readying actions

[beaver]

what can actually be triggers to ready actions? does it actually say anywhere?

i have a character that consistantly readies (or tries to ready but i turn his down) actions like:
-i hide (move) and ready action (standard) to attack NPC1 if he doesn't see me ?!
-i hide and ready action to attack NPC2 when he starts climbing ladders (ladders mentioned are leading to top of the wall on which a player is hiding - how can you see that someone is climbing ladders and that someone does not notice you?)

can you actually see EVERYTHING that other people are doing while hiding yourself, and ready actions to particular moves, actions a person does? don't you need to be a little more concerned about you staying well hidden more than seeing what other people do?

 

[Percivellian]

It depends. You need cover or concealment to hide (barring HipS) so you have to take the terrain, and the specific availability of these things into account. Are you hiding in the shadows, or around the corner? Are you behind the rain barrel or in it? Make your player get specific in their description of how they hide and then logically determine what they're capable of from there. Keep in mind that they can still make listen checks and what not to determine if the conditions for their readied actions are met.

 

[beaver]

would you say that if i were goblin hiding on top of a wall and you are a human going to climb ladders directly or 5ft from my position on top of wall (i do have concealment, even total cover) that i could ready an action to "attack you when you start climbing ladders"

 

[sfedi]

what can actually be triggers to ready actions? does it actually say anywhere?

No, AFAIK

i have a character that consistantly readies (or tries to ready but i turn his down) actions like:
-i hide (move) and ready action (standard) to attack NPC1 if he doesn't see me ?!
-i hide and ready action to attack NPC2 when he starts climbing ladders (ladders mentioned are leading to top of the wall on which a player is hiding - how can you see that someone is climbing ladders and that someone does not notice you?)

I see no problem with this.
I´m even more lenient.
And I still don´t get any problems.

Note that once the rogue acts, he usually blows his cover.
That is, he can stll hide, but the enemies know his there, and can choose not to expose themselves to a sneak attack.
(conditions and terrain have a huge impact on the above affirmation)

can you actually see EVERYTHING that other people are doing while hiding yourself, and ready actions to particular moves, actions a person does? don't you need to be a little more concerned about you staying well hidden more than seeing what other people do?

I allow a hidden creature to see everything, barring extremely obvious circumstances were this would not be possible.
Note that the prupose of hiding is to not get seen, but SEE in return.
If you would like to simply not be seen, and not see, you would me much better taking total cover.

 

[Silveras]

what can actually be triggers to ready actions? does it actually say anywhere?

i have a character that consistantly readies (or tries to ready but i turn his down) actions like:
-i hide (move) and ready action (standard) to attack NPC1 if he doesn't see me ?!
-i hide and ready action to attack NPC2 when he starts climbing ladders (ladders mentioned are leading to top of the wall on which a player is hiding - how can you see that someone is climbing ladders and that someone does not notice you?)

can you actually see EVERYTHING that other people are doing while hiding yourself, and ready actions to particular moves, actions a person does? don't you need to be a little more concerned about you staying well hidden more than seeing what other people do?

Pages 25 and 26 of the 3.5 DMG give advice on how to run Ready actions.

The first situation sounds like it would be a bad trigger because the PC does not know if NPC1 does not see him/her. S/he only knows that NPC1 is not acting like NPC1 knows s/he is there.

Secondly, it is also quite clear that the rules do not allow you to ready actions BEFORE combat begins (i.e., before initiative is rolled and round-by-round actions are being used). See p. 26 of the DMG, "Do not allow characters to ready actions outside of combat." The example given is covering a door with a bow and arrow.

What the PC can see, as has been mentioned, depends on the cover the PC has. If the PC has total cover/concealment, it is likely that the NPCs have the same with respect to that PC, so the PC can see nothing. This is very much a judgment thing, though; a PC hidden behind a stack of crates might have a small space to peek out through that would allow the PC to see NPCs who are not standing just to the sides of that space; unless one of the NPCs made an effort to look directly through that space, the PC would still be concealed from the NPCs.

 

[werk]

what can actually be triggers to ready actions? does it actually say anywhere?

Not really. I require something tangible like 'enters within melee range' or 'begins casting' something easily quantifiable.

-i hide (move) and ready action (standard) to attack NPC1 if he doesn't see me ?!

His character doesn't know the result of the roll. I'd consider this meta-knowledge and would not allow it. Ready is a full round action, so this is disallowed anyways.

-i hide and ready action to attack NPC2 when he starts climbing ladders

This I would allow because this is largely 'I attack if he moves to square x.' I don't see a problem here.

can you actually see EVERYTHING that other people are doing while hiding yourself, and ready actions to particular moves, actions a person does? don't you need to be a little more concerned about you staying well hidden more than seeing what other people do?

I think you are confusing hidden with totally concealed. You can (try to) hide while doing (pretty much) anything, it just drives up your DC. If he were totally concealed, for the second example, I would require that he have line of sight if the trigger lies outside his LoS.

 

[dshai527]

Ready is a full round action, so this is disallowed anyways.

In 3.5 I think "Ready" is a standard action.

 

[werk]

In 3.5 I think "Ready" is a standard action.

Whoops, yep, had that saved wrong. Doesnt' really matter regarding the first example, you can't use 'NPC fails skill check' as a trigger. He could say "and I attack if he looks at me" or something like that.

 

[Cabral]

In the first case, if you were to allow it, I'd suggest a Sense Motive check to whether ot not the NPC sees him.

 

[DMFTodd]

>> i hide (move) and ready action (standard) to attack NPC1 if he doesn't see me ?!

I don't really understand this one but, no, he couldn't do that. The character does not know if he has been seen or not.

>> -i hide and ready action to attack NPC2 when he starts climbing ladders (ladders mentioned are leading to top of the wall on which a player is hiding - how can you see that someone is climbing ladders and that someone does not notice you?)

Yes, that's valid. How can you see that someone is climbing the ladder and that someone does not notice you - by HIDING. That's pretty much the point of hiding.