D&D 5E Reaction before your first turn starts?

[Rabbitbait]

I find nothing in the rules that says you need to wait till your first turn to take a reaction. Does that mean you can take a reaction before your first turn (if you are not surprised)?

This would have a big impact on some characters with a low initiative modifier but special reaction abilities or spells.

Interesting to note that you can take a reaction in the surprise round, but only after your (non active) turn has passed in the initiative order. So you potentially still get a reaction in the first round, even if you have been surprised.

I may have been playing 5e for a few months now, but I am still having to unlearn what I have learnt from previous editions.

Hmmm.

 

[SirAntoine]

You can take a reaction whenever it's triggered, but it will count until the start of your next turn. I don't think you could get a reaction on rd 0 as it were, without it taking away your reaction for rd 1.

 

[Rabbitbait]

Consider this. If it can work the way I'm thinking then you might get two reactions in the first round. One before your first turn and then one after (as it resets at the start of your turn).

 

[SirAntoine]

That's how I think I answered, but I only have the PHB. The DMG may explain more, but what you're saying is getting two reactions in before the monsters start their second round, right? Maybe it would work, but you'd be taking the reaction at the start of each round so it would still only count once per round.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I wouldn't permit it, as DM. The entire point of initiative at the start of combat is to determine how quickly you react; at what point you take your first move. It makes no sense to me for a character to be able to act before he's first, well, able to act.

 

[SirAntoine]

Ah, but it's the difference between actions and reactions. You can take a reaction at any time in the round.

 

[MerricB]

You can take reactions from the beginning of combat. However, if you're surprised, you can't use reactions until after your first turn (when you take no actions and can't move).

See PHB pg 189. It seems fairly clear.

Cheers!

 

[Shiroiken]

I find nothing in the rules that says you need to wait till your first turn to take a reaction. Does that mean you can take a reaction before your first turn (if you are not surprised)?

This would have a big impact on some characters with a low initiative modifier but special reaction abilities or spells.

Interesting to note that you can take a reaction in the surprise round, but only after your (non active) turn has passed in the initiative order. So you potentially still get a reaction in the first round, even if you have been surprised.

I may have been playing 5e for a few months now, but I am still having to unlearn what I have learnt from previous editions.

Hmmm.

You have it correct. Reactions are not punished except when surprised, and even then a high Initiative can mitigate it.

As for unlearning, I understand. I was part of the playtest, and I STILL catch myself using something from the playtest that didn't make it into the final version

 

[Unwise]

I wouldn't permit it, as DM. The entire point of initiative at the start of combat is to determine how quickly you react; at what point you take your first move. It makes no sense to me for a character to be able to act before he's first, well, able to act.

What about opportunity attacks, do you feel differently about them to reactions?

Isn't the point of a reaction that somebody else has done something first? Thus they are designed for the person acting later.

Wouldn't this have pretty significant effects on spells like Shield, or the ability to impose disadvantage on an enemy attack from shield mastery? Or the duelist being unable to parry if he does not win initiative.

I have never seen initiative as working like that outside of surprise rounds. I don't view the slower people as being flatfooted, or not paying attention. In any fight, somebody has to attack first, it doesn't mean the other guy was not on their game.

 

[Paraxis]

It is not like they are stunned or anything, they just act later in the turn order.

By following the train of thought that ends with you not being able to take reactions, why would they be able to make dexterity based saves?