Readying a Spell and Breaking Concentration

[5ekyu]

I've done/seen this as well. You lose your reaction for the round, but that's better than being countered. Well, at least until you try it a second time and the enemy caster has disintegrate readied when you pop out.

Absolutely - any cover-move-attack-cover or anything like that runs the risk of trouble if used too often or repeatedly.

its not even necessarily you who has used it... maybe the caster is very aware of it because they do the same thing when needed.

But, you have still removed counterspell and forced them into other methods... tactics, trade-offs etc.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

My trigger is when I move out of cover.

Is that a valid trigger?

 

[leogobsin]

Is that a valid trigger?

The trigger for a readied action has to be a "perceivable circumstance", which I would say stepping out of cover absolutely is. Both the examples given in the PHB are about creatures moving to a certain position, I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing but with yourself as the creature in question.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Oh man, I never even thought about that you could define a trigger that you trigger yourself and on your own turn no less. But I checked the rules and this is definitely fully valid. Very interesting.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

I think it says you cast the spell as normal when you ready it which means you need line of sight to the target when readying it. But otherwise the readying in cover thing would work.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

I think it says you cast the spell as normal when you ready it which means you need line of sight to the target when readying it. But otherwise the readying in cover thing would work.

Oh that's a good point too, but that opens up a lot more questions.

If we say releasing a spell is not casting a spell and thus can't be countered, does that also mean that it ignores any range and line of sight restrictions?

Looking at it realistically, the conditions need to be checked at release of the spell and not when casting it.

 

[Oofta]

Oh that's a good point too, but that opens up a lot more questions.

If we say releasing a spell is not casting a spell and thus can't be countered, does that also mean that it ignores any range and line of sight restrictions?

Looking at it realistically, the conditions need to be checked at release of the spell and not when casting it.

Well, if you take magic missile as an example the spell creates three glowing darts. You can throw those glowing darts at creatures you see, so I see no issue with the cast/ready/target.

In other words, having a target is never a prerequisite component to a spell. Picking a valid target will always be required though. If you cast and then move around the corner but there are no valid targets you just wasted a spell.

I do seem to remember Mike Mearls once stating was that the intent was that for spells that require a target, if the target was not valid the spell was not wasted. I understand where that comes from, if you try to Charm Monster on an illusion it's never going to work. However, I also think it's too fiddly ... unless having a valid target is a prerequisite for the spell. After all those magic missiles would do nothing against the illusion either but either the missile were never created in the first place which means you could never ready a spell that requires a target under any circumstance, or somehow the magic returns.

TLDR: You never have to have a valid target when you ready a spell that has a target, that's not a prerequisite to casting the spell.

 

[Blue]

Is that a valid trigger?

Sure. The PHB just describes it as a "perceivable circumstance" as [MENTION=6943768]leogobsin[/MENTION] pointed out. (PHB pg 193.)

If you don't feel comfortable with that you could frame it as "when I see the necromancer" (or whomever). Readying when an opponent comes into view is one of the most common triggers for a Ready action. It doesn't matter if the trigger is realized by their movement, your movement, or say a barrier going down.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

I interpreted the line of the targeting rules that said " A typical spell requires you to pick one or more targets to be affected by the spell's magic. " as an actual requirement. That was why I suggested the casting without seeing your target wouldn't work. Line of effect also needs to be met too as far as I can tell. Normally these things are not an issue but if one is around a corner and trying to cast a spell at something around said corner I don't think the readying a spell rules remove requirements because it says " You cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. "

Despite what I have said I do agree with Oofta's disclaimer. With any ruling or game, if everyone is happy that is all that matters.