D&D 5E (2014) Take the Ready action.

[ECMO3]

If you take the Ready action to Hide when you take your reaction, you must have already moved into position to hide otherwise you're stuck mid-poking around.

This is strictly not true. The environmental conditions can change between your turn and the readied action. A real common one is it is my turn and my player is in plain sight but someone is going to cast darkness, fog cloud or cast invisiblity on me.

Also for a lightfoot halfling using naturally stealthy - ready an action to hide as soon as a medium sized creature walks in front of him breaking line of sight (this does not work for non-halflings).

 

[ECMO3]

I still don't understand why they removed the Delay choice from prior editions. Why would getting a higher initiative count be a punishment sometimes? At the time they said Ready would cover most situations, but it really doesn't.

Because it keeps people from abusing the initiative order.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think what they're trying to say is that you can only use the Ready action to either a) take an action (dash) or b) move.

If you take the Ready Action to dash, you've cannot then use that same Ready Action to move.

No, that’s what I’m saying, to mrpopstar.

Of course, the logical sequence is to Dash on your turn but Ready a movement (assuming you can do both at once like a Rogue).

That works to allow you to move 3x speed total in one round, but it doesn’t allow you to move 2x your speed outside of your turn, since Dash only doubles your movement for the current turn when you use it.

But if you use your action to Ready a Dash, there is no way to capitalize because the Ready action you used was already made to be a dash and not movement.

Correct.

 

[Mistwell]

Because it keeps people from abusing the initiative order.

Why is it "abusing" the initiative order to say "I rolled well, so I will choose to go later in this situation?"

 

[Stalker0]

I’m confused on this ready a dash debate.

you can already ready a move of your standard speed…as this is movement outside your turn, it doesn’t take away from the speed you would have on your turn

so you can already ready a full speed of movement…dash is 100% unneeded, so why are we even debating it?

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Hey, all! Been a long time!

So, I searched the forums and scanned a few threads. Started a conversation with my group and now I'm overthinking it.

It seems that when you take the Ready action, all you can reasonably use your reaction to do is move up to your speed, make one attack, cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, or use an object.

I understand the rules to imply that taking the Ready action allows me to use any of the other standard actions listed under "Actions in Combat" when I take my triggered reaction, but in reality that's not exactly true given the limited benefits.

• You don't benefit by taking the Ready action to Dash.
• You don't benefit by taking the Ready action to Disengage.
• You could technically benefit by taking the Ready action to Dodge, but why would you wait before you act?
• You could technically benefit by taking the the Ready action to Help, but why would you wait before you act?
• You could technically benefit by taking the Ready action to Hide, but why would you wait before you act?
• You could maybe benefit by taking the Ready action to Search given the corner case scenario.

I felt as though the precedent of previous editions was informing an assumptive understanding, but now that I look closer I see that Ready hasn't exactly changed, it's just that two thirds of the options aren't really options. Am I misunderstanding something?

Well that's 'cause yer doin' it wrong, young feller!


Basically, yeah, you're over thinking it. You are approaching it all from the mindset of a wargamer playing in a tournament. This is D&D...a roleplaying game...with the Pirates Code used to decide the specifics. (re: "The code is more like what you'd call guidelines, than actual rules...").

In stead of trying to think of the "action" first, then adapt it to the situation, do it the other way; think of the situation first, then adapt the action to fit it. You'll find running a game much more free-flowing, surprising and fun (well, at least I do!).

In other words...
Don't do this: "I'm going to use the Ready action to...", then try and adjust the situation to fit the Ready action.
Instead, Do this: "I'm going to do this...", then adjust the Ready action to fit the situation.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[billd91]

Taking the Ready action to Dash has been covered in Sage Advice.

Yes, and it’s explicit. You can ready a dash and use it to move when the reaction is triggered.

 

[Xetheral]

I think its a smart design choice as the Ready action really should be a niche action option, otherwise players (especially those playing spellcasters) will feel overwhelmed with "Should I cast Fireball now or ready it?" Not that that isn't already a decision, but with concentration tacked onto it, it makes actually waiting for your turn more likely and it prevents everyone from readying to attack Out of Turn all the time.

I find readying comes up multiple times in most outdoors fights. Against a long-ranged combatant with access to full cover, Readying ranged attacks to hit them when they come out of cover to attack is often preferable to multiple rounds of dashing in the open to get in melee.

And against archers stationed behind fortifications unreachable in melee, Readying attacks is often the only way to hit them.

Yeah, the downsides make Ready unattractive, but I think it's too common (and too crucial!) to qualify as "niche".

 

[Guest 7031328]

Why is it "abusing" the initiative order to say "I rolled well, so I will choose to go later in this situation?"

I believe it was due to how a lot of effects are worded to end at the start or end of individual PCs/Creatures' turns. It can effectively change the duration of an effect in some unintended way if that creature from whom the effect duration is determined delays their turn to later in the initiative (many effects change how other creatures interact with the affected creatures in some way).

 

[Shiroiken]

The Ready action isn't going to be useful very often, but it can be really useful when it is. Something that would have been better is if they'd kept Delay, allowing you to drop down in initiative. There was a few issues about effects that "start/end of your next turn," but 4E already solved them.