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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5618976" data-attributes="member: 92305">Because the limitation on the Reaction is that it is reactionary. It is not proactive. Any proactive actions, a character has to do on his action or use the Ready or Delay actions.  Ready and Delay are not replaced by the Reaction. Reaction only takes over some of the duties of the Ready Action.    That's a good question. I would say that no distance attacks could be used, like the bow. But, as long as the casting time of the spell was a Standard Action or shorter, I don't see a reason why a spellcaster couldn't use Shocking Grasp on (I don't know it's casting time--I don't use those spells in my game) on a foe that approaches him. It's a touch spell, yes?      Exactly.  Yep.  Yep.  Sounds to me like you've got it exactly.      With the Ready action, the PC has to name, specifically, what he will do and how his action is triggered. With the Reaction, the PC does not have to name his action, but his action must be reactionary--in reaction to a threat--and the trigger is the threat on the PC. See RUMBLETiGER's examples above. Those things are not reactionary to a personal threat. Someone charging you or engaging you in melee are reactionary.      Fair comment. But, I don't think so. Here's why. 1 - Since there is no declaration with the Reaction, there's no slowing down the game there because the player isn't thinking about it. 2 - Since the Reaction is reactionary, you never worry about it unless a character who only performed a Move earlier in the round is attacked. If he's not attacked, the Reaction is triggered.   I envision a combat round to play out like this: Fred has nish. He moves ahead 20 feet, scouting for the party. He's alert, looking, smelling, listening for trouble. A goblin breaks from the bush, screaming and mashing his teeth, charging Fred. Fred slams the end of his spear down to the ground as goblin runs towards him. He locks his foot over it, then braces the spear, shoving it in front of him just as the goblin gets to him.   In game terms: Fred made a Move action of 20'. Then it was the goblin's turn, who saw Fred and charged him. Since this is a threat to Fred, he can use a Reaction by setting his spear for the charge.  As the goblin approches, Fred attacks first. By the rules, he gets automatic double damage if he hits (setting a spear for a charge). If he misses, well, he didn't react quick enough in time. Now, the goblin proceeds with his charge attack.     One thought: We could limit the Reaction further to only melee attacks if a weapon is at the ready (not in a sheath).So, the Reaction could be a melee attack or the setting of a weapon for a charge, but nothing else.Thoughts on that?      In RL, it is generally harder to attack than to defend.      What Fred did above can be done by the RAW. He would simply move 20' feet then Ready an action to attack any foe that attacks him in melee. He wouldn't get the double damage (unless he Readied to defend against a charge)... ....but it seems to me that, if you're readied for a charge, you're not that far away from attacking someone who is not charging you but engaging you in regular melee.   Here's another thought: What if you threw away the Reaction action alltogether, but, instead, made a special type of Ready action that allowed you to either attack someone who approached you or set your weapon for a charge.This way, the rules really aren't changed--you've just broadened a Ready Action. You can attack someone who approaches for melee or you can set for a charge--your choice (because you should have a choice since you have nish).    Well said. And, to be clear, I'm not saying that I see a problem. I'm just investigating something my player said when I was teaching him the Ready Action. In that discussion, I was the one taking the gamist approach, saying, "Your turn is over!" And, he was saying, "So...what did my character do...just move out into the field and stand there as he saw someone charging him?" And, he continued, "I have nish. I should have the advantage. So, I should be able to react to a charge. I can see the guy coming at me--but by using this turn method, I don't know as a player what my character would know after one second of looking at the battlefield." My player has a point. I'm investigating if there is a good solution, or if I should stick with the RAW.     EDIT:  I'm 95% sure I'll stick with the RAW.  But, I also may revisit this idea later, once I feel I have a better comand over the 3.5 rules.</blockquote>

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