Can you ready an action to cast a spell?

[ThirdWizard]

Vegepygmy got it.

You can also take a 5' step during your readied action.

 

[Caliban]

Sure you could.

"You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally." PHB, page 139.

"You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action." Spell Compendium, page 4.

I think he's referring to a ruling in the FAQ that stated that when the Readied action goes off, it's technically not your turn, so you can't do any free actions in addition to the readied action (you can do a free action if that is the action you readied, but not in addition to the action).

I'm not sure if I agree with the reasoning (I think it is your turn again, since you are taking your action and your initiative resets), but that is what the FAQ says.

Can you take a free action and a standard action as part of a readied action? For example, suppose I ready an action to attack the first monster to come into melee range. A
monster comes into range, and I take an attack—can I also shout, cast a quickened spell, or use some other free action?

Using a strict reading of the ready rules (see page 160 of the Player’s Handbook), the answer is no. While the ready action allows you to combine a 5-foot step as part of the
readied action, it doesn’t say anything about allowing free actions.

Furthermore, the first sentence of the second paragraph under the Ready heading (“You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action.”) seems to support this, as it clearly sets up a free action as one of the three options, rather than including it as an addition to be included along with either of the other two options.

Since speaking is generally defined as a free action you can perform “even when it isn’t your turn” (see the Player’s Handbook, page 144), you don’t need to combine a shout with
the readied action. You can simply perform it any time you want, including right before or after taking a readied action.

The same is true of any spell (or action) that you can cast (or perform) when it isn’t your turn, such as feather fall, or any spell whose casting time is 1 immediate action. (The immediate action is defined in several recent rulebooks, including the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Complete Arcane. It is reprinted here for your reference.) You couldn’t cast a
quickened spell, though, since that can’t be done when it isn’t your turn.

 

[Vegepygmy]

I think he's referring to a ruling in the FAQ that stated that when the Readied action goes off, it's technically not your turn, so you can't do any free actions in addition to the readied action (you can do a free action if that is the action you readied, but not in addition to the action).

I'm not sure if I agree with the reasoning (I think it is your turn again, since you are taking your action and your initiative resets), but that is what the FAQ says.

Ah. I wasn't aware of this FAQ ruling. (And yeah, I think it's incorrect for the reasons you stated, so its existence doesn't change my opinion. But thank you for pointing it out!)

 

[ThirdWizard]

Even if it isn't your turn, you are taking an action (specifically of the standard variety) so it looks to me like you can take a free action at that point.

It is definately not your turn, however, during the readied action, as it states it is taking place "after your turn is over but before your next one has begun."

I guess the question becomes, what's more important to when you can take a free action: it being your turn or you taking an action. I have to say, taking the action, as its the one specifiacally called out in the rules text.

 

[Thanee]

You can also take a 5' step during your readied action.

Within limits.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I'm not sure if I agree with the reasoning (I think it is your turn again, since you are taking your action and your initiative resets), but that is what the FAQ says.

Well, the readied action text says:

The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun.

That sounds like it happens outside of your turn.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I'm not sure if I agree with the reasoning (I think it is your turn again, since you are taking your action and your initiative resets), but that is what the FAQ says.

Well, the readied action text says:

The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun.

That sounds like it happens outside of your turn.

Bye
Thanee

P.S.

You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action.

Transfering that to the ready action, should allow swift actions, or not?

 

[MarkB]

Transfering that to the ready action, should allow swift actions, or not?

Yes. If you can take a swift action whenever you could normally take a free action, you should be able to use the "Ready a free action" action to Ready a swift action, providing you haven't already taken a swift action that turn.

 

[The Forsaken One]

Within limits.

Bye
Thanee

Yup as in, you haven't moved that round. Aka you can only 5ft step if you haven't had any other form of movement in the round.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Of course you can take a swift or free action when your readied action goes off. If for no other reason than your action is happening now, meaning your initiative changes to when you do the readied action, so it actually is your turn now.