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<blockquote data-quote="Lazy Bob" data-source="post: 4498266" data-attributes="member: 78239">While the discussion of ordered versus unordered lists is quite interesting, the specific case of the rat swarm doesn't require an answer to that.From MM, page 219: &quot;the rat swarm makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura&quot;.The PHB, on pages 268-269, is extraordinarily clear on the subject of free actions. They can be taken during any character's turn (not just the actor's own turn) during the &quot;Actions On Your Turn&quot; segment. They cannot be taken during either the &quot;Start&quot; or &quot;End&quot; segments of a turn. This is compatible with the aura description, which doesn't specify that the attack takes place at the &quot;Start&quot; of the victim's turn, only that beginning a turn within the aura is the trigger for the attack.So in this specific case, the victim's turn begins (completing all of the &quot;The Start Of Your Turn&quot; tasks, whether ordered or unordered), and then the victim begins the &quot;Actions On Your Turn&quot; segment, at which point (before the victim can take any actions of their own) the rat swarm attacks.This means that the victim takes attack damage immediately, but will not take ongoing damage until the start of their next turn.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lazy Bob, post: 4498266, member: 78239"] While the discussion of ordered versus unordered lists is quite interesting, the specific case of the rat swarm doesn't require an answer to that. From MM, page 219: "the rat swarm makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura". The PHB, on pages 268-269, is extraordinarily clear on the subject of free actions. They can be taken during any character's turn (not just the actor's own turn) during the "Actions On Your Turn" segment. They cannot be taken during either the "Start" or "End" segments of a turn. This is compatible with the aura description, which doesn't specify that the attack takes place at the "Start" of the victim's turn, only that beginning a turn within the aura is the trigger for the attack. So in this specific case, the victim's turn begins (completing all of the "The Start Of Your Turn" tasks, whether ordered or unordered), and then the victim begins the "Actions On Your Turn" segment, at which point (before the victim can take any actions of their own) the rat swarm attacks. This means that the victim takes attack damage immediately, but will not take ongoing damage until the start of their next turn. [/QUOTE]

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