Level Up (A5E) Accuracy bonus from trained accuracy ranger feature

PauloR said:

This is quite specific, so I'm kinda after help with RAW interpretation or maybe how others have ruled it (or, God forbid, designer's intention).

The accuracy Bonus of the Ranger's trained accuracy feature reads "When you make a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to gain an attack bonus or damage bonus.."
Do you call for the feature before you roll and you get an attack bonus if you miss (potentially turning a miss into a hit) and the damage bonus if you hit or can you choose after you see the roll? "When you make an attack" is rather vague and open for interpretation.

Thanks

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"When you make a weapon attack" is when you decide whether or not to use Trained Accuracy's Accuracy Bonus (before you roll for attack or damage). You say "I want to get a +1" and then you roll it.

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MAKING AN ATTACK
Attacks all follow a simple structure, whether it is a melee attack with a sword, a ranged attack with a bow, or a spell attack. If it ever needs to be determined whether an action counts as an attack, it is an attack if you are making an attack roll.

Select a Target: Choose a target within your attack’s reach or range: a creature, an object, or a location in space. Generally, you must have line of sight and line of effect to attack a target, but that can vary (such as firing an arrow through a glass window, or swinging a sword at where you assume a hidden target is located).
Apply Modifiers: The Narrator determines whether the target has cover and if you have advantage or disadvantage on your attack roll. Certain abilities, spells, or effects can apply additional modifiers or expertise dice to your attack roll.
Resolve the Attack: You make your attack roll, rolling a d20 and applying your modifier with the bonuses or penalties from above. On a hit, you roll damage and apply any additional effects of the attack.

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Distracted DM said:

It's far from the first time this has come up
Looking in the EN Discord server reveals the question multiple times, usually with the same answer. One of the designers' answers was:





For reference here's attacking:

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PauloR said:

Does that mean that I could also choose " I want +1d6 damage". Then roll it , miss it and waste the resource?

Or even choose the +1, roll it, miss it anyway, and waste the resource?

I'm ok with that option, the ranger has to many plusses to attack and damage to get a killer alpha strike if he is willing to spe d everything in one round

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Tessarael said:

Given the limited uses of Trained Accuracy, Wisdom modifier per long rest, I'd be inclined to allow it to be after the roll. Otherwise you burn it, and it may be a miss and irrelevant. Same deal with Parry and similar powers, we generally allow them to be after the roll, so that you have an idea of whether they're going to be worth using or not.

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Sepulchre said:

It’s way more fun if you let them use it after the roll.

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