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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sidekick" data-source="post: 3214195" data-attributes="member: 13946">Hmm I’m divided here. While the DM shouldn’t be using readied actions to cheat the players there are situations where the PCs opponents getting the drop on them can’t be properly illustrated within the RAW.Here’s two example from my campaign.1) (where I would have used RAW). The wizard is about to hand over an item to the bad guys. She’s got about 6 Emerald Claw soldiers covering her with Crossbows. She decides to cast a spell (mage hand) to float it over to the enemies leader. Now I didn’t do this, but I should have. The archers all get a surprise round to shoot her (flat-footed) and riddle her full of bolts.2) (not covered in RAW). The PCs come home to find one of the other PCs sitting at the kitchen table with a Boromar-hired assassin sitting in the window sill with a crossbow leveled at the PCs chest. Clearly they’ve been like this for a while (ie he’s had his 3 rounds worth of ‘watching the subject’).There’s another Boromar here to offer the PCs a job – its an offer they can’t refuse.The (same) wizard, who is currently invisible casts gaseous form. The assassin hears the verbal component, assumes that the PCs are about to kick off and *twang* shoots the other PC bad. Now luckily he made his save and survived but I’d have had no qualms about killing that PC – the other player made a grave error that tipped the situation into violence.Now example 2 isn’t strickly RAW, but as the DM there are situations where the RAW doesn’t cover the campaign adequately. So you rule on the fly to keep consistency with the situation/game/feel.Your DM shouldn’t be taking the piss with this, but I can see how sometimes a readied action outside of combat is acceptable.Ohh here’s another (I forget where this was illustrated). A mercenary group are holding some ruins. The PCs approach and are challenged. The leader ‘readies’ to shoot anyone who tries to cast a spell, while his troops ready to shoot anyone who tries to attack them. The wizard casts a spell. *thunk*. He gets shot. Then the fighter charges forward and *thump* he get riddled with bolts.While that would occur IN a combat round, the readying of the action wouldn’t have…</blockquote>

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