Help with two questions please

[Hawken]

Thanks for the answers. I appreciate the help.

In regards to the initiative count on the Ready action, where exactly does it say in the PHB that the Ready action triggers on the same count. My DM is insisting that it is on the count just before the initiative count of the trigger. He is not unreasonable about it and will adjust to the rules if it is pointed out, but he can't find anything specific and I haven't had time to hunt it down myself.

 

[Fifth Element]

In regards to the initiative count on the Ready action, where exactly does it say in the PHB that the Ready action triggers on the same count. My DM is insisting that it is on the count just before the initiative count of the trigger.

It's not very clear is it? It refers to acting immediately before the action that triggers it. But if this meant acting on the initiative count one higher than the triggering opponent, it's possible someone else would go in between (due to using initiative bonuses to break ties).

Also, it refers to interrupting the opponent's actions. Indeed, this is the main reason to ready an action. If you went on the initiative count 1 higher than the opponent, you would not be able to, for instance, cause damage to a caster on his turn in order to force a Concentration roll. You would go, cause damage, then he would take his turn after, casting his spell without interruption.

See the last sentence of the "Readying an Action" paragraph: "Assuming [the other character] is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action." This means you take your action in the midst of the other character's actions, which must mean you are on the same initiative count.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My DM is insisting that it is on the count just before the initiative count of the trigger.

For what it's worth, I've never had a 3E combat where a newcomer to a combat rolled the same initiative as a Ready-trigger-modified result, so the difference between "same count" and "previous count" has never actually come up for me.

But his initiative does become "22+", so to speak - count 22, but before the triggerer.

-Hyp.

 

[irdeggman]

Thanks for the answers. I appreciate the help.

In regards to the initiative count on the Ready action, where exactly does it say in the PHB that the Ready action triggers on the same count. My DM is insisting that it is on the count just before the initiative count of the trigger. He is not unreasonable about it and will adjust to the rules if it is pointed out, but he can't find anything specific and I haven't had time to hunt it down myself.

I provided the SRD quote.

PHB pg 160

"The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. . . ."

The next paragraph talks about the resultant change in initiative order (and is the same as the quote I provided earlier).

 

[azhrei_fje]

And in the DMG on pages 24 and 25 is a fairly long discussion of initiative and simultaneous actions during initiative.

 

[Hawken]

Cool. Thanks again for the help.

 

[Infiniti2000]

As irdeggman points out, you interrupt the other character (e.g. spellcasting). The only possible answer to handles that is when the initiative counts are identical. If you act on 23, you cannot interrupt someone who acts on 22.