Since a monster's multiattack action is composed of multiple attacks, could a monster break that action up?
Example: Could a yuan-ti abomination take the multiattack action, making a bite attack, then moving 30ft., making a scimitar attack, then move 10ft. and make a constrict attack?
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Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Technically no, because the multiattack is an entire single action.
Do you have any rules citations that support treating a Multi-attack Action any differently than an Attack Action made by a character with the Extra Attack class feature?
Because all I am seeing on the topic of whether or not you can move between attacks is this (found here, under Moving Between Attacks): "If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks."
Technically no, because the multiattack is an entire single action.
Do you have any rules citations that support treating a Multi-attack Action any differently than an Attack Action made by a character with the Extra Attack class feature?
Because all I am seeing on the topic of whether or not you can move between attacks is this (found here, under Moving Between Attacks): "If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks."
That's what I was remembering, but I was waiting for you to find it for me, because I'm lazy.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Technically no, because the multiattack is an entire single action.
Do you have any rules citations that support treating a Multi-attack Action any differently than an Attack Action made by a character with the Extra Attack class feature?
Because all I am seeing on the topic of whether or not you can move between attacks is this (found here, under Moving Between Attacks): "If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks."
Oh no, I just completely forgot about that. My mistake.
PHB: Movement and Position > Breaking Up Your Move > Moving Between Attacks
Moving Between Attacks
If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a fighter who can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again.
So even though both attacks provided by the Extra Attack feature are part of the same single action, you can move in between those attacks. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm fairly sure monsters can do the same with Multiattack.
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PHB: Movement and Position > Breaking Up Your Move > Moving Between Attacks
Moving Between Attacks
If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a fighter who can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again.
So even though both attacks provided by the Extra Attack feature are part of the same single action, you can move in between those attacks. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm fairly sure monsters can do the same with Multiattack.
Especially since, if you made a stat block for a character with Extra Attack, you would probably give it Multiattack instead.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
That's what I was remembering, but I was waiting for you to find it for me, because I'm lazy.
Hey, no biggie. It has always seemed weird to me, but my experience of talking games on the internet is that most folks don't actually go look at the rules while talking about them (for better or worse).
Meanwhile, I'll check a rule twice even when I'm fully confident I know what it is before I tell someone else "the rule says this". A buddy of mine thinks it's hilarious, because he knows I have 5 or 6 entire game lines, including edition differences of each, pretty much entirely memorized and he'll ask me a question about a rule (outside of game time, which is when I act as if I do actually already know the rules unless I am positive that I have no clue at all) for one of them and I will grab a book to check before answering.
Like others said, by the rules, yes, but if you're the DM you can make any ruling you want if you think the rules don't make sense, don't fit the situation correctly, or even for fun / dramatic effect.
Like if what a monster did by the rules makes you feel like they'd leave themselves vulnerable, you can make a ruling that they can't do it, or would do it with disadvantage, etc. Kind of like me with Sahuagin bite multiattacks when they're using a spear. Even with longer flexible necks, if they're trying to keep people at bay with a spear, I feel like it's too much for them to try and snake that head in for a bite, especially when their opponents have two weapons or a weapon and shield to threaten them with. That's when I would say that if it tries to bite someone that should easily be able to dodge or counter that attack, it'll have to be at disadvantage or even provoke an attack of opportunity.
Since a monster's multiattack action is composed of multiple attacks, could a monster break that action up?
Example: Could a yuan-ti abomination take the multiattack action, making a bite attack, then moving 30ft., making a scimitar attack, then move 10ft. and make a constrict attack?
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
I think so, but I'm not entirely sure I want you to reach that conclusion.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Technically no, because the multiattack is an entire single action.EDIT: see posts below.
Ok. Thanks for the help.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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ModeratorJust for clarification on where the ruling is:
Moving Between Attacks
If you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a fighter who can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again.
So even though both attacks provided by the Extra Attack feature are part of the same single action, you can move in between those attacks. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm fairly sure monsters can do the same with Multiattack.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Just in case there's still any doubt, it's definitely meant to work with Multiattack.
"The rule in "Moving between Attacks" (PH, 190) works with any action, including Multiattack, that contains more than one weapon attack." -Jeremy Crawford
(And on that note, the attacks can happen in any order.)
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Like others said, by the rules, yes, but if you're the DM you can make any ruling you want if you think the rules don't make sense, don't fit the situation correctly, or even for fun / dramatic effect.
Like if what a monster did by the rules makes you feel like they'd leave themselves vulnerable, you can make a ruling that they can't do it, or would do it with disadvantage, etc. Kind of like me with Sahuagin bite multiattacks when they're using a spear. Even with longer flexible necks, if they're trying to keep people at bay with a spear, I feel like it's too much for them to try and snake that head in for a bite, especially when their opponents have two weapons or a weapon and shield to threaten them with. That's when I would say that if it tries to bite someone that should easily be able to dodge or counter that attack, it'll have to be at disadvantage or even provoke an attack of opportunity.
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ModeratorUnless you're playing in AL, where the DM's discretion only applies to unclear rules. Aside from that, they're restricted to RAW.
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