Questions tagged [reactions]
For questions about reactions - an action taken by an entity in response to a trigger happening.
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Can a creature targeted by the Glamour bard's Mantle of Inspiration use its reaction to move if it already had temporary hit points previously?
The College of Glamour bard's Mantle of Inspiration feature (XGtE, p. 14) is worded this way:
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous ...
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2answers
176 views
Do I have to take the Ready action to make an opportunity attack?
So, a friend and I are in a debate right now about how an opportunity attack works.
From what I understand after reading the handbook, you can only perform an opportunity attack if you use an action ...
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1answer
495 views
What happens if you cast Dissonant Whispers on a Hydra?
A Hydra gets extra reactions which "can be used only for opportunity attacks". The Dissonant Whispers spell forces a creature to consume its reaction to do stuff one cannot ordinarily do with a ...
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1answer
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Is it possible to chain the Dissonant Whispers spell if multiple characters have the War Caster feat?
The Dissonant Whispers spell description (PHB, p. 234) states:
The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction, if ...
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0answers
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Does the effect of the Command spell take place immediately if cast on the target's turn? [duplicate]
The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or follow the command on its next turn.
If you were to cast Command as a reaction (e.g. readied action or war caster opportunity) on the turn of the ...
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1answer
166 views
If a caster wants to use a spell scroll as a reaction, do they need to already be holding it in their hand?
If a caster wants to use a spell scroll as a reaction (casting a spell that has a reaction casting time), do they need to already be holding it in their hand? What if they have the War Caster feat?
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Can you use a reaction to affect initiative rolls?
Expanding upon this question in a tweet at Jeremy Crawford who confirms once again that Initiative is a skill check and can be modified by things that modify ability checks.
Cutting Words states
...
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When does a character's reaction reset, per turn or per round?
When does a character's reaction reset, per turn or per round?
This happened last game and I'm just looking for clarification. My group has been playing (a 5e homebrew campaign) with an unspoken ...
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1answer
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If I have the War Caster feat, can I use the Thorn Whip cantrip to stop an enemy caster from escaping using the Dimension Door spell?
Assume I am playing a druid or warlock with the War Caster feat, which allows me to cast single target spells in place of using a melee attack of opportunity. I also know the thorn whip cantrip. A ...
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Reaction while holding a readied action? [duplicate]
So when you hold an action using the Ready action you use your reaction to act when the trigger happens. however you're able to ignore the trigger. So while you are using the Ready action, are you ...
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1answer
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What is the highest number of sneak attacks that a Pure/High Level Rogue (Level 17+) can make in one round?
Rogues only get one sneak attack per turn. Which means that they can only get it once on their turn and once with their reaction (through Sentinel or a Battle Master's Commander's Strike or an Attack ...
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If my Scout rogue has used his full movement on his turn, can he later use the reaction from the Skirmisher feature to move again?
Here is the situation I am wondering about:
My Rogue is in melee with an opponent. On his turn he disengages, and moves his full movement away from his opponent. The opponent, on their turn, uses ...
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2answers
373 views
Can I cast reaction spells like Shield or Counterspell when I'm in the middle of casting a spell with a long casting time and don't stop casting it?
Can I use reaction spells like shield or counterspell when I'm in the middle of casting a spell with a long casting time and don't stop casting it?
The Sage Advice Compendium says:
Can you cast a ...
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1answer
482 views
Can I change my movement/action in the middle of the turn after an enemy's reaction?
Imagine I'm a rogue and I see an opponent 50' away. In my turn I want to use my movement and my Dash bonus action (Cunning Action) to approach it and use my Action to attack.
Then, after moving just ...
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2answers
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How can the PCs use a reaction to avoid this effect in the season 8 epic, Stardock Under Siege?
Stardock Under Siege (DDEP08-02) concludes with all of the tables in the Epic boarding skiffs and facing off against a massive mothership. The PCs are tasked with destroying the mothership before time ...
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Can you make multiple attacks with a net or a weapon with the loading property if you have multiple individual actions or reactions?
The net item has a special property which says:
When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to attack with a net, you can make only one attack regardless of the number of attacks you can ...
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What to do when surprise and a high initiative roll conflict with the narrative?
Consider the following situation. Two creatures A and B sneak up on a creature X, successfully remaining unnoticed by it. Without signalling this to B in any way, A then throws a dagger at X from its ...
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Can a character with the War Caster feat call a bolt with Call Lightning instead of making an opportunity attack?
One of my players has a 6th level druid character, and he asked me if, as long as he had the War Caster feat, he could invoke an active Call Lightning spell and use a reaction to call down a new bolt ...
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1answer
142 views
If a projectile attack at a monk misses, can the monk use Deflect Missiles to catch the projectiles and throw them back? [duplicate]
Say there are projectiles aimed at a monk that don’t quite beat the AC, leading to a missed attack, but the roll was close to hitting (only falling short by 3-5).
Can monk use Deflect Missiles to ...
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1answer
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If a dagger thrown at a monk splits into multiple daggers mid-air, each with their own attack and damage rolls, can Deflect Missiles deflect them all?
Situation:
A dagger is thrown at a monk. On that attack, the dagger multiplies into 2 or 3 daggers in mid-air, each dagger with its own rolls for attack and damage. The daggers move one after another ...
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1answer
185 views
Does a spell cast instead of an opportunity attack still observe the timing of an opportunity attack?
The War Caster feat (PHB, p. 170) states that:
When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, instead of ...
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2answers
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Is this part of the description of the Archfey warlock's Misty Escape feature redundant?
From the Archfey warlock patron feature Misty Escape (PHB, p. 109).
When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. ...
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1answer
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Take Reactions on your own turn?
In regards to Reaction based effects. Is there any way someone can use them on their own turn? Or is it invariably necessary for it to occur as a Reaction to something?
For instance, if a character ...
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Does lightning bolt trigger wrath of the storm? [duplicate]
A enemy wizard cast lightning bolt while within five feet of a tempest domain cleric. The cleric inquired if the lightning bolt triggers the wrath of the storm feature since the enemy wizard was "...
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How does the Open Hand monk's ability to prevent a target hit by Flurry of Blows from taking reactions work?
The Way of the Open Hand monk's Open Hand Technique states:
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy’s ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a ...
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2answers
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For the Circle of Spores druid's Halo of Spores feature, is your reaction used regardless of whether the other creature succeeds on the saving throw?
The Circle of Spores druid's Halo of Spores feature (Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica, p. 27) states the following:
When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its ...
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4answers
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Can a Hydra make multiple opportunity attacks at once?
A normal creature only has one reaction that may be used as a single attack of opportunity. A Hydra, though, has one of these reactions per head.
My question would be: may several reactions be ...
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1answer
340 views
Can a character take a reaction before their turn? [duplicate]
Can a character use his reaction in the first round of combat before their turn? There is no surprise involved here.
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Can reaction powers by default be disabled as a free action?
The reaction modifier's description includes,
The user can only prevent the reaction effect from occurring by choosing to deactivate the effect entirely (as a free action), in which case no ...
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2answers
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Can an Abjuration Wizard's Arcane Ward only absorb damage from one attack using Projected Ward?
The School of Abjuration wizard's Projected Ward feature (PHB, p. 115) says:
Starting at 6th level, when a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to ...
11
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1answer
303 views
Can an enemy take a reaction if you target them with a spell while the Time Stop spell is active?
Say a character casts time stop on themselves. While the spell is active, they target another creature with a spell (thus ending the time stop). Can that targeted character make a reaction to the ...
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1answer
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Can the Defensive Duelist feat be used at the same time as the Uncanny Dodge Rogue feature?
I'm making a Bladesinger (Wizard)/Swashbuckler (Rogue) Multiclass.
Can the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge class feature be used at the same time as the Defensive Duelist feat?
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1answer
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Is there any mechanical difference between the phrases, “as a reaction…” and “can use your reaction…”?
I was reading Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes when I stumbled on an interesting turn of phrase (it's repeated often in the book and in others, but this was where I first realized it).
The Demonic Boons ...
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3answers
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Does someone who fails against Dissonant Whispers on their turn waste their movement for that turn?
Dissonant whispers (PHB, pg. 235) says:
The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction to move as far as its speed ...
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2answers
531 views
Can a controlled mount make an Opportunity Attack?
According to the Player's Handbook, pg. 198:
Controlling a Mount
While you're mounted, you have two options. You can either control the mount or allow it to act independently.
You can ...
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2answers
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Can you use a reaction while being brought to 0 HP?
Our GM threw enemies at us that had a reaction allowing them to counterattack when attacked. (I don’t know the reaction’s wording; he almost never shares such details.) Upon our killing one of them, ...
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1answer
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Can you cancel Shield using readied Dispel Magic?
Our paladin attacks an enemy wizard. He used shield to block the paladin's attack. Knowing we are dealing with a magic user, I've readied dispel magic beforehand when an enemy is casting a spell, and ...
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4answers
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How much information should the defender have when deciding whether or not to cast Shield?
I'm playing a 5e campaign as a Fighter, planning on becoming an Eldritch Knight.
Thus far (we're still level 1), the DM has been resolving attack rolls against us by telling us the result of the ...
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2answers
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War Caster Feat: Opportunity Attack Casting following a Bonus Action spell
The war caster feat includes the following feature:
When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from
you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather
...
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2answers
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Can you react to an opportunity attack?
Say you move out of an enemy's range, and they opportunity attack you. Can you then cast Shield as a reaction, or do another reaction when that happens?
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Can a reaction interrupt multiattack?
Last night, an Owlbear attacked us. It was injured, then attacked my Warlock. Obviously it uses its Multiattack action (MM, pg. 249):
Multiattack. The owlbear makes two attacks: one with its beak ...
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3answers
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Can I use the War Caster feat to cast Vampiric Touch as a reaction?
One of my players (a gnome wizard) recently picked the War Caster feat and took the spell vampiric touch to combine it with. Now there's some debate on if this is even an option, so my question is ...
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Is there a way to turn cantrips into reactions?
Is there a way to turn cantrips into reactions?
I'm trying to find a way to make blade ward (PHB, p. 218) more useful than it is, because it fits my planned playstyle. (For reference, I'm planning to ...
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Can Feather Fall be used to arrest falling at any point?
Can the spell feather fall be used to stop you/others falling at any point in the fall, or just at the start of the fall?
For example, could a character jump from a very large height, descend rapidly ...
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Who attacks first in a battle of Readied Attacks? [duplicate]
This question is best illustrated in an abridged example:
Combat has already begun and a goblin sees a Paladin on his noble steed. He readies an attack on this trigger: When the Paladin enters my ...
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2answers
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When the artificer's Mechanical Servant uses its reaction to make a melee attack, does it interrupt the triggering attack against the artificer?
The artificer (from Unearthed Arcana: Artificer) gets the Mechanical Servant feature at 6th level, part of which states:
If you are the target of a melee attack and the servant is within 5 feet of ...
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2answers
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Can a Lore bard use Cutting Words against the attack roll/ability check of a sorcerer's Subtle spell?
Imagine the following situation: a College of Lore bard is battling against a sorcerer who has learned the Subtle Spell metamagic option.
The Lore Bard goes first and casts a high-level spell, which ...
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1answer
233 views
What is the order of events when a Contingency spell is triggered by a reaction that pre-empts its trigger?
Suppose that my AC is normally 12, and with Mage Armor it is 15. I cast Contingency, with Mage armor as the contingent spell and a trigger of "when I cast a Shield spell". Later, an attacker fires an ...
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1answer
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Why can I cast a reaction spell on the same turn as an action spell, but not on the same turn as a bonus-action spell? [closed]
Jeremy Crawford mentions the following example in this Sage Advice column (reiterated in the Sage Advice Compendium):
Cornelius the wizard is casting fireball on his turn, and his foe casts ...
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1answer
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Do I intuitively know if someone already used their reaction?
I’m in the middle of an epic duel with a fearsome foe. Unfortunately, he reduces me to 0 hit points and I fall unconscious right beside him. My wizard-friend tries to finish him off with a spell, but ...
