As a DM I am trying to understand the full power of this Action. The Ready Action seems to indicate you can ready one type of action. Its examples are moving, doing things in the area such as cutting a rope, and casting spells. Single-use actions such as Dash Action, or Defense Action are example possibilities.
If you ready an attack can you ready your full round attack action or a single attack action? This is my quandary and where I am getting pushback.
The way I see it is you expend your action phase of the turn to change your reaction to what will be the ready action you declare. This is then spelled out but the player with details to help a DM and you agree on what will trigger it. Once that is done the reaction is set to be that action such as casting the spell or swinging a sword as examples. But can a player say I will take my full attack action should the oger walk up within range.
When I say full attack action I of course mean the PC normally could make three attacks a round or fire three arrows in a round for a full attack. But I interpret the Ready Action you gave that full round attack action up to change your action to a single action or maybe a set of actions such as swing and take your move action. Either way, you can't delay your regular round attack action into a ready action.
To be clear the declaration of a ready action is easy to understand as an example, I'm okay with the following statements both being true for a Ready Action. A player is fighting two goblins, they state either "If the left goblin approaches me I hit it." or "If any goblin approaches me I hit them with the sword." Both to me are fine and the second one though less specific on which goblin still sets out the Ready action clearly.
And of course, if you make it to your next round turn the ready action is expended. I can argue it a cast is still holding a spell they could cast it this turn still as their action not to waste it but if they don't choose to keep holding it the spell would be lost.
Any input on my rambling on this subject would be very helpful. Thanks
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I live my life like a West Marches campaign, A swirling vortex of Ambitions and Insecurities.
If you ready an attack can you ready your full round attack action or a single attack action? This is my quandary and where I am getting pushback.
Confusingly, you only make one attack. I say confusingly because it isn't a rule within the Ready action that you only make one attack; it's a rule within the text of (I think) every effect that gives you extra attacks when you take the Attack action.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Notice the bolded text. If you ready an attack to be done on somebody else's turn, then you're taking the Ready action on your turn and then the Attack action on somebody else's turn. Since you aren't taking the Attack action on your turn, none of the features that give additional attacks apply, and you only make the base single attack.
I can argue it a cast is still holding a spell they could cast it this turn still as their action not to waste it but if they don't choose to keep holding it the spell would be lost.
RAW, you can't choose to cast a spell if you've readied it but the trigger never went off. That being said, I do like your ruling.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
When you use the Ready action to ready the Attack action, you only get one attack, as the Extra Attack feature specifies "Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn" (emphasis mine). If you use the Ready action to ready an attack, you aren't taking the Attack action on your turn, so you can't use Extra Attack. AFAIK, all of the other features that allow you to make more attacks (Two Weapon Fighting for example) all specify you must spend something (usually a Bonus Action), which you can't do when it's not your turn. So you generally only get 1 attack in a Readied action.
As for moving with another Readied action, I think that's a DM call. If a player said "When the necromancer gets near me I pop out from behind the barrel to attack him", I'd certainly allow that movement. If a player said "When the necromancer gets within 30 feet of me I run over and attack him", I wouldn't allow that movement, as that's kinda cheesing the movement limits.
Also, to clear up something, you don't necessarily change your reaction to the readied action. If you would rather take an Attack of Opportunity rather than your readied action, you can use your reaction for the AoO, but you'll lose the ability to perform the readied action.
And, yes, the Readied action expires at the start of your next turn, as the Ready Action description states: "To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn" (emphasis mine).
Spellcasting with Ready is specifically lined out in the Ready Action description (link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#Ready). You cast the spell when you choose to Ready the action, which means that if you don't use the spell by the start of your next turn, you lose the casting (aka you spend the spell slot but with no effect).
You have no idea how much you have helped. The key was in the Attack action on your turn. I also agree and was not clear in my example about the move and attack action. The 30 feet is a bit extreme. The move say five feet to attack from the barrel is something I would also allow.
I, however could be reasonable if a spell caster wanted to not burn the spell from the ready action to then cast it the following turn as their action for the new turn. If I am feeling generous. hehehe
But the rule as written you are correct.
Thank you for also pointing out the Ready action options. I didn't say that either. I was a bit more focused on my own issues in trying to explain my question. Of course, if the caster with the spell waiting to cast it wishes to take an attack of opportunity instead and waste the spell. That is totally fine too.
I was wondering if I could just clarify with people about the wording of Ready Action with regards to using your Reaction.
Are you declaring your Reaction will be to take the Ready Action, therefore you are not able to change your Reaction to Opportunity Attack for example?
Or at any point up until the trigger occurs can you choose an alternative Reaction? Obviously you would then lose the attack or spell as per the description, but you would be able to react in an alternative way?
I'm happy with everything else about Ready Action, but this is something which seems a bit more ambiguous.
I was wondering if I could just clarify with people about the wording of Ready Action with regards to using your Reaction.
Are you declaring your Reaction will be to take the Ready Action, therefore you are not able to change your Reaction to Opportunity Attack for example?
Or at any point up until the trigger occurs can you choose an alternative Reaction? Obviously you would then lose the attack or spell as per the description, but you would be able to react in an alternative way?
I'm happy with everything else about Ready Action, but this is something which seems a bit more ambiguous.
Thanks for any help.
The second one. Using Ready sets up an extra reaction that you can take, but it doesn't expend your reaction, so you can still use your reaction for any other reaction effect (like opportunity attacks)
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
You specify the action that you will take when and if you use your Reaction to do so. You always can pass on the trigger and not react, thus saving your Reaction for something unrelated that might occur later such as an Opportunity Attack. You can also execute your defined Ready action on a separate (but similar) trigger that occurs later on if you've already passed on a trigger, as long as you use your Reaction before the start of your next turn.
I was wondering if I could just clarify with people about the wording of Ready Action with regards to using your Reaction.
Are you declaring your Reaction will be to take the Ready Action, therefore you are not able to change your Reaction to Opportunity Attack for example?
Or at any point up until the trigger occurs can you choose an alternative Reaction? Obviously you would then lose the attack or spell as per the description, but you would be able to react in an alternative way?
I'm happy with everything else about Ready Action, but this is something which seems a bit more ambiguous.
Thanks for any help.
Think of it this way: Anything you do as a reaction requires a trigger of some kind. Opportunity Attacks require the target leaving your melee reach. Counterspell requires you seeing someone cast a spell within range. And so on. But you aren't require to use your Reaction for any of these things just because the trigger condition is met(unless you're under the influence of some effect that requires you to make an Opportunity Attack whenever possible, for example). Using the Ready action just creates another valid trigger for you to use your Reaction, it doesn't mandate the use of that Reaction if the trigger condition is met. The only mandated resource usage is if you're Readying a spell. You technically cast the spell on your turn, you're just holding the effect. This means you have to maintain Concentration(thus breaking any spell you were previously Concentrating on, like Hex, Hunter's Mark, Bless etc.), and you lose whatever resources you spent to cast the spell, be it a spell slot, free casting from a class/subclass/feat/etc, consumed material component, etc. And you lose these even if you don't end up using your Reaction to let the spell take effect.
Right, and you are basically using up your Action in order to set all of this up in the first place. Even if you never use your Reaction, that Action has been used.
It should be noted that the options for what you can do are valid in the other order as well. So, for example, you might take a Ready Action and then decide to pass on the trigger for that so that you can have the option to take an Opportunity Attack later. But, it is also possible that an option to take an Opportunity Attack presents itself before you have ever seen a trigger for your Ready Action. In that case, if you take the Opportunity Attack you have used up your Reaction so you will not have one available to execute your Ready Action if the trigger for that presents itself later. You could also pass on that Opportunity Attack so that you still have the option to execute your Ready Action if and when the trigger for that presents itself.
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As a DM I am trying to understand the full power of this Action. The Ready Action seems to indicate you can ready one type of action. Its examples are moving, doing things in the area such as cutting a rope, and casting spells. Single-use actions such as Dash Action, or Defense Action are example possibilities.
If you ready an attack can you ready your full round attack action or a single attack action? This is my quandary and where I am getting pushback.
The way I see it is you expend your action phase of the turn to change your reaction to what will be the ready action you declare. This is then spelled out but the player with details to help a DM and you agree on what will trigger it. Once that is done the reaction is set to be that action such as casting the spell or swinging a sword as examples. But can a player say I will take my full attack action should the oger walk up within range.
When I say full attack action I of course mean the PC normally could make three attacks a round or fire three arrows in a round for a full attack. But I interpret the Ready Action you gave that full round attack action up to change your action to a single action or maybe a set of actions such as swing and take your move action. Either way, you can't delay your regular round attack action into a ready action.
To be clear the declaration of a ready action is easy to understand as an example, I'm okay with the following statements both being true for a Ready Action. A player is fighting two goblins, they state either "If the left goblin approaches me I hit it." or "If any goblin approaches me I hit them with the sword." Both to me are fine and the second one though less specific on which goblin still sets out the Ready action clearly.
And of course, if you make it to your next round turn the ready action is expended. I can argue it a cast is still holding a spell they could cast it this turn still as their action not to waste it but if they don't choose to keep holding it the spell would be lost.
Any input on my rambling on this subject would be very helpful. Thanks
I live my life like a West Marches campaign, A swirling vortex of Ambitions and Insecurities.
Confusingly, you only make one attack. I say confusingly because it isn't a rule within the Ready action that you only make one attack; it's a rule within the text of (I think) every effect that gives you extra attacks when you take the Attack action.
Notice the bolded text. If you ready an attack to be done on somebody else's turn, then you're taking the Ready action on your turn and then the Attack action on somebody else's turn. Since you aren't taking the Attack action on your turn, none of the features that give additional attacks apply, and you only make the base single attack.
RAW, you can't choose to cast a spell if you've readied it but the trigger never went off. That being said, I do like your ruling.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
When you use the Ready action to ready the Attack action, you only get one attack, as the Extra Attack feature specifies "Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn" (emphasis mine). If you use the Ready action to ready an attack, you aren't taking the Attack action on your turn, so you can't use Extra Attack.
AFAIK, all of the other features that allow you to make more attacks (Two Weapon Fighting for example) all specify you must spend something (usually a Bonus Action), which you can't do when it's not your turn. So you generally only get 1 attack in a Readied action.
As for moving with another Readied action, I think that's a DM call. If a player said "When the necromancer gets near me I pop out from behind the barrel to attack him", I'd certainly allow that movement. If a player said "When the necromancer gets within 30 feet of me I run over and attack him", I wouldn't allow that movement, as that's kinda cheesing the movement limits.
Also, to clear up something, you don't necessarily change your reaction to the readied action. If you would rather take an Attack of Opportunity rather than your readied action, you can use your reaction for the AoO, but you'll lose the ability to perform the readied action.
And, yes, the Readied action expires at the start of your next turn, as the Ready Action description states: "To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn" (emphasis mine).
Spellcasting with Ready is specifically lined out in the Ready Action description (link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#Ready). You cast the spell when you choose to Ready the action, which means that if you don't use the spell by the start of your next turn, you lose the casting (aka you spend the spell slot but with no effect).
Hope that clears things up!
You have no idea how much you have helped. The key was in the Attack action on your turn. I also agree and was not clear in my example about the move and attack action. The 30 feet is a bit extreme. The move say five feet to attack from the barrel is something I would also allow.
I, however could be reasonable if a spell caster wanted to not burn the spell from the ready action to then cast it the following turn as their action for the new turn. If I am feeling generous. hehehe
But the rule as written you are correct.
Thank you for also pointing out the Ready action options. I didn't say that either. I was a bit more focused on my own issues in trying to explain my question. Of course, if the caster with the spell waiting to cast it wishes to take an attack of opportunity instead and waste the spell. That is totally fine too.
Thank you again. AtlanticRim & Quar10n.
I live my life like a West Marches campaign, A swirling vortex of Ambitions and Insecurities.
Hi,
I was wondering if I could just clarify with people about the wording of Ready Action with regards to using your Reaction.
Are you declaring your Reaction will be to take the Ready Action, therefore you are not able to change your Reaction to Opportunity Attack for example?
Or at any point up until the trigger occurs can you choose an alternative Reaction? Obviously you would then lose the attack or spell as per the description, but you would be able to react in an alternative way?
I'm happy with everything else about Ready Action, but this is something which seems a bit more ambiguous.
Thanks for any help.
The second one. Using Ready sets up an extra reaction that you can take, but it doesn't expend your reaction, so you can still use your reaction for any other reaction effect (like opportunity attacks)
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
You specify the action that you will take when and if you use your Reaction to do so. You always can pass on the trigger and not react, thus saving your Reaction for something unrelated that might occur later such as an Opportunity Attack. You can also execute your defined Ready action on a separate (but similar) trigger that occurs later on if you've already passed on a trigger, as long as you use your Reaction before the start of your next turn.
Think of it this way: Anything you do as a reaction requires a trigger of some kind. Opportunity Attacks require the target leaving your melee reach. Counterspell requires you seeing someone cast a spell within range. And so on. But you aren't require to use your Reaction for any of these things just because the trigger condition is met(unless you're under the influence of some effect that requires you to make an Opportunity Attack whenever possible, for example). Using the Ready action just creates another valid trigger for you to use your Reaction, it doesn't mandate the use of that Reaction if the trigger condition is met. The only mandated resource usage is if you're Readying a spell. You technically cast the spell on your turn, you're just holding the effect. This means you have to maintain Concentration(thus breaking any spell you were previously Concentrating on, like Hex, Hunter's Mark, Bless etc.), and you lose whatever resources you spent to cast the spell, be it a spell slot, free casting from a class/subclass/feat/etc, consumed material component, etc. And you lose these even if you don't end up using your Reaction to let the spell take effect.
Right, and you are basically using up your Action in order to set all of this up in the first place. Even if you never use your Reaction, that Action has been used.
It should be noted that the options for what you can do are valid in the other order as well. So, for example, you might take a Ready Action and then decide to pass on the trigger for that so that you can have the option to take an Opportunity Attack later. But, it is also possible that an option to take an Opportunity Attack presents itself before you have ever seen a trigger for your Ready Action. In that case, if you take the Opportunity Attack you have used up your Reaction so you will not have one available to execute your Ready Action if the trigger for that presents itself later. You could also pass on that Opportunity Attack so that you still have the option to execute your Ready Action if and when the trigger for that presents itself.