If a player decides to ready an action on their turn, can enemies see that the player is focused on a specific location waiting for a trigger?
For instance, the party is fighting a wizard and its pet troll. The wizard says they ready fireball for when the troll comes out of the dark. Normally the wizard would target the fighter to that can swing 3 times to cast slow, however, would the enemy wizard be able to notice the player focusing on the ready action and potentially cause the player not to use its reaction instead?
It seems kind of meta-gaming so I wanted to ask. However, it might seem fun to add to the chess match of players vs monsters.
If there is a check or a contested roll. What would be the abilities needed. Enemy perception check vs Player ??? check
[...] When you Ready a spell, you cast it as normal (expending any resources used to cast it) but hold its energy, which you release with your Reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of an action, and holding on to the spell’s magic requires Concentration, which you can maintain up to the start of your next turn. If your Concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect.
I think there are two important subdivisions of the question here.
Turns happen within the same 6 second round. They happen simultaneously despite the fact that the game mechanics have them occurring in a specific order. So initiative 20 and initiative 1 are happening at the same time.
In game mechanics a character/monster should easily be able to see another creature and determine if it is waiting for something. This should generally be obvious.
A spellcaster holding a spell is performing the necessary components of the spell so it would be obvious. Spellcasters also have to make concentration checks when they take damage while they are holding spells.
As for other characters, they really shouldn't be affected by holding an action. They are still presumably moving and blocking attacks. It's just they are waiting to take their actual swing of the sword utill something specific happens.
More importantly the monster should never be aware of game mechanics. The monster doesn't know it takes a reaction to use a readied action.
So I think the wizard should always target whoever it makes the most sense to target. Which is likely a fighter or perhaps another spellcaster. But it should never be because of a readied action.
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
For readying a spell or other action, does the target have to be in range?
Your target must be within range when you take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
For readying a spell or other action, does the target have to be in range?
Your target must be within range when you take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
I agree.
There is also an entry in the SAC similar to that one:
If a spellcaster is affected by slow and takes two turns to finish casting a spell, what happens if their target has moved out of range or out of sight?
You choose the targets of a spell when you complete casting a spell, not when you start. (slow)
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
For readying a spell or other action, does the target have to be in range?
Your target must be within range when you take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
I agree.
There is also an entry in the SAC similar to that one:
If a spellcaster is affected by slow and takes two turns to finish casting a spell, what happens if their target has moved out of range or out of sight?
You choose the targets of a spell when you complete casting a spell, not when you start. (slow)
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
For readying a spell or other action, does the target have to be in range?
Your target must be within range when you take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
I agree.
There is also an entry in the SAC similar to that one:
If a spellcaster is affected by slow and takes two turns to finish casting a spell, what happens if their target has moved out of range or out of sight?
You choose the targets of a spell when you complete casting a spell, not when you start. (slow)
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
Trigger and target are different things. All you need is decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction.
You could Ready Fire Bolt when a door open and it'd be a perfectly fine trigger to hurl a mote of fire at whatever come your way once this occur.
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
Trigger and target are different things. All you need is decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction.
You could Ready Fire Bolt when a door open and it'd be a perfectly fine trigger to hurl a mote of fire at whatever come your way once this occur.
Yeah, but you couldn't ready the fire bolt to shoot whoever comes out of the door and then once the door opens and you see some random dude step out, decide to fire someone behind you.
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
For readying a spell or other action, does the target have to be in range?
Your target must be within range when you take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
I agree.
There is also an entry in the SAC similar to that one:
If a spellcaster is affected by slow and takes two turns to finish casting a spell, what happens if their target has moved out of range or out of sight?
You choose the targets of a spell when you complete casting a spell, not when you start. (slow)
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
So? There is no range for the ready action.
There is not, but if you say you want to wait for someone to get close enough to fire bolt them, then you are essentially declaring the intent of your target.
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
Trigger and target are different things. All you need is decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction.
You could Ready Fire Bolt when a door open and it'd be a perfectly fine trigger to hurl a mote of fire at whatever come your way once this occur.
Yeah, but you couldn't ready the fire bolt to shoot whoever comes out of the door and then once the door opens and you see some random dude step out, decide to fire someone behind you.
Yes you could based on the trigger because you don't have to choose any target until you complete Fire Bolt's casting, at which point you release it and hurl a mote of fire at a creature or an object within range.
Yes, the act of reading an action would have a visual cue. It's up to the DM how much other creatures can infer from that visual cue. A low-int creature like a Troll would likely know little more than that the wizard is casting a spell. Whereas a high-int wizard might be able to figure out it is a fire spell and is likely targeting the troll.
TBH there's no rule to identify a spell during casting, only rule for Identifying an Ongoing Spell's effect with an duration longer than instantaneous.
Identifying an Ongoing Spell: You can try to identify a non-instantaneous spell by its observable effects if its duration is ongoing. To identify it, you must take the Study action and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
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If a player decides to ready an action on their turn, can enemies see that the player is focused on a specific location waiting for a trigger?
For instance, the party is fighting a wizard and its pet troll. The wizard says they ready fireball for when the troll comes out of the dark. Normally the wizard would target the fighter to that can swing 3 times to cast slow, however, would the enemy wizard be able to notice the player focusing on the ready action and potentially cause the player not to use its reaction instead?
It seems kind of meta-gaming so I wanted to ask. However, it might seem fun to add to the chess match of players vs monsters.
If there is a check or a contested roll. What would be the abilities needed. Enemy perception check vs Player ??? check
Technically, at least for Fireball, I'd say your enemies should notice you're casting it (see below, emphasis mine).
For other cases, I think it depends on the action, the situation, your features or the specific spells in case you're Readying those.
Either way, a DM is needed.
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I think there are two important subdivisions of the question here.
Turns happen within the same 6 second round. They happen simultaneously despite the fact that the game mechanics have them occurring in a specific order. So initiative 20 and initiative 1 are happening at the same time.
In game mechanics a character/monster should easily be able to see another creature and determine if it is waiting for something. This should generally be obvious.
A spellcaster holding a spell is performing the necessary components of the spell so it would be obvious. Spellcasters also have to make concentration checks when they take damage while they are holding spells.
As for other characters, they really shouldn't be affected by holding an action. They are still presumably moving and blocking attacks. It's just they are waiting to take their actual swing of the sword utill something specific happens.
More importantly the monster should never be aware of game mechanics. The monster doesn't know it takes a reaction to use a readied action.
So I think the wizard should always target whoever it makes the most sense to target. Which is likely a fighter or perhaps another spellcaster. But it should never be because of a readied action.
Others would see the caster readying a spell by it's casting but would have no way to know who or where it will choose to launch the spell's effect, nor knowing its Fireball even.
Per Sage Advice the target only have to be within range when you take the readied action.
I agree.
There is also an entry in the SAC similar to that one:
My only issue with that is that ready actions have specific triggers. So the trigger would need to be a specific person, or the first person who comes into range. So while the spell doesn't require the target prior to casting, the ready action does.
So? There is no range for the ready action.
Trigger and target are different things. All you need is decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction.
You could Ready Fire Bolt when a door open and it'd be a perfectly fine trigger to hurl a mote of fire at whatever come your way once this occur.
Yeah, but you couldn't ready the fire bolt to shoot whoever comes out of the door and then once the door opens and you see some random dude step out, decide to fire someone behind you.
There is not, but if you say you want to wait for someone to get close enough to fire bolt them, then you are essentially declaring the intent of your target.
Yes you could based on the trigger because you don't have to choose any target until you complete Fire Bolt's casting, at which point you release it and hurl a mote of fire at a creature or an object within range.
Yes, the act of reading an action would have a visual cue. It's up to the DM how much other creatures can infer from that visual cue. A low-int creature like a Troll would likely know little more than that the wizard is casting a spell. Whereas a high-int wizard might be able to figure out it is a fire spell and is likely targeting the troll.
TBH there's no rule to identify a spell during casting, only rule for Identifying an Ongoing Spell's effect with an duration longer than instantaneous.