Questions tagged [reactions]
For questions about reactions - an action taken by an entity in response to a trigger happening.
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1answer
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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
264 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
votes
1answer
226 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?
7
votes
1answer
309 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 ...
11
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3answers
814 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 ...
6
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2answers
267 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
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2answers
315 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?
18
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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 ...
5
votes
3answers
409 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
424 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
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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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vote
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
326 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 ...
14
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2answers
1k views
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 ...
7
votes
1answer
157 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 ...
36
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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 ...
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votes
2answers
1k 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!
...
12
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1answer
233 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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votes
2answers
142 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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3answers
2k views
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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votes
2answers
212 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 ...
2
votes
0answers
56 views
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 ...
29
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1answer
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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 ...
29
votes
4answers
5k views
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 ...
18
votes
1answer
1k views
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
511 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 ...
20
votes
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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votes
3answers
930 views
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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votes
3answers
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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 ...
0
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2answers
378 views
Does shield retroactively change the result of an attack? [duplicate]
Shield spell Casting time line says (PHB, p. 275):
1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell.
(bold highlight by me)
PHB, p. 194, 1st ...
0
votes
1answer
710 views
Can you get an OA when blinded? [duplicate]
If, for example, someone casts Fog Cloud, next to the target A and target B when they're fighting each other. If target B would run away from the fight he would cause an Opportunity Attack but when ...
12
votes
1answer
737 views
Will a Readied Attack hit someone mid-fall (less than 500 feet)?
The scenario: An enemy is atop a 499 foot cliff. A hero is at a place where he can stand and move freely (enough), let's say in the middle (around 250ft). Immediately after the hero's turn, the enemy ...
13
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1answer
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Do reactions interrupt their triggers or not?
In the Player's Handbook, it is pretty clear that reactions normally interrupt the thing that they are reacting to.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything, however, has explicitly changed all reactions to ...
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3answers
718 views
What reaction is available to all characters in general, regardless of class and race? [closed]
By RAW, what reaction is available to all characters in general, regardless of class and race?
Is there anything else beside Readied Action and Opportunity Attack? To clarify, it's fine if it comes ...
0
votes
1answer
626 views
If I kill a caster with Mage Slayer does the spell still happen? [duplicate]
Mage Slayer's first benefit says...
When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Does casting a spell ...
6
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3answers
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If I move out of range after a spell is cast, but before a spell hits me, does it miss?
Does a reaction that causes me to move out of range after the spell is cast but before the spell hits cause it to miss?
A couple ways this can be done are
Readied action to move with a trigger: ...
7
votes
1answer
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Can I cast Hellish Rebuke on my turn?
The spell requires 1 Reaction to cast on a creature that has damaged me.
In this scenario, let's say I attack a Warlock. He then casts Hellish Rebuke on me as his reaction. In response to his Hellish ...
10
votes
4answers
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How can a DM deal with abilities that affect how an attack roll is resolved?
Consider the following:
An Orc takes the attack action against a PC with an AC of 18. The DM
rolls in front of the screen and gets a 14. He silently adds the +5 bonus from the Orc and announces ...
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votes
2answers
871 views
Can a berserker use his reaction for “retaliation” during his turn?
The barbarian subclass Berserker gets the feature Retaliation at level 14, which allows making a melee weapon attack as a reaction to taking damage.
RETALIATION
Starting at 14th level, when you ...
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1answer
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Can you use the Great Weapon Master feat on an opportunity attack?
I'm new to DMing; have played a handful of sessions. This situation arose in our most recent one, and I wasn't quite sure how to handle it.
There's a barbarian in the party, and he is playing with a ...
