72
votes
Accepted
As a monk, can I use Deflect Missiles to protect my ally?
Rules-As-Written, you can't catch an arrow that is aimed at another
Your quoted text is pretty explicit about it, you have to be the target and you have to get hit in order to use the feature, that ...
- 28.2k
62
votes
When and how does combat start in a standoff?
You were right!
In that type of situation, everyone is ready to begin fighting at any moment. Everyone basically is 'readying' for their fight - not just the PCs.
Readied Actions
These actions do ...
- 122k
57
votes
Accepted
Do you get to use the additional attack from the Extra Attack feature as well when you Ready an Attack action?
No
The 'Extra Attack' feature is worded so you only benefit from it when you attack in your turn.
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of
once, whenever you take the Attack action on ...
- 17.9k
55
votes
Accepted
Can a thrown javelin be catapult-ed back?
The contentious part of this question is the trigger for the Readied Action
The relevant rule for setting the trigger for a Readied Action is as follows:
When the trigger occurs, you can either take ...
- 24.4k
51
votes
Accepted
Can you ready a Fire Bolt spell to be used as a torch?
No
Two reasons. First of all, RAW doesn't mention any effects of the spell being effective while it is being held. There's no fire before the spell is actually released.
The more significant reason ...
- 53.2k
51
votes
Accepted
Does Silence cancel a readied spell?
Silence does nothing to a readied disintegrate
When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs.
The disintegrate has ...
- 90.2k
49
votes
Can you ready an action for "immediately before my next turn"?
No, you can't do that. Purely mechanical events like "at the end of my turn" or "before your turn" are not legal triggers (PHB, p. 193, emphasis mine):
Ready
[…] First, you decide what ...
- 239k
47
votes
Accepted
How does the Ready action work?
Your Turn
On your turn, you can move and perform an action. The ready action is, as you point out, an action like any other. This means that on your turn you can move and take the ready action.
The ...
- 12k
46
votes
Can I Ready an action to Disengage?
There's nothing in the Ready action description that would prevent readying Disengage. When you ready an action you:
decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you ...
- 55.5k
46
votes
Accepted
Can you Ready an action with "receive a buff from an ally" as the trigger?
That sounds like a reasonable use of Ready.
Here's the relevant rules text (my emphasis):
First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action ...
- 26.4k
46
votes
Accepted
Can I deny a counterspell by readying my spell behind full cover?
Yes, readying a spell behind full cover would prevent counterspell
Counterspell depends on sight and a clear path to the target
Counterspell has a casting time of:
1 reaction, which you take when you ...
- 90.2k
46
votes
Accepted
Can I Ready an action to do something I'm not currently capable of doing?
Yes you can Ready an action you currently cannot do
The rules for Readying say:
First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take ...
- 90.2k
43
votes
Does this lake event in the "Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden" adventure allow a grapple as an opportunity attack?
These rules are for that encounter, not general.
This is a great example of specific over general! The rules around that encounter for knuckleheads are specific and only relevant for that activity. ...
- 122k
42
votes
Accepted
How long can a readied spell be held before it's lost?
The recently released Player's Handbook Errata clarifies this:
Ready (p. 193). You have until the start of your next turn to use a readied action.
- 14.4k
42
votes
Accepted
Can you Ready two actions using Action Surge
Yes, but you can only act on one of them
Action Surge allows you to:
take one additional action on top of your regular action
There are no restrictions on what you can do with this action, so taking ...
- 90.2k
42
votes
Accepted
Are there any mechanical issues with removing the concept of "triggers" for readied actions?
It probably doesn't break the game.
Ready actions that fail aren't (or shouldn't be) so enormously common that this is going to seriously change the game. At worst, this makes readied actions slightly ...
- 60.2k
41
votes
Can a PC use a readied action to deflect a projectile?
The action you described is not really a readied action. It's more like a "colorful" Dodge Action.
Either dodge or a readied action will cost one action - they are equivalent in game mechanics. If ...
- 24.5k
41
votes
Can you cast a bonus-action spell, then Ready a leveled spell on the same turn?
No, because the Ready Action requires you to cast the spell as normal and then hold it, releasing it with your reaction later.
You are using your action to cast the spell on your turn.
PHB pg. 193 ...
- 31.3k
40
votes
As a DM, do I have to declare the actions that NPCs ready?
There are no explicit rules for this, but what has worked for me and my table is to describe, briefly, what it looks like.
E.g. "The Kobold waits, weapon drawn, and looking at you."
With my group, ...
- 14.6k
39
votes
Accepted
How are simultaneously-triggered Readied actions resolved?
Your example is somewhat flawed. If Bob readies an action to attack Alice as soon as she's within reach, and then moves within reach, it's just a normal move/attack sequence. No Readying is ...
- 1,285
39
votes
Can a Rogue effectively triple their speed by combining Dash and Ready, spreading it over several turns?
Yes, and they don't need to ready an action to do it
Say their movement is 30ft. They expend their movement for 30ft, use their action to Dash for an extra 30ft, then Bonus action to Dash again with ...
- 1,171
37
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to interrupt spellcasting?
The Basic rules call out two situations where a Concentration check is required to cast a spell: the caster takes damage and...
The spell is Readied but not yet cast (p.72)
The spell has a cast time ...
- 2,158
37
votes
Accepted
Can I Ready an action to run away?
Yes you can.
The Ready action is what you're looking for. It's explained on p. 192 of the Player's Handbook:
First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction.
For you this ...
- 13k
36
votes
Can a creature with multiattack make more than one attack as part of a readied attack?
The rules for Multiattack in the Monster Manual (page 11) are perfectly clear:
A creature that can make multiple attacks on its
turn has the Multiattack ability. A creature can’t use
...
- 141k
36
votes
Accepted
Can you forgo your readied action to take an opportunity attack instead?
Yes
Nothing in the ready or opportunity attack rules suggest that they're mutually exclusive beyond using one's reaction, which is only used when actually making the opportunity attack or taking the ...
- 53.2k
36
votes
Accepted
If I readied a spell with the trigger "When I take damage", do I have to make a constitution saving throw to avoid losing Concentration?
Yes, you do
The Readied action doesn't trigger until after your trigger completes:
When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger.
...
- 122k
35
votes
Accepted
Does a character taking the Ready action perceive time?
The rules lack the granularity required to definitively adjudicate such a trigger.
Time is weird in combat. A whole round is six seconds, but your turn is also six seconds, but five turns in a round ...
- 107k
34
votes
Accepted
Can the Dispel Magic spell be Readied to counter an opponent's spell?
You can prepare Dispel Magic to instantly dispel whatever spell a spellcaster casts. However, this will not "counter" their spell, rather, it will dispel it as soon as they cast it. So any ...
- 141k
32
votes
Accepted
Can a spell be readied to trigger when its intended target comes into view?
Yes.
Your inference, that Targeting is part of Casting and therefore can't be done at time of effect, is a little tenuous. And, given the examples for readying a spell, it seems likely that the intent ...
- 27.1k
32
votes
Accepted
Can a wizard cast a spell during their first turn of combat if they initiated combat by releasing a readied spell?
The wizard can't Ready a spell before combat begins
The wizard can cast spells during her first round, but she can't release a readied spell before her first round because she can't Ready a spell ...
- 14.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible