D&D 5E Can I cast a reaction spell and an action/BA spell on my turn.

[auburn2]

I know there is a general rule about only casting one spell on a players turn, so you can't use both an action spell and a bonus action spell. Does this apply for reaction spells too?

RAW reaction spells can be cast on your turn if the trigger happens - example you start falling on your turn and cast feather fall or you back out of melee without disengaging and cast shield when the opponent attacks you. These are allowed according to RAW.

What happens if you already used a spell on your turn?For example expanding on the two cases above - I misty step into the air and grapple a flying imp, as we both plummet to the ground can I cast feather fall .... or I cast vampiric touch and then back out of combat and want to use shield to avoid taking a hit.

Is this allowed?

 

[Adamant]

Actually, the rule is about bonus action spells specifically. If you cast a bonus action spell, the only other spells you can cast on that turn are cantrips with a casting time of 1 action. That means you can actually cast 2 spells on your turn, as long as none of them are a bonus action. Examples are fireball action surge second fireball, shielding an opportunity attack before casting a ranged spell, and counterspelling a counterspell. For your examples, the first uses a bonus action and doesn't work, but the second is fine.

 

[jmartkdr2]

The restriction on multiple spells on a turn kicks in when bonus action spells are cast. So as long as you don't cast any spells as a bonus action, there's no specific limit.

Action + reaction? Yes. You can counterspell the attempt to counterspell your own action spell.

Action surge does allow casting two fireballs on the same turn, and still having a reaction to cast absorb elements to resist one of them.

But once you cast a bonus action spell (either because that's how the spell is written or through quickened spell), you may only cast cantrips with a casting time of one action.

So healing word + viscious mockey, but then no reaction spell on your turn. Do note that as soon as someone else goes, it's no longer your turn so the limit stops applying.

Even action surge would only give you two cantrips.

 

[NotAYakk]

The rules state that if you cast a spell as a bonus action, the only other spells you can cast can be a cantrip as an action.

This means if you cast a spell as a bonus action, you cannot cast spells as a reaction.

It also means if you quicken a cantrip, you cannot then cast a leveled spell as an action. OTOH, if you quicken a leveled spell, you can cast a cantrip as an action.

It also means you can action surge and cast 2 leveled spells as an action.

This rule is weird enough that often people don't understand it or ignore it.

The common sense version, which I see people play with and believe is the actual rule, is "you cannot cast two leveled spells on a turn". This has the benefit of getting rid of counterspell counterspells (which are pretty ridiculous), makes fighter action surge spellcaster cheese go away, and is generally simpler to adjudicate.

 

[Mort]

RAW and RAI - once you cast a bonus action spell on your turn, you are limited to only casting cantrips with a 1 turn casting time. So no, can't cast a reaction on your turn after casting a bonus action spell.

Here's a discussion of it that incorporated the sage advice ruling.

 

[auburn2]

RAW and RAI - once you cast a bonus action spell on your turn, you are limited to only casting cantrips with a 1 turn casting time. So no, can't cast a reaction on your turn after casting a bonus action spell.

https://thinkdm.org/2019/10/12/bonus-action-spell-limitation/ a discussion of it that incorporated the sage advice ruling.

So RAW no misty step and feather fall as in my example.

 

[tommybahama]

War Caster feat allows an opportunity attack using a one action spell targeting only the creature. I assume that means no fireball even if it would only target that creature.

When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

 

[Mort]

So RAW no misty step and feather fall as in my example.

Right, since they're on the same turn, you run into the restriction.

 

[Dausuul]

War Caster feat allows an opportunity attack using a one action spell targeting only the creature. I assume that means no fireball even if it would only target that creature.

When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

I'm fairly certain you are not supposed to be able to cast fireball with a War Caster opportunity attack, and I would never allow it. However, by a strict reading of RAW, there is a strong case to be made that you can in fact do this:

• The fireball spell does at one point refer to affected creatures as "targets" ("A target takes 8d6 damage on a failed save").
• Unlike (for example) the sorcerer's Twinned Spell metamagic, War Caster does not specify that the spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature. It just says the spell must target only the provoking creature.

So, if you want to be a real stickler for rules as written, this works if you position the fireball so it only hits the provoking creature (don't forget that you yourself are a potential target). It isn't even really a balance issue--hitting only one target is generally a poor use of fireball.

The problem is that it makes absolutely no sense that the presence of a goat just standing there 15 feet from the target would prevent you from reaction-casting. For that matter, what if there's an invisible creature you don't even know about? Does your attempt to reaction-cast simply fail? Can you use this to detect invisible foes?

(Edit: Note that most AOE spells do not contain the "target" wording. For example, cone of cold, burning hands, and meteor swarm refer to "creatures" throughout. Fireball is an outlier in this regard. So I would rule that the word "target" is used in error and fireball targets a point in space, making it ineligible.)

 

[Mort]

I'm fairly certain you are not supposed to be able to cast fireball with a War Caster opportunity attack, and I would never allow it. However, by a strict reading of RAW, there is a strong case to be made that you can in fact do this:

• The fireball spell does at one point refer to affected creatures as "targets" ("A target takes 8d6 damage on a failed save").
• Unlike (for example) the sorcerer's Twinned Spell metamagic, War Caster does not specify that the spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature. It just says the spell must target only the provoking creature.

So, if you want to be a real stickler for rules as written, this works if you position the fireball so it only hits the provoking creature (don't forget that you yourself are a potential target). It isn't even really a balance issue--hitting only one target is generally a poor use of fireball.

The problem is that it makes absolutely no sense that the presence of a goat just standing there 15 feet from the target would prevent you from reaction-casting. For that matter, what if there's an invisible creature you don't even know about? Does your attempt to reaction-cast simply fail? Can you use this to detect invisible foes?

This one is odd no?

You're not targeting the "target" you're targeting a point in space (with fireball).

Of course the point in space can be the person who triggered Warcaster, so why not?

Still doesn't quite sit right.

No one in my group has Warcaster - so has never come up for me.