Adjudicating Readied Actions

The rules in the PHB are really vague (P134). It says you must "specify the partial action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it." How vague can I be with the "conditions"? How vague can I be when I "specify the partial action"?

Are the following examples legal (and if the answer is No, can you explain exactly why not?):
I'll go when he starts to do something
I'll attack as soon as he twitches (that is, as soon as he swings a weapon, reaches for an item, takes a 5' step, etc)
I'll attack as soon as he twitches, and follow him 5' if I can (so that I can hit him, and then move into position to take an AoO if he starts casting a spell)
I'll cast a spell as soon as he twitches (do I have to specify which spell? Readying to Counterspell seems to indicate that you don't...)
Let's say I want to ready a counterspell. If I can't counterspell a spell he's casting (I don't have Dispel Magic, or the same spell), can I cast something else? Can I ready an action to cast a spell as soon as he twitches, make a spellcraft check to see what spell he's casting (assuming he decides to cast a spell), and cast something based on that info (like Resists Elements (cold) in reaction to his casting Cone of Cold)?

I'm sure this has been asked before, so pointers to previous threads/Sage answers would be appreciated. I've heard that the Sage tried to clarify the "Ready Action" action in Dragon, but I don't have access to that.

Caliban, as always, your wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I'll go when he starts to do something

Click to expand...

This is the Delay action. You drop your initiative to his and go after him from that point forward.

I'll attack as soon as he twitches

Click to expand...

Specified partial action: yes
Conditions specified: yes

But why bother since you are now giving up initiative to your opponent when you could have just acted earlier.

I'll attack as soon as he twitches, and follow him 5' if I can

Click to expand...

Cannot take a 5' step if you actually moved as part of your action earlier.

I'll cast a spell as soon as he twitches (do I have to specify which spell?

Click to expand...

I would say that you have to specify the spell unless you are readying to counter.

Let's say I want to ready a counterspell. If I can't counterspell a spell he's casting (I don't have Dispel Magic, or the same spell), can I cast something else? Can I ready an action to cast a spell as soon as he twitches, make a spellcraft check to see what spell he's casting (assuming he decides to cast a spell), and cast something based on that info (like Resists Elements (cold) in reaction to his casting Cone of Cold)?

Click to expand...

No to all. If you ready to counter and you can't, then you lose your action.

Making a Spellcraft check is part of the counterspell, but once you ready to counter you either counter or give up your action.

A specific partial action must be specified not a range of possibilities. A specfic condition must be specfied. If neither are met, then you give up your action until your initiative count comes back up again.

I will try to answer these as best I can. My players do not Ready much, so I do not have to adjudicate it on a regular basis.

The rules in the PHB are really vague (P134). It says you must "specify the partial action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it." How vague can I be with the "conditions"? How vague can I be when I "specify the partial action"?

Click to expand...

The DMG, pages 63 & 64, has a helpful section entitled "Adjudicating the Ready Action." You might want to take a look at it. The direct answer to your question is that you should be as specific as possible. Your DM should not let you be too vague.

Are the following examples legal (and if the answer is No, can you explain exactly why not?):
I'll go when he starts to do something

Click to expand...

Too vague on both counts. "Going" is not an action, at least not one defined by the game rules. Further, you will have to specify what that "something" is that will trigger your readied action. Example: I will shoot my crossbow at the wizard if he casts a spell.

I'll attack as soon as he twitches (that is, as soon as he swings a weapon, reaches for an item, takes a 5' step, etc)

Click to expand...

Twitches is too vague. I would make you choose one or more of the options you listed in parentheses or another not listed as your condition, but not all of them.

I'll attack as soon as he twitches, and follow him 5' if I can (so that I can hit him, and then move into position to take an AoO if he starts casting a spell)

Click to expand...

Same problem here with the "twitches" part. Also, you do not have to specify a 5 foot step. You are readying a partial action, which allows a 5 foot step by definition, unless of course you already moved. In that case, no 5 foot step this turn.

I'll cast a spell as soon as he twitches (do I have to specify which spell? Readying to Counterspell seems to indicate that you don't...)

Click to expand...

In some situations, Yes, according to DMG page 63. Counterspell is not one of them.

Let's say I want to ready a counterspell. If I can't counterspell a spell he's casting (I don't have Dispel Magic, or the same spell), can I cast something else?

Click to expand...

I am uncertain about this one. I am pretty sure the answer is no, because you cannot change your the action you readied from counterspell to cast a spell (two different actions).

Can I ready an action to cast a spell as soon as he twitches, make a spellcraft check to see what spell he's casting (assuming he decides to cast a spell), and cast something based on that info (like Resists Elements (cold) in reaction to his casting Cone of Cold)?

Click to expand...

Again, I think the answer is no. Spellcraft is only a free action when you counterspell, I think. If not, then you may be able to do this. Normally a skill requires either a move-equivalent action, a standard action, or a full-round action. You cannot take both a move-equivalent action and cast a spell during your partial action.

Here's a related question:

I perform a full-attack action and then step 5' forward, around a corner. My 5' step puts me in the line of fire of half a dozen archers who have readied an action to fire at the first person who comes around the corner: they all shoot me.

Assuming no one else is in the battle, who goes next? By the rules, it looks like the archers get to take a full attack option on me next: readying an action moves your initiative so that it's right before the person whose action triggered your readied action. But that seems a little goofy to me: when the triggering action is the very last bit of my turn, it essentially gives them two round of actions before I get to react. Is that actually how it works?

Daniel

Yup. That's an effect of having cyclical initiative.

I could rationalize it as you were shocked by the surprise attack by the archers, and thus they get another volley off before you could react.

IceBear

IceBear said:

I could rationalize it as you were shocked by the surprise attack by the archers, and thus they get another volley off before you could react.

Click to expand...

Hmm...I couldn't. Consider that if I'd taken my 5' step as the first part of my action, I could have dropped my axe and readied my tower shield for 100% cover before they got off a second shot. The fact that I'd attacked before the 5' step shouldn't change whether their tactic surprised me.

Hmm...I'm thinking I might complicate readied action's effects on initiative in my game. If you use your readied action before the opponent performs an MEA, a standard action, or a full attack action, you take your next action before them. If you use your readied action after the opponent performs both an MEA AND a standard action (or a full attack or similar action), you take your next action after them. If you use your readied action between their MEA and standard action, then you have an initiative roll-off to determine initiative order between the two of you in future rounds.

It does make things complicated -- but I think that'll be the most rational way to go forward.

Daniel

But wouldn't that turn a readied action into a delayed action in some cases?

Delayed Action is hardly ever used as it is.

But, I do understand what you're saying. I just don't know if there are any deeper impact to this ruling.


Hmmmmm.....before, if you readied an action, you were always ahead of the opponent in the initiative score, and thus you could continue to ready an action against that opponent (Fighter who keeps readying an action against a wizard who is casting spells). This would allow a situation where the fighter could attempt to disrupt the wizard one round, but the next he couldn't prepare a readied action until after the wizard had gone (Wizard moves back 30ft and starts to cast a spell).

Maybe you wouldn't consider the wizard to have used a MEA and a standard action in that case, but I don't know if that's what you meant.

[Edit]
Actually, I think I would rule that if your readied action didn't go until AFTER the person has completed his round then it's really a DELAY that they used. If the fighter had stepped around the corner at the beginning of the round and the archers fired, then I would rule that they used a readied action. The fighter could then step back around the corner if he wished. If the fighter, as the last part of his turn stepped around the corner, it's not really a readied action because they aren't interrupting an action in progress, they are reacting to an action that's just finished.

I guess, what I'm saying is that I agree with you, but I don't see it as a rule change to readied actions per se, just as a changing of the action from readied to delay.

IceBear

IceBear said:

I guess, what I'm saying is that I agree with you, but I don't see it as a rule change to readied actions per se, just as a changing of the action from readied to delay.
IceBear

Click to expand...

Actually, I think that's a much better solution than my suggestion; thanks!

Daniel

Pielorinho said:

Actually, I think that's a much better solution than my suggestion; thanks!

Daniel

Click to expand...

Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know why I didn't say that in the first place. Usually, a readied action takes place before the action that caused it. In your example, it's taking place AFTER, and is therefore a delay.

IceBear

Thanks for all your replies

I still have a problem though.

Let's take the following scenario:
My friends and I are fighting a bunch of cultists. Just when it looks like we're about to lose, I manage to knock their leader unconscious. The other cultists keep laying the hurt on my friends, and manage to knock them all down.
On my next action, I take my sword and point it at the throat of the unconsious cult-leader. I shout, "Drop your weapons, or your leader dies!" I then ready an action to stab the motionless leader with my sword if any of the others do anything besides drop their weapons (note that I'm not trying to ready a Coup de Grace, merely an attack).

By the rules, I can't do this. I have to ready an action for when they attack me, or cast spells, or run away. Which means that if I ready my action for when they attack, I essentially stand mouth-agape while they all drop their weapons, grab their holy-symbols, cast Searing Light at me, then walk up (pulling out daggers) to surround me.

This is my biggest problem with the Ready Action rules. Can anyone suggest a reasonable way to overcome this? How would you deal with this situation in a game?