D&D 5E 5E and delaying your turn.

[mneme]

We didn't even notice Delay wasn't around (I'm not sure the GMs have noticed at all, and since it's only used in game-appropriate ways haven't rememberd to bring it up), but I don't see any issues to allowing delay as long as it only hurts you (that is, as long as it causes you to go later and thus lose time). As such, effects you're maintaining should go away when you delay, and you shouldn't be able to delay if you're under any constraint on your actions. And, indeed, nobody's tried shenanigans, just used Delay for appropriate things like "I should probably wait until -after- the wizard dispels the darkness/force effect before I try to do something."

 

[Flamestrike]

Too many things last, "Until the beginning of your next turn." If you actually delay your initiative, you extend how long such effects last.

This.

If you allow creatures to shift initiative order via old school 'delay' actions you totally mess up spell durations, ongoing effects that allow or require saving throws at the beginning/ end of turns and all sorts of rules interations.

That's in addition to the bookeeping required.

Seriously, just keep it as is with 'Ready' as an action. It largely does the same thing as the delay action in any event.

The only annoying thing for mine is that the RAW punishes Fighters (and classes with extra attack) because you can only ready a single attack when you ready.