Right, but shield master started it correct? Speaking of logic @JeremyECrawford, how does it make sense logically that you have to swing your sword first before bashing /w shield? Better to offbalance enemy before striking the blow I would think?
— Nate Holmberg (@nateholmberg) May 11, 2018
If anything, Shield Master should follow something more akin to the annoying bonus spell general rule; it doesn't matter the *order* (because you mention sequence elsewhere) of the attack action and the shield bonus action, but rather that they both take place in the same turn.
— Lulululululu (@Dude_Brahmin) May 25, 2018
D&D combat doesn't have an action-declaration phase. Things happen in order, and you can be interrupted at any moment by a reaction, trap, or the like. You can say, "I plan to take the Attack action," but that has no rules relevance until you're actually taking the action. #DnD https://t.co/RFeF6Etw04
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) May 25, 2018
Because *thematically* (as iirc you’ve stated is the way rules are designed), there’s 0 reason for to have to wait to complete the attack action before shield bashing. It doesn’t make sense and it’s clunky instead, not freeform. IMO, Shield Master needs an errata for your errata. There is no errata for Shield Master, but thank you for the feedback.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) May 26, 2018