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 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
115 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
210 views
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 ...
10
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1answer
176 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. ...
9
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1answer
70 views
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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0answers
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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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4answers
551 views
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
3k views
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
259 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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2answers
105 views
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 ...
5
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2answers
240 views
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
290 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 ...
5
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1answer
991 views
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
326 views
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
1k views
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
444 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
332 views
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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2answers
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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
762 views
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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3answers
793 views
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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3answers
2k views
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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0answers
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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
419 views
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
203 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
4k views
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 ...
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2answers
2k views
Can you cast 2 spells at the same time?
This question is prompted by both Sage Advice and this similar Pathfinder question. Let's use the scenario from Sage Advice:
Can you cast a reaction spell on your turn?
You sure can!
...
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1answer
272 views
Does the target of dissonant whisper still use its reaction if it cannot move?
Assume that the target of dissonant whispers failed its Wisdom saving throw and that it cannot move.
I don't think that the reason the target cannot move is relevant, but for example it might have a ...
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2answers
176 views
Can you use an Opportunity Attack on a Marked enemy if you already used your Reaction?
The DMG introduces an optional rule called "Mark" (DMG, p. 271, bold added)
When a creature makes a melee attack, it can also mark its target. Until the end of the attacker's next turn, any ...
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4answers
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How can one make multiple opportunity attacks during one round?
The title is pretty straight-forward. By default, players can make only one opportunity attack per round, since it uses their reaction of which they only have one.
Which features, spells etc. exist ...
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2answers
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What are the basic limitations for using a Reaction to move? Does movement used on your Turn matter?
Please help my players and myself who are having trouble understanding what movement is allowed when using Reactions to move during and after each Turn in a Round.
In the player's handbook in "...
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2answers
242 views
Houseruling Intelligence and Wisdom checks as reactions?
My high level players often face problems in combat. Enemy resists damage, something causes an effect, enemy's abilities are unknown. They often desire information about what has happened, i.e., "Why ...
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0answers
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What is a valid trigger for a Ready Action? [duplicate]
I'm the DM of this game. During one of our games the party where fighting goblins and our Ranger said that he wanted to "Use his Action to Ready, and attack when the foe move". He meant move not in ...
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1answer
2k views
Can you forgo your readied action to take an opportunity attack instead?
Example:
Player 1 uses the ready action to do something when something happens (unimportant)
Goblin, decides to charge across the battlefield and attack Player 2, but happens to cross paths with ...
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3answers
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Can reaction spells be used as an action?
I was wondering if spells like Shield wizard spell could be used as an action instead of as a reaction in response to some trigger? Shield spell gives protection until the start of casters next turn, ...
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5answers
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How to cast Hellish Rebuke into a Ring of Spell Storing?
During the last game I mastered, my party looted a Ring of Spell Storing. With that object came a lot of questions most I could answer, some I was not exactly sure what to say and they were mostly ...
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4answers
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Can you react to your own spell?
During my last game, a player tried to have his character make a miraculous escape, only to wind up splattered instead. I'll provide some details, but the gist of my question is whether my ruling on ...
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1answer
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What’s the point of Surprise preventing reactions?
If a PC is 'surprised,' (PHB p 189) he/she cannot take a reaction until the turn ends. Given that Surprise is determined at the start of combat, i.e. before any turns have happened, how could you ...
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1answer
830 views
Can reaction attacks be considered the same as Opportunity Attacks? [duplicate]
I've always wondered this, but reaction attacks such as those given by certain feats and classes, i.e.:
Sentinel (Lets you attack an enemy as a reaction that attacks anybody that hurts your allies in ...
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4answers
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Can you decide to counterspell after another counterspell has failed?
Imagine the following situation: Bobby and Tommy, 2 characters with the Counterspell spell prepared, face against Freddy, an evil priest (who does not have Counterspell). Freddy casts a high level ...
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3answers
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Does Commander's Strike reset Reaction?
You can only use 1 reaction until the start of your next turn.
You can only use Sneak Attack once per turn.
Sneak attack's benefit is more damage.
Reaction's benefit is an extra strike/move while is ...
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3answers
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Do I have to “pre-cast” a reaction spell in order for it to be triggered?
Me and the DM are fairly new to D&D so we're still trying to figure out the rules. DM says that spells with a duration of "1 reaction" (ie. Shield) work as described below.
I totally acknowledge ...
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Is it gamebreaking to allow social responses to consume reaction?
This is a house rule I thought of a while ago, but I'm not sure how game breaking it is.
Basically, anyone (including an enemy) can use an Action to make a social interaction to consume a creature's ...
