Readied actions

[keterys]

For creatures that don't have immediates, or don't care a ton, it's a powerful option.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

For creatures that don't have immediates, or don't care a ton, it's a powerful option.

Yeah, its an available option. I don't personally like to overuse it though myself. Once in a while some tactically clever monsters will do something like that, but it seems a bit meta-gamey for every monster to be doing it every encounter. A squad of hobgoblins that rely on highly coordinated tactics and have good discipline? Sure, its kind of thematic. Your average motley collection of monsters? Not so much.

 

[Ryujin]

You need to pick up an item that gives you resist all, until the end of your next turn. That would quite handily put the nerf on that little tactic.

 

[DracoSuave]

On the broader subject of readied actions, here is a trick one of my DMs pulls pretty much every single combat.

First, he moves each foe wherever they want to go, setting up flanking and such.

Then each foe attacks, using said flanking each time.

This is justified by saying each foe is simply moving, then readying an action to attack as soon as that target is attacked by one of their allies.

So the last foe to move into position is the first to attack, and then all the rest attack due to their readied action.

Resulting in our defender (who is out front) granting combat advantage virtually every single combat, with a horde around him.

And as the player of that defender, I've reacted by often using brash strike. Heck, I'm already granting combat advantage, I might as well get a bonus along with it. Plus, it's OK that I get swarmed, that's my job as defender.

Not only is this tactic kosher, it's mentioned and recomended in the DMG, IIRC.