The players are working their way through a series of halls, tunnels, and small rooms. There are goblinoid-like badies that keep popping out from around corners (making a partial move), making a ranged attack, and then finishing their move back around the corner (giving them full cover). I had a player asking if he could hold his action so that he could make his aranged attack as soon as the bad guy popped out from behind cover. It makes logical sense, but I wasn't sure how to handle simultaneous actions. Typically, the enemy would have their full turn to move, attack, etc. And then the next creature in the initiative order would then take their turn. But that would mean my player would never be able to attack an enemy that pops out and then pops back.
The player character could take the Ready action to attack when the enemy comes into view. He would even attack before the enemy.
Ready: Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. 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. First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it. Examples include “If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the goblin steps next to me, I move away.” When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round. When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal 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 1 action, and holding onto the spell’s magic requires concentration (explained in chapter 10). If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your reaction, your concentration might be broken.
Ah, the Ready action is exactly what I was looking for. It hadn't come up in my campaign thus far, so I hadn't even thought about it when considering the rules.
Thanks for the reply!
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So, here is the situation that arose in my game:
The players are working their way through a series of halls, tunnels, and small rooms. There are goblinoid-like badies that keep popping out from around corners (making a partial move), making a ranged attack, and then finishing their move back around the corner (giving them full cover). I had a player asking if he could hold his action so that he could make his aranged attack as soon as the bad guy popped out from behind cover. It makes logical sense, but I wasn't sure how to handle simultaneous actions. Typically, the enemy would have their full turn to move, attack, etc. And then the next creature in the initiative order would then take their turn. But that would mean my player would never be able to attack an enemy that pops out and then pops back.
Thoughts?
The player character could take the Ready action to attack when the enemy comes into view. He would even attack before the enemy.
Ready: Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. 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. First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it. Examples include “If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the goblin steps next to me, I move away.” When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round. When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal 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 1 action, and holding onto the spell’s magic requires concentration (explained in chapter 10). If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your reaction, your concentration might be broken.
Plaguescarred is correct.
The goblins in question get their full attack, which may be a spell or multiple attacks. The player can get a single, readied action off.
Note the goblins should of course not all attack every round. Some times they should take a round to prepare or heal.
Ah, the Ready action is exactly what I was looking for. It hadn't come up in my campaign thus far, so I hadn't even thought about it when considering the rules.
Thanks for the reply!