D&D 5E Blink and the single monster

[Barolo]

Hey, if it works for you...

The reason, however, for this is a good one: a game with readied or delayed actions is a slower, more complex game; a less immediately satisfying game.

I am convinced that rule is there for a reason - to gently dissuade people from taking readied actions.

In almost all cases, it's better to not optimize and simply go for it. On the other hand, this puts some spotlight on the DM too. Perhaps not use blinking monsters only, so that the fighters have something to attack even when the blinker is blinking?

I get this, but it seems the classes are affected in strangely asymmetrical ways. A high level fighter will lose much more of their offensive power than a rogue, or even a cleric that readies an attack, and will be behind a paladin after 11th level. I just fail to see a reason for that.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Hey, if it works for you...

The reason, however, for this is a good one: a game with readied or delayed actions is a slower, more complex game; a less immediately satisfying game.

I am convinced that rule is there for a reason - to gently dissuade people from taking readied actions.

In almost all cases, it's better to not optimize and simply go for it. On the other hand, this puts some spotlight on the DM too. Perhaps not use blinking monsters only, so that the fighters have something to attack even when the blinker is blinking?

What [MENTION=61932]Barolo[/MENTION] said, and I think there's enough dissuasion in the basic fact that you're acting later rather than now. And it's not as if every combat is going to be against a bunch of blinking monsters -- it's okay for the occasional curve-ball fight to be a bit more complicated.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I get this, but it seems the classes are affected in strangely asymmetrical ways. A high level fighter will lose much more of their offensive power than a rogue, or even a cleric that readies an attack, and will be behind a paladin after 11th level. I just fail to see a reason for that.

Yep, that is a common reasoning for permitting Extra Attack to work with readied attacks. I allow it too. I don't want warlocks to be better snipers than fighters are when it comes to shoot-and-scoot games with total cover.

 

[CapnZapp]

EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Let's explore why this rule is so often overlooked.

It's because when it's not your turn, this feature does nothing, and does it silently.

The rule would have been much more clear if the "not your turn" case was explicitly adressed. Perhaps:

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Outside of your own turn, this feature does nothing.

I realize you can't always write rules that clarify like that (or the PHB would have been ten times as long, and much less clear to boot) but this is one instance where I feel the ball was dropped, as evidenced by how many threads we have asking about this one same thing over and over again.

 

[CapnZapp]

I get this, but it seems the classes are affected in strangely asymmetrical ways. A high level fighter will lose much more of their offensive power than a rogue, or even a cleric that readies an attack, and will be behind a paladin after 11th level. I just fail to see a reason for that.

The reason is that readied actions aren't supposed to happen with any regularity, and so any imbalance matters little.

The important point is that readied actions are gimped intentionally for a reason. Don't let the fact this couldn't be implemented easily in a way that impacted all classes equally overshadow this realization.

But good luck with your houserule.

 

[CapnZapp]

And it's not as if every combat is going to be against a bunch of blinking monsters -- it's okay for the occasional curve-ball fight to be a bit more complicated.

Not trying to hound you on this, but I would like to mention that blink monsters are hardly the only application where a player might be tempted to use a readied action (especially if the cost of taking it isn't high enough).

Look, this is essentially the same issue as with charge actions in d20 (why charge the monster and do only one attack, when if I wait for the monster to charge, I get to make all my five attacks?).

It boils down to the I Go - You Go nature of sequential combat.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with adding back a little tactical choice into 5e at the possible expense of drawing out certain encounters; just as long as you realize 5e wasn't made the way it is by mistake. In other words, don't add back out-of-turn extra attacks just because you feel the way fighters losing more than rogues was a mistake (it wasn't: it probably was an intentional casualty in order to keep things fast and simple), do it because you genuinely feel out-of-turn extra attacks add something valuable to your 5e combats!

(Most people are actually not served by delaying choices - instead it only elevates analysis paralysis by offering a "safe" passive choice. This isn't in the game's best interests to keep up the high-octane action. But if your players like it, feel free to go there with your eyes open)

Thanks

 

[Plaguescarred]

Blink is quite potent even for lone monster as PCs are forced to Ready actions, which eats up their reaction while leaving them unable to use bonus actions, Extra Attack or any other game element resources that can only be taken on their turn.


Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[CapnZapp]

Blink is quite potent even for lone monster as PCs are forced to Ready actions, which eats up their reaction while leaving them unable to use bonus actions, Extra Attack or any other game element resources that can only be taken on their turn.


Yan
D&D Playtester

Except when facing Rogues

 

[Plaguescarred]

Except when facing Rogues

A rogue without bonus action or Extra Attack is not as good, and one still need advantage or positioning to get Sneak Attack, which can be circumvented since blink let you return to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of the space you vanished from.


Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[Barolo]

The reason is that readied actions aren't supposed to happen with any regularity, and so any imbalance matters little.

The important point is that readied actions are gimped intentionally for a reason. Don't let the fact this couldn't be implemented easily in a way that impacted all classes equally overshadow this realization.

But good luck with your houserule.

I still don't find it quite logical to gimp some classes less than others. I am sure that ranged rogue there on the corner is not as sad to have to keep readying attacks as the 11th level fighter archer in a combat everybody is trying to make good use of cover.