D&D 5E Legal Ready action triggers and order of resolution

[Maxperson]

It's not an exception. It's an explanation for how spells can work the same way as other readied actions. If you tried to cast a whole spell in response to a trigger, the triggering event would be long over by the time the spell went off. "Holding the energy" is just equivalent to holding an arrow drawn.

Spells are called out differently than other actions. Were they all supposed to be the same, spells would not have been mentioned separately at all. There would be no reason to call spells out. Spells take no longer than moving or swinging a sword. The way it is written shows spells to be an exception.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Spells are called out differently than other actions.

You're expecting them to explain how every possible action is readied?

Spells take no longer than moving or swinging a sword.

But we already know that you can hold a sword in a ready position. Spells are fictional, so it isn't a bad idea to explain that, yes, you can hold them ready too. Especially since this is something you can't do in many other games with magic: their spells have fixed casting times, and once that's completed, go off immediately.

The way it is written shows spells to be an exception.

Exception to what, exactly?

 

[Maxperson]

You're expecting them to explain how every possible action is readied?

No. I'm expecting them to speak conversational English. There is no reason to call spells out unless they are somehow different from other readied actions.

But we already know that you can hold a sword in a ready position. Spells are fictional, so it isn't a bad idea to explain that, yes, you can hold them ready too. Especially since this is something you can't do in many other games with magic: their spells have fixed casting times, and once that's completed, go off immediately.

No. They already explained what you can do with an action. Cast a spell and attack with a weapon are listed. Both are functionally the same with regard to time. There was no need to go into greater detail with spells.

Exception to what, exactly?

The fact, and it is a fact, that it you take an action in response to a trigger. Ready action explicitly says so. What you don't do is take part of the action first, and then complete the action in response to the trigger, because ready action doesn't say you do that. Except for spells.

 

[morikahn]

Guys, stop fighting. Its not worth it. Simply state your position well and move on. There is no right and wrong. You both know how the internet is.. don't fall into that trap

I was looking for the most legal response based on how the rules are worded. Unless we can get a developer like Meadows or Crawford to give a more definitive answer (and I'm not talking about the limited tweet responses) there is no more useful information to bring up.

 

[Inglorin]

There is no reason to call spells out unless they are somehow different from other readied actions.

Well, there is a difference. You pay a resource for readying a spell. This must be explained. Which they did, in fiction as well as rules wise.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Generally, to me, "readiness" would imply something like an attack pulled/aimed/cocked. At my table, at least, players who ready attack actions invariably describe their characters as doing this of their own volition. It's never been an issue.

While you have all the rights to think it is and run it this way at your table, you have to understand that it is not the case as written for the Ready an Action in general, except for spellcasting.

As written you could even Ready an Action to attack if the rogue moves, and decide if you do a melee or ranged attack, and with which weapon when using your reaction, since it doesn't specifically ask that you pick ahead of time, like for spellcasting. Similarly, you don't have to declare where you''ll move if you readied that you'll move if the rogue moves, you'll decide where and how you move (walk, fly, burrow) when taking your reaction.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

While you have all the rights to think it is and run it this way at your table, you have to understand that it is not the case as written for the Ready an Action in general, except for spellcasting.

As written you could even Ready an Action to attack if the rogue moves, and decide if you do a melee or ranged attack, and with which weapon when using your reaction, since it doesn't specifically ask that you pick ahead of time, like for spellcasting. Similarly, you don't have to declare where you''ll move if you readied that you'll move if the rogue moves, you'll decide where and how you move (walk, fly, burrow) when taking your reaction.

You're Limited to using whatever weapon(s) you're holding when the trigger comes up though, since you don't get to Interact With An Object outside of Your turn. So whether or not you narrate the weapon being held ready to strike or not, has no mechanical difference.

 

[Plaguescarred]

You're Limited to using whatever weapon(s) you're holding when the trigger comes up though, since you don't get to Interact With An Object outside of Your turn.

You're right that you couldn't draw a weapon outside your turn but other than that you have the liberty of selecting what attack and weapon you'd use at the moment using the reaction, not the Ready an Action.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, there is a difference. You pay a resource for readying a spell. This must be explained. Which they did, in fiction as well as rules wise.

There is no good reason to pay that resource to ready the spell, though. Getting ready to do something is not the same as doing it.

 

[Arial Black]

If you declare a non-spell action you just say your intent and the action plays out in its entirety if the trigger happens. The read action language and examples support that with the exception of spells which arbitrarily work differently.

They don't work differently. They work the same, in terms of how they interact with the Ready action.

Casting doesn't work differently, but it does need further explanation. Without this, then we would be wondering and disagreeing about whether the slot has been used, or whether or not it takes your concentration.

There's no good reason I can see for spells to work differently than other readied actions. I really don't know why they decided to differentiate them.

They didn't differentiate them.

Your position seems to be that the only fully explained example is Readying a spell, and that explanation shows that the all the time-consuming elements are completed on your own turn but are just executed when triggered, and somehow this means that, therefore, every other Readied action must work the opposite way?

And then you wonder why they had everything else work the opposite way?

They didn't! That's just in your head, not the PHB.