D&D 5E (2024) Using Action Surge to cast spells in 2024

[UngeheuerLich]

I think, as @FarBeyondC just pointed out, it doesn't work that way.

Per ready action:

When you Ready a spell, you cast it as normal (expending any resources used to cast it) but hold its energy, which you release with your Reaction when the trigger occurs.

"Cast as normal" means using the magic action to cast the spell. The reaction is an additional requirement for holding then releasing the should later.

And frankly, interpreting it otherwise makes the Haste restriction near meaningless. You just have the trigger be the end of your turn and it will safely go off - only extra cost is the reaction.

As said above: turn ending is not an allowed trigger. You could always just trigger it yourself by whistling or whatever... but this is clearly not the intend of the ready action.

 

[mellored]

Just going to point out that Eldritch Knight's can already cast a spell with action surge.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Interesting conversation. In my 17th level 3x5e game (D&D 2014, D&D 2024, and Level Up Advanced 5e characters all in the same game), I've been dealing with a thief rogue's ability to use the Magic Action as a cunning action. This made all triggerable magic items super powerful for them and means that the characters default to loading up the rogue with their one-shot magic items and relics which is sort of annoying. I made a deal with the player that he not use both his action and his bonus action to trigger Magic actions because the idea that he can toss out two fireballs a turn totally eclipses both of the two wizards we have. He agreed to that. He can still sneak attack for like 70 damage and then use his telekinesis dagger to throw people around.

It's pretty powerful.

 

[TheSword]

And according to the OP, it takes a Magic Action to do, so it still fails since you can't take the Magic Action while in an action surge turn to cast the spell to be readied.

Absolutely. That was kinda the point of my first question really. Why would people assume that Readying an action would fundamentally change the nature of what you were doing. When all that happens is it takes effect a few seconds later.

At first I thought it was being used to get around the two spells rule (hence my post above) but saying it somehow doesn’t follow the restrictions of the Magic action because of a catch-all title is very strange.

 

[Mort]

As said above: turn ending is not an allowed trigger. You could always just trigger it yourself by whistling or whatever... but this is clearly not the intend of the ready action.

Sure, upon reflection, that's correct. But since the trigger can be, as you said, whistling, blinking, whatever - it doesn't change my answer at all.

The bigger point is, since a magic action still has to be used to cast the spell, further holding it to then trigger as a reaction doesn't make it work with action surge.

 

[Bae'zel]

On the other hand, if a player just figured out a totally broken and OP loophole, the bad guys can use it too, right?

I mean, do they want a challenge or not?

 

[Mort]

On the other hand, if a player just figured out a totally broken and OP loophole, the bad guys can use it too, right?

I mean, do they want a challenge or not?

This never leads as anywhere good!

Much better to discuss and contain the problem then to get into some kind of escalating loophole war!

Forgetting everything else, it's just bad for the rest of the table as they get caught up in it.

 

[Charlaquin]

And frankly, interpreting it otherwise makes the Haste restriction near meaningless. You just have the trigger be the end of your turn and it will safely go off - only extra cost is the reaction.

Personally, I don’t think “my turn ends” is a valid trigger for the Ready action, because it’s not a thing occurring in the game world. Turns are a strictly meta-game concept, the PC can’t wait for it to happen and take a reaction in response to it, because it doesn’t exist in their universe.

 

[Savage Wombat]

Personally, I don’t think “my turn ends” is a valid trigger for the Ready action, because it’s not a thing occurring in the game world. Turns are a strictly meta-game concept, the PC can’t wait for it to happen and take a reaction in response to it, because it doesn’t exist in their universe.

That just changes the PC's trigger to "as soon as PC_who_is_next_in_initiative_order starts an action", which is still metagaming.

 

[Mort]

Personally, I don’t think “my turn ends” is a valid trigger for the Ready action, because it’s not a thing occurring in the game world. Turns are a strictly meta-game concept, the PC can’t wait for it to happen and take a reaction in response to it, because it doesn’t exist in their universe.

I address this in a later post and agree with that. But since the trigger CAN be something very easy, whistling, even blinking. The point is, you're not casting with the reaction to it's just a trigger for the earlier magic action. Which is why the OP player's "work around" doesn't work.