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

[ECMO3]

they are not casting spells though, they take the Magic action with an item and replace the Magic action with the Ready action

No they don't When you you ready the Magic action you take the Magic action as a reaction.

Now if you want to get technical, RAW you could Ready the Magic action for after the Cleric casts heal on you.

I take the Ready action to use my Mace of Terror after the Cleric Heals me (use the Ready action on your turn)

Cleric casts Heal you, meaning you are no longer befuddled and the trigger happens

You use your Mace of Terror (take the Magic action as a Reaction)

Technically RAW this is allowed.

What is not allowed is to Ready a spell after the Cleric Heals you, because to do that you need to cast a spell on your turn, which would be before you were healed and you can not cast spells while Befuddled. I can't think of any way to bypass this and enable you to Ready a spell while under Befuddlement, even accounting for what happens off turn.

 

[mamba]

As a matter of fact the reason it says "can't cast spells" is to make it clear you can't use other actions like the Ready action to cast them.

nah, it’s because of spells with a casting time of bonus action or reaction

 

[mamba]

nvm

 

[ECMO3]

wasn’t directed at you, but since you replied…

What action is being taken as the reaction in this paragraph (bolded ‘action’ by me for clarity) “First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your Speed in response to it.” ?

They are not talking only about a "proper action" as you like to call it, they are talking about what you are doing. Further they give two examples right below that which make this clear:

Examples include “If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the zombie steps next to me, I move away.”

"pull the lever" and "move away" are not actions as defined in game and would not typically require a character to use an action if done on their turn. Similarly "cast a spell" is not an action as defined in game and "release energy" as happens on the trigger is not something that corresponds to an action in game.

 

[mamba]

They are not talking only about a "proper action" as you like to call it, they are talking about what you are doing. Further they give two examples right below that which make this clear:

that does not answer what action is being taken as a reaction…

 

[ECMO3]

that does not answer what action is being taken as a reaction…

None. Just if you "pull the lever" or "move" in the examples WOTC gives in the text.

It is not required that you must use one of the games "main actions" when you Ready an action.

If you use Ready a spell you do not use one of the games defined actions with your reaction when the trigger occurs. Instead you use a reaction to "release the energy" as spelled out in the description. "Release the energy" is not an action as defined under actions.

 

[mamba]

None. Just if you "pull the lever" or "move" in the examples WOTC gives in the text.

It is not required that you must use one of the games "main actions" when you Ready an action.

I was not asking what capital-A Action was taken, I was asking what action is taken as the reaction

 

[ECMO3]

I was not asking what main Action was taken, I was asking what action is taken as the reaction

You "release the energy" as a reaction. That is clearly spelled out under Ready action.

"Realese the energy" is not one of the games main actions, just like in the examples given by WOTC "pull a lever" and "move" are not one of the games main actions but are done as a reaction.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

What I’m saying is, I think it’s a completely different thing than what’s being restricted. Like, to use an analogy, would you say that eating a plant-based meat substitute like Beyond Meat is a “loophole” around the restriction against eating meat during lent? I wouldn’t, because it isn’t meat. That it is similar in taste to meat doesn’t make it a loophole, it’s just a different thing that the restriction doesn’t cover or even attempt to cover.

Right.

On the other hand, eating beaver meat during lent, because the Catholic Church defines beavers as fish (specifically to allow eating them during lent in places where fish are hard to come by*) is absolutely a loophole.

Right.

A workaround to the restriction that allows you to functionally get away with doing the thing you aren’t supposed to be allowed to do, because weasely definitions of “meat” and “fish” give you plausible deniability.

*thats a real thing by the way! I didn’t just make it up

I wanted to give the same example.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You "release the energy" as a reaction. That is clearly spelled out under Ready action.

"Realese the energy" is not one of the games main actions, just like in the examples given by WOTC "pull a lever" and "move" are not one of the games main actions but are done as a reaction.

Pull a level seems to be use an object. Or a free interaction woth the enviroment.

But yeah. Ready action is somehow not very well written.

If it was me, I'd instead reintroduce the delay action. But with a trigger.

Instead of acting, you delay your whole turn until a teigger occurs. You take your whole action later. And your initiative goes down to that point.
If the trigger never happens, you forfeit your whole turn.

We would have way less problems.

Maybe I will try it out some day.