D&D 5E Invisibility, non-instantaneous spells, and spell effects

[Lyxen]

Now, to be clear: My ruling on actions being uninterruptible* is not the only possible interpretation of RAW. But it is a valid interpretation of RAW, not contradicted by anything in the books that I can see, and it heads off a lot of weird timing questions.

It is absolutely contradicted by two rules and an example:

• The rule that the trigger is a perceivable circumstance and not an action.
• The rule that the reaction interrupts one turn.
• And the example about the goblin, it interrupts the move action (yes, the move action can continue after it, but it is interrupted even though the move action is not complete).

Once more, the rules just do what they say they do, if actions could not be interrupted, it would have been said.

 

[James Gasik]

Lyxen, I know what you meant, but "move" is not specifically an action in 5e. It should be, but that's not how they chose to define it. You can move as the result of an action or reaction, but on your turn, movement is just a thing you do.

 

[Lyxen]

Lyxen, I know what you meant, but "move" is not specifically an action in 5e. It should be, but that's not how they chose to define it. You can move as the result of an action or reaction, but on your turn, movement is just a thing you do.

Fine, I used that example because it's right in ready description anyway, but there are a number of examples in particular with spells and not a single example about actions that cannot be interrupted.

 

[Flamestrike]

Curiously, something that I ran into that hasn't come up yet (so I haven't needed to point this out) is that if you set a trigger for a reaction, you don't have to make it at that time. In fact, if the trigger happens more than once in a turn, you can make the reaction in response to any of these triggers should you choose.

You can set any perceivable circumstance as the trigger, and you're not limited in what that trigger might be, so you could stipulate a dozen different things if you wanted to.

Technically you could (in this instance) stipulate your trigger as 'If he speaks the first word of any spells Verbal components, i shoot him'

 

[Plaguescarred]

The thing is some people trying to use trigger "when a creature starts to X...." To use reaction after it finishes starting it in ordre to interrupt the remaining of the event that was started. Having a trigger "when a creature is casting a spell" avoid such shinanigans.

Otherwise might as well just use trigger "when a creature blink eyes" to just be allowed to react anytime you want and interrupt whatever is happening!

 

[Lyxen]

The thing is some people trying to use trigger "when a creature starts to X...." To use reaction after it finishes starting it in ordre to interrupt the remaining of the event that was started.

And then, obviously, there should be means to interrupt many things. Why should some things be inviolate when, in particular we know that spells can be interrupted with the right magic ? They can't even be interrupted by damaging the caster in 5e anyway...

Having a trigger "a creature is casting a spell" avoid such shinanigans.

Only, this is a personal restriction that has nothing to do with the rules, in addition to the above.

Otherwise might as well just use trigger "when a creature blink eyes" to just be allowed to react anytine you want and interrupt whatever is happening!

And then, it's up to the DM to check whether it's specific enough to be watched for, if it's detected when it happens anyway, and most people blink about 12 times per minute, meaning that there is absolutely no guarantee that it will happen.

Moreover, what's the point of that, since you will not interrupt it and a readied action is less powerful than a normal one during one's round ?

 

[James Gasik]

Yeah I mean, that is what the rules say you can do. Whether or not it passes the smell test is up to the DM.

 

[Dausuul]

It is absolutely contradicted by two rules and an example:

• The rule that the trigger is a perceivable circumstance and not an action.

And the reaction happens after that circumstance "finishes." When does "starts to cast a spell" finish? When have you finished starting?

As far as I'm concerned, the answer is, "When you finish the spell."

• The rule that the reaction interrupts one turn.
• And the example about the goblin, it interrupts the move action (yes, the move action can continue after it, but it is interrupted even though the move action is not complete).

Once more, the rules just do what they say they do, if actions could not be interrupted, it would have been said.

Clearly I do indeed have to put this in every single post:

I rule that a readied action cannot interrupt other actions, except for actions (such as Attack with multiple attacks) that allow the person acting to do other things in the middle; and movement, which is not an action at all.

Fine, I used that example because it's right in ready description anyway, but there are a number of examples in particular with spells and not a single example about actions that cannot be interrupted.

Do you have an example that involves the Ready action? Because the Ready action is the one that says the reaction takes place after the trigger finishes. If your examples are stuff like counterspell or the Xanathar's "identify a spell" reaction, they have nothing to do with this.

No one is disputing that reactions exist which can interrupt other actions. The question is whether Ready is one of them--and, in particular, whether the rules require Ready to be one of them.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Some people go as far as using self-made event as trigger in order to interrupt with their readied action when they want loll.

 

[Flamestrike]

Some people go as far as using self-made event as trigger in order to interrupt with their readied action when they want loll.

As long as it's a perceivable trigger, you're good to go.

Seeing as you cant really do anything yourself when it's not your turn, that rules you out.

But imagine a trigger of 'if my opponent moves any part of his body more than 1 inch in any direction'.