Because I never know the term "bonus action" and the way you described is like "attack but also boosting stat". If you say, free action/instant action for buffing I would not think otherwise. There're example of that, that is done well.
Ah, I c... "Bonus Action" is a Dungeons & Dragons term, w/ the same meaning as "Instant Action" essentially. Sorry for the confusion, but I guess you can just substitute those 2 terms. It also wouldn't be limited to buffs; I just used that as an example. I would basically make any skill that seems minor or otherwise doesn't seem worth a full action a Bonus/Instant Action.
But regardless of what it's called, do you feel this is a good mechanic in general?
Extra Examples of Bonus Actions:
‣ Taunt - forces all enemies to target you.
‣ Substitute - switch positions with an ally within a 3-tile radius.
‣ High Stance - increases your Strength, Physical Crit, & Weapon Unleash chance by 10% while active.
‣ Stone Skin - increases an ally's Strength (ATK) & Constitution (DEF) for 4 turns.
‣ Water's Wisdom - increases an ally's Intellect (MAT) & Willpower (MDF) for 4 turns.
*note: The user counts as an "
ally" as well for those last 2 spells.
Edit: I just feel like the term
Instant Action doesn't inform players of its meaning very well, whereas
Bonus Action simply means "
an action that is a bonus". Compare that w/ "
an action that is instant". The word "
Action" tells them it is something you do (duh), while the adjective in front describes what kind of
action it is. These are just my opinions though, and others obviously may have different experiences.
The term
Instant Action also confuses me because...well, aren't actions already instant? At least in most battle systems, w/ only the default not being the case.