Can you ready an action to cast a spell?

[MarkB]

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.

No. When you Ready an action, you are limited to that specific action. That's the price you pay for being able to interrupt another character's actions.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Right. The error in the FAQ answer is that it (incorrectly) assumes you can only perform free actions on your turn, when the rules quite clearly say you can normally perform them while taking another action.

 

[RigaMortus2]

You could always ready a Standard Action and when it triggers use a Swift Action.

No, you can't.

I'm not quite sure about that...

Speaking is a free action you can taken "even when it isn't your turn"

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

So...

Swift Action = Can be taken any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action.
Speaking = Free Action that you can take "even when it isn't your turn".
Result = Can do a Swift Action when you speak, since speaking is a free action that you are normally allowed, which isn't limited to being "on your turn".

It's fun to play with RAW

 

[MarkB]

Swift Action = Can be taken any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action.
Speaking = Free Action that you can take "even when it isn't your turn".
Result = Can do a Swift Action when you speak, since speaking is a free action that you are normally allowed, which isn't limited to being "on your turn".

It's fun to play with RAW

Talking is called out as an exception, so cross-connecting it with a rule that uses the word "normally" isn't going to work.

 

[ThirdWizard]

For anyone who thinks you can't take a Free Action during a Readied Action, take celerity from the PHB II. Aside from being an overpowered spell, it can be cast as an Immediate Action and allows to you take a Standard Action. It isn't your turn. Does this mean you can't take Free Actions? What about greater celerity that allows you to take a Full Round Action. Would you not be able to take Free Actions because it isn't your turn?

As far as I'm concerned, you're taking an action, so you can use a Free Action.

 

[MarkB]

For anyone who thinks you can't take a Free Action during a Readied Action, take celerity from the PHB II. Aside from being an overpowered spell, it can be cast as an Immediate Action and allows to you take a Standard Action. It isn't your turn. Does this mean you can't take Free Actions? What about greater celerity that allows you to take a Full Round Action. Would you not be able to take Free Actions because it isn't your turn?

As far as I'm concerned, you're taking an action, so you can use a Free Action.

I would tend not to allow free actions in any of those cases, because you aren't getting an extra turn, you're getting specified spell benefits, which don't include any mention of free actions.

The Ready action is another matter - you don't get to take free actions as part of it because you're not given any freedom as to what you do in that action - you have to take the action you Readied, and only that action.

 

[Vegepygmy]

The Ready action is another matter - you don't get to take free actions as part of it because you're not given any freedom as to what you do in that action - you have to take the action you Readied, and only that action.

Nowhere in the Ready rules does it state that you are limited to taking only the action you readied. And since they don't do so, the normal rules for free actions and swift actions should apply.

 

[Thanee]

I think with the 'normally' under the free action description, they basically meant on your turn (as clarified in the FAQ).

Also:

When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Nowhere in the Ready rules does it state that you are limited to taking only the action you readied.

It's implicit.

If - what most likely is meant there, and which is also supported by the FAQ and the existance of immediate actions - you can only take free actions on your turn, same as move, standard and full-round actions, of course, unless you are specifically allowed otherwise (as in the ready action), then you can only take the readied action (and other than that only one immediate action) outside of your turn.

Why is it outside your turn?

1) It states, that it happens after your turn (where you readied) and before your next turn.
2) Your turn begins, when your initiative count comes up, which doesn't happen when the readied action is triggered... your initiative count gets set as a result of your triggered ready action, not the other way around.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Infiniti2000]

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 think ThirdWizard was suggesting NOT taking the readied action. That's my primary reason to reject his original suggestion. If you ready to take a specific action, I'm saying you can't change it to something else. There are no clear rules on aborting, I don't think (maybe a suggestion in the DMG, but no matter), but if there are, they mean you do not take your readied action and thus you simply do not act at all.

That said, if ThirdWizard meant that you take your readied action and then, in addition, "on the fly" if you will, take a free/swift action, I'm not sure I agree with it.

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.

Resetting the initiative prior to the actual actions taken IMO creates some really wonky stuff, both for and against the character:

1. You can cast a swift spell, move, and then ready to cast a normal spell when your opponent moves close to you. He does and then you cast a normal spell and then another swift spell because it's a new turn?

2. Same thing, but on your new turn, all your spell effects (per round) get increment again?

I suppose ideally you track all spell effects per the initiative count they were original cast, but I don't know anyone not using a laptop exclusively that does that. So, is it just a continuation of your turn? How about if the trigger occurs just before your initiative next round, can you take another swift action then?

Wonky.

But, if you restrict it as the FAQ suggests, you don't get any weird possibilities like this.