So a situation has come up a few times during my playgroup's sessions and it seems to be up to interpretation, so I want to hear what others think.
Situation: First round of combat (no surprise round), when can an individual first use their reaction?
The rule:
Reactions
Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack is the most common type of reaction. When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction.
Some added context from the rules on Surprise:
Surprise
If you’re surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can’t take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren’t.
Scenario 1:
Ruffian has initiative 10
Good guy has initiative 5
On the first turn of combat the Ruffian runs by Good Guy, triggering an Opportunity Attack. Now the interpretation is based on the wording of how often you can make reactions; "When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn." This can be read in the sense that you can only take reactions after the beginning of your very first turn of combat. So in the case above, the Good guy cannot make an Opportunity Attack, because they haven't had their turn. If the Good guy could use a reaction before their first turn, the wording would essentially grant them a new reaction as soon as they start their very first turn, so they essentially get access to two reactions during the first combat round - although likely first usable during the second combat round, but not necessarily the case.
In the first case this would also mean a spellcaster rolling a higher initiative can safely cast spells without fear of Counter Spells as any opponents with access to the spell don't have their reaction yet. That grants a significant advantage to having a high initiative.
Scenario 2:
Ruffian has initiative 10
Good guy has initiative 5 and is surprised
The Ruffian takes their turn during surprise round and does something that triggers a reaction feature on Good guy (lets say Defensive Duelist) but Good guy haven't gotten his turn and thus have no reaction, on top of being surprised which prevents the use of reactions during that round of combat. Good guy gets his turn during the surprise round, gaining a reaction, but is still prevented from taking reactions during the surprise round. Surprise round ends and the Ruffian takes his turn during normal combat, at which point Good guy has had a turn (during surprise round) and thus have a reaction, now unhindered by being surprised, which he can use for Defensive Duelist.
Correct?
So I was wondering; how do you interpret the wording around reactions for when you first have access to your reaction for the first round of combat?
Turns are not specific to initiatives so when out of initiative you measure your turn narratively as passage of time (about 6 seconds). It doesn't matter much because whenever timing becomes important you use initiative. Nevertheless you have turns and any turn-based resources available out of combat just as you do while in it. So, you have your reaction available until you use it and then it will be recovered: after 6 seconds, if out of initiative or at start of your next turn if in initiative.
Scenario 1: Good Guy can use their reaction to make the Opportunity Attack or cast Counterspell.
Scenario 2: Surprise is applied when Initiative is called. Good Guy will be unable to make reactions, then their 1st Turn begins they are still unable to use a reaction because they are still surprised. When their 1st turn ends they are no longer surprised and may then make reactions.
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You can always use a reaction unless noted otherwise. In this specific case, you can use one at the beginning of the first combat round in which you aren't surprised.
Just to clarify; if you're surprised but have higher initiative than the creatures who are ambushing (aka not surprised during a surprise round) you can actually use your reaction against whatever actions they do during their turn during the surprise round?
Just to clarify; if you're surprised but have higher initiative than the creatures who are ambushing (aka not surprised during a surprise round) you can actually use your reaction against whatever actions they do during their turn during the surprise round?
Correct. If they are surprised they can't take any actions/movement on their turn. However, they can use a reaction as soon as their turn ends. This means that if the attackers roll a lower initiative then when the surprised creature's turn comes around they can use reactions like shield, counterspell or opportunity attacks (or any other reaction for that matter).
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So a situation has come up a few times during my playgroup's sessions and it seems to be up to interpretation, so I want to hear what others think.
Situation: First round of combat (no surprise round), when can an individual first use their reaction?
The rule:
Reactions
Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack is the most common type of reaction.
When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction.
Some added context from the rules on Surprise:
Surprise
If you’re surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can’t take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren’t.
Scenario 1:
Ruffian has initiative 10
Good guy has initiative 5
On the first turn of combat the Ruffian runs by Good Guy, triggering an Opportunity Attack.
Now the interpretation is based on the wording of how often you can make reactions; "When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn." This can be read in the sense that you can only take reactions after the beginning of your very first turn of combat. So in the case above, the Good guy cannot make an Opportunity Attack, because they haven't had their turn.
If the Good guy could use a reaction before their first turn, the wording would essentially grant them a new reaction as soon as they start their very first turn, so they essentially get access to two reactions during the first combat round - although likely first usable during the second combat round, but not necessarily the case.
In the first case this would also mean a spellcaster rolling a higher initiative can safely cast spells without fear of Counter Spells as any opponents with access to the spell don't have their reaction yet. That grants a significant advantage to having a high initiative.
Scenario 2:
Ruffian has initiative 10
Good guy has initiative 5 and is surprised
The Ruffian takes their turn during surprise round and does something that triggers a reaction feature on Good guy (lets say Defensive Duelist) but Good guy haven't gotten his turn and thus have no reaction, on top of being surprised which prevents the use of reactions during that round of combat. Good guy gets his turn during the surprise round, gaining a reaction, but is still prevented from taking reactions during the surprise round.
Surprise round ends and the Ruffian takes his turn during normal combat, at which point Good guy has had a turn (during surprise round) and thus have a reaction, now unhindered by being surprised, which he can use for Defensive Duelist.
Correct?
So I was wondering; how do you interpret the wording around reactions for when you first have access to your reaction for the first round of combat?
Turns are not specific to initiatives so when out of initiative you measure your turn narratively as passage of time (about 6 seconds). It doesn't matter much because whenever timing becomes important you use initiative. Nevertheless you have turns and any turn-based resources available out of combat just as you do while in it. So, you have your reaction available until you use it and then it will be recovered: after 6 seconds, if out of initiative or at start of your next turn if in initiative.
Scenario 1: Good Guy can use their reaction to make the Opportunity Attack or cast Counterspell.
Scenario 2: Surprise is applied when Initiative is called. Good Guy will be unable to make reactions, then their 1st Turn begins they are still unable to use a reaction because they are still surprised. When their 1st turn ends they are no longer surprised and may then make reactions.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Neither.
If you are not surprised then you can use a Reaction at any point after the start of combat.
If you are surprised then you can use a Reaction at any point after the end of your first turn in that combat.
You can always use a reaction unless noted otherwise. In this specific case, you can use one at the beginning of the first combat round in which you aren't surprised.
Correct. If they are surprised they can't take any actions/movement on their turn. However, they can use a reaction as soon as their turn ends. This means that if the attackers roll a lower initiative then when the surprised creature's turn comes around they can use reactions like shield, counterspell or opportunity attacks (or any other reaction for that matter).