D&D 5E Reactions and Multi Attacks

[Rage Seth]

Greetings! I have a question to post and hope it's an easy one to solve.When you ready a reaction to attack someone once they have entered your line of sight and you have the ability to attack multiple times as an action, can you attack multiple times during your reaction? As an example, a level 6 fighter, who can make two attacks per action, readies a reaction to attack an enemy who is hiding behind total cover. Once the creature moves from his cover and is exposed the fighter attacks. Does he get one attack since this is a reaction or two since he can attack twice per action?

The issue that made me ask this question was during my last session I had a boss who had the multi attack ability and readied a reaction to attack the player if he ran passed an open door. I was going to having him use his two attacks on the player but was informed by another player that you may only use one attack when performing a reaction. Another player supported his opinion so I went with it until I could determine if this was the case. After some researching, I couldn't find anything solid in the Dungeon Masters Guide nor the Players Handbook. If someone has a solid answer and/or a page number to reference the rule I've been looking for it would be most appreciated.

 

[Shadai]

Its one attack.

The fighter can make multiple attacks on his attack action, but a reaction is not an attack action. Its just a reaction.

EDIT: However on second thought, if the guy readies his action to be done at a certain point I would think he would get his full attack action, as if a mage readies a web spell if someone comes through the door can cast it as a reaction.... So I think the answer is one attack on a true reaction, but a readied action would just be that, an action when a certain circumstance is filled.

 

[Sunseeker]

A Reaction is it's own type of action that is different than the Attack Action. The Extra Attacks feature only modifies how the Attack Action works.

 

[redrick]

With regards to players, look at basic rules page 25:

"you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn."

So, when you ready the Attack action, you end up taking it on somebody else's turn, negating the "extra attack" feature.

However, with regard to NPCs, we have learned somewhere from Crawford and co that "multiattack" is not the same as "extra attack", and that different rules can apply. So, in that case, you could rule that an NPC or monster could use its "multiattack" as a readied action on another characters turn. I'm not sure if this is addressed anywhere in the rules. Personally, I wouldn't rule it that way, as I find it distracting when monsters behave by visibly different rules from players, without good reason.

--EDIT--

Welcome to ENWorld!

 

[Shadai]

Nope, my initial instincts were correct, as is Redrick. Check this link I found:

http://dmdavid.com/tag/top-3-rules-questions-from-dungeons-dragons-fifth-edition-dungeon-masters/

For those too lazy to click, here is the important verbiage:

The readied action replaces the one reaction you can use per turn. After you ready an action, you can still choose to use your reaction to do something like take an opportunity attack instead, but you may no longer take your readied action. Also, once you use your readied action, you no longer have a reaction available for things like opportunity attacks.

 

[Rage Seth]

Alrighty so it looks like reading a action is a type of reaction used outside of your turn. Due to the fact that its done outside of your turn, negating the extra attack feature since its not on your turn, you may only make one attack per reaction or when doing your readied action to attack someone that activates your trigger. Glad I could get a solid response on the subject ^_^

 

[Rage Seth]

Thanks for the welcome, thankfully 5th edition D&D isn't too hard on newbies when it comes to the rules but every now and then you gotta wonder about a few things which is why I like the site. I could only imagine trying to keep rules straight with some of the other books.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

From the basic rules

Then, you choose the action
you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose
to move up to your speed in response to it.

I think you can actually take do a full action with the reaction from ready action. However, Extra Attack does not work with it as it specifically says it only works on your turn.

Opportunity Attacks on the other hand refer to "one attack" and not "one action", so it will always be only one attack.

 

[S'mon]

A Readied action is not an opportunity attack. You can Ready an Attack action, and there is absolutely no reason why that can't be a multi-attack Action.

 

[S'mon]

Double Post