Seems every DM I have played with so far has problems adjudicating Reactions and Opportunity Attacks. No consistency. I do have a somewhat specific question about this.
So let's take a character with "stackable" attacks or whatnot, say like a Paladin with stackable smites, or a Barbarian who has additional melee attacks through Rage, Frenzy, and Extra Attack. Does that character get to use the full stack when an Opportunity Attack or reaction is triggered? Can a character create a trigger for a reaction to make a melee attack? Or is that pretty much limited to using reaction spells?
Seems every DM I have played with so far has problems adjudicating Reactions and Opportunity Attacks. No consistency. I do have a somewhat specific question about this.
So let's take a character with "stackable" attacks or whatnot, say like a Paladin with stackable smites, or a Barbarian who has additional melee attacks through Rage, Frenzy, and Extra Attack. Does that character get to use the full stack when an Opportunity Attack or reaction is triggered? Can a character create a trigger for a reaction to make a melee attack? Or is that pretty much limited to using reaction spells?
This depends on the ability. An ability that reads "once per turn" like Sneak Attack or just when you hit with an attack with a melee weapon like Divine Smite works with an OA. However, Extra Attack doesn't work because that's when using the Attack action on your turn (which the OA is not), and Frenzy relies on a Bonus Action, which also doesn't work with the OA (as you only get those on your turn). Even readying an attack doesn't allow you to use Extra Attack because that only works when you take the Attack action on your turn.
One thing to remember is that you only get one Reaction per round:
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, described later in this section, 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.
Next, an opportunity attack is only one single attack:
To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature. The attack occurs right before the creature leaves your reach.
It's very important to note that when you are making an opportunity attack you are NOT taking an Attack Action. Instead, you are using a Reaction to make one melee attack. Mechanically, these are very different concepts.
You can indeed create your own trigger for a Reaction to make a melee attack if you take the Ready Action. In this case, you can respond to this trigger by taking an Attack Action. However, as already noted above in previous posts, many special features that allow for additional attacks are only valid on your turn, and this Attack Action that gets triggered by your Ready Action typically occurs on someone else's turn, so you typically still end up with just one attack from this Attack Action.
I'm sorry to hear that you have had bad experiences. I'd say most GMs know when Opportunity Attacks are supposed to happen. Reactions are dependent on what it is you're trying to do with them.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Seems every DM I have played with so far has problems adjudicating Reactions and Opportunity Attacks. No consistency. I do have a somewhat specific question about this.
So let's take a character with "stackable" attacks or whatnot, say like a Paladin with stackable smites, or a Barbarian who has additional melee attacks through Rage, Frenzy, and Extra Attack. Does that character get to use the full stack when an Opportunity Attack or reaction is triggered? Can a character create a trigger for a reaction to make a melee attack? Or is that pretty much limited to using reaction spells?
Here let's do this:
Reaction. It's an instant action you can take no matter if it is your turn or not.
Opportunity attack. It too is an instant action which is usually triggered by an opponent who tries to flee from combat, or if you have a weapon that extends 10 feet so you can catch the enemy before they get to you.
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Seems every DM I have played with so far has problems adjudicating Reactions and Opportunity Attacks. No consistency. I do have a somewhat specific question about this.
So let's take a character with "stackable" attacks or whatnot, say like a Paladin with stackable smites, or a Barbarian who has additional melee attacks through Rage, Frenzy, and Extra Attack. Does that character get to use the full stack when an Opportunity Attack or reaction is triggered? Can a character create a trigger for a reaction to make a melee attack? Or is that pretty much limited to using reaction spells?
This depends on the ability. An ability that reads "once per turn" like Sneak Attack or just when you hit with an attack with a melee weapon like Divine Smite works with an OA. However, Extra Attack doesn't work because that's when using the Attack action on your turn (which the OA is not), and Frenzy relies on a Bonus Action, which also doesn't work with the OA (as you only get those on your turn). Even readying an attack doesn't allow you to use Extra Attack because that only works when you take the Attack action on your turn.
That’s what I thought. 😀
One thing to remember is that you only get one Reaction per round:
Next, an opportunity attack is only one single attack:
It's very important to note that when you are making an opportunity attack you are NOT taking an Attack Action. Instead, you are using a Reaction to make one melee attack. Mechanically, these are very different concepts.
You can indeed create your own trigger for a Reaction to make a melee attack if you take the Ready Action. In this case, you can respond to this trigger by taking an Attack Action. However, as already noted above in previous posts, many special features that allow for additional attacks are only valid on your turn, and this Attack Action that gets triggered by your Ready Action typically occurs on someone else's turn, so you typically still end up with just one attack from this Attack Action.
I'm sorry to hear that you have had bad experiences. I'd say most GMs know when Opportunity Attacks are supposed to happen. Reactions are dependent on what it is you're trying to do with them.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Here let's do this:
Reaction. It's an instant action you can take no matter if it is your turn or not.
Opportunity attack. It too is an instant action which is usually triggered by an opponent who tries to flee from combat, or if you have a weapon that extends 10 feet so you can catch the enemy before they get to you.