should have plenty of uses for bonus actions.

 

[CapnZapp]

I think the Multiattack stuff gets consolidated, because the creature doesn't have any other possible bonus actions in its statblock, so there's no need to differentiate between a bonus action attack and a regular attack. On the other hand, if I were to allow one of my Bandit Captains to take some improvised action as a bonus action, I probably wouldn't have him make the 3rd off-hand dagger attack. But that's just my ruling.

Yeah well I wouldn't complicate things.

The game is clearly set up to handle things without exceptions. Multiattack says nothing about excluding the regular rules including bonus actions.

If a Bandit Captain somehow gets access to a bonus action, simply let him use it normally.

Yes, that means he gets "three arms". But you know what? Monsters simply doesn't run by the same rules as player characters.

So while your ruling is understandable, and I'm not really trying to talk you out of it, I am trying to convince every other reader to not follow suit.

Keep the game simple. Don't invent special cases. The game isn't accidentally set up this way. It can handle you running things by the book. With no previous-edition baggage.

Cheers,