Wizard in Melee, step back and shoot? and staff Q.

[Keith Robinson]

ready to charge when they start to cast.

You can't do this by the RAW. You can only ready a standard action (PHB p160), but charging is a full round action (PHB p155).

 

[Abciximab]

You can't do this by the RAW. You can only ready a standard action (PHB p160), but charging is a full round action (PHB p155).

Doh! You're right. The fact that the rules allow you to charge if your only able to take a standard action or move action on your turn messes me up. Its the zombies fault.

 

[Herzog]

You can, however, ready an action to follow the wizard when he moves away.

You won't be able to get in your regular attacks, but you can have your attack of oppertunity when he starts casting. (assuming he doesn't decide to cast defensively after all)

 

[Wellby]

Great Discussion, and the GRAPPLE

Thanks guys, this has been great for me.

1) Wizards and open spaces. This has been made abundantly clear several times to us: a Wizard in a small room is toast. A Wizard in a large space who can constantly slip back and fire a lightning bolt is much better off.

2) Casting defensively: clearly this is used a lot by other gamers, and we have to take a good look at it. Severe oversight on that one.

3) Grappling the Wizard, BRILLIANT! And to think that it has always been an excellent option. I remember very clearly, one evening in the early 80s, reading the passage in the DMG that opened my eyes: if 20 orcs attack a 20th level Magic User....they should grapple him! And now, returning to the game decades later, I seemed to have forgotten that very important lesson.

 

[Foxworthy]

Feel the need to check on something that I think is very straightforwardly allowed in 3.5, but my 8 yr old says just doesn't make sense.

Barbarian (with normal 5 ft reach) in melee with a wizard. Wizard's turn. 5 ft step back and away from barbarian, so no AoO, and then whispers a few words and fires a lightning bolt at the barbarian, again, no AoO as not in reach of barbarian. Is this legal? I can see why this annoys my son, so is he onto something I've missed?

Yeah it's legal. The way that initiative rounds work sometimes leave little problems like this. Personally I choose to imagine it as the wizard backpedals away from the barbarian just long enough to cast his spell before the barbarian gets closer again. Of course since the wizard only moved a 5ft step the barbarian is free to full attack (if he survives) on his next attack.

Another tactic for the barbarian is to ready an action to attack the wizard when he cast. That way even if the wizard cast defensively or uses a 5ft step (you can combine a 5ft step with a ready action) the barbarian will get an attack that can disrupt the spell.

 

[Wellby]

This ready action tactic that has been mentioned several times: is the idea that, instead of simply attacking on the barbarian's turn to do damage to the wizard, he instead readies an action, in the hopes of both doing damage and disrupting a spell? Otherwise, the barbarian is readying on his turn instead of attacking, right?

 

[Herzog]

Correct.

This is a very valid tactic, especially while the barbarian doesn't have a high enough attack bonus to attack more than once with a full attack.

 

[Foxworthy]

This ready action tactic that has been mentioned several times: is the idea that, instead of simply attacking on the barbarian's turn to do damage to the wizard, he instead readies an action, in the hopes of both doing damage and disrupting a spell? Otherwise, the barbarian is readying on his turn instead of attacking, right?

Yup, the AoO for being adjacent can be easily avoid by the Wizard casting defensively. So relying on the AoO to disrupt a spell is risky. If you ready to disrupt and the spellcaster stays adjacent you still get the AoO if he doesn't cast defensively and you get another attack that can't be avoided by casting defensively, and a DC of 10 + damage dealt from a barbarian can be a bit tough for some casters.

Of course in some cases it may be better to take the spell and just use a full attack on your own round.