OOC Chatter
Re: OOC Chatter
So I've been reading up on the ready action and I'm still a bit confused.
I've not used this mechanic before so I hope I can get some help to understand it a little better.
(From a reddit post)
"I totally agree with the DM here; you can't use a readied action outside of combat to break the initiative order and get a fake surprise round on your enemies. "
So if you can't use the ready action outside of combat. You declare the action, roll initiative and then act during your turn?
I don't see why you would need the ready action if you have to wait till your turn in the initiative order anyway.
I'm obviously missing something, anyone care to help me out.
I've not used this mechanic before so I hope I can get some help to understand it a little better.
(From a reddit post)
"I totally agree with the DM here; you can't use a readied action outside of combat to break the initiative order and get a fake surprise round on your enemies. "
So if you can't use the ready action outside of combat. You declare the action, roll initiative and then act during your turn?
I don't see why you would need the ready action if you have to wait till your turn in the initiative order anyway.
I'm obviously missing something, anyone care to help me out.
I'm Rad and I'm a Rabbit
Radrabbit
Radrabbit
Re: OOC Chatter
Sorry for the confusion. Since I'm the culprit, I'll explain.
A Ready Action normally allows you to not act on your turn, instead declaring a trigger that allows you to act on someone else's turn later in the round, usually as an interrupt when the trigger occurs.
Almost all the opponents we've faced so far in this underground lair have had the ability to appear, strike at us, and dissappear in a single turn without any chance for us to strike them. I have been routinely stating a Ready Action to counter that: making it narratively clear that Awwrak is holding an attack ready and wary so that he can trigger an interrupt, getting an attack on their turn when they pop out and before they dissappear. Otherwise, we aren't getting any actions on our own turns anyway, so stating the ready action seems appropriate.
I am assuming from your Reddit quote that, in this current case, they are hiding and we are advancing on them. I do agree that in this case, the ready action would be irrelevant and we'd just use the normal action in initiative order, since we're the ones triggering the action. (If they pop-out to attack again before we initiate, however, then the Ready Action would trigger on their turn and then the normal action would occur when on our normal round when we get the chance to enter and initiate the attack. That's what I was preparing for.)
This won't be an issue when we're facing creatures that don't have so many special abilities. Normally, a foe would need to approach with no more than half their movement, attack, and then retreat with the other half of their movement. This wouldn't prevent an attack on them but would instead trigger an extra Attack of Opportunity unless they have a special feature to allow a Withdraw action for free or as a bonus action (which I assume these invisible spider things have).
While we're discussing it, invisibility usually doesn't prevent attacks either - we would normally be allowed to attack with Disadvantage. Not as important now that they've become visible.
Does that help?
A Ready Action normally allows you to not act on your turn, instead declaring a trigger that allows you to act on someone else's turn later in the round, usually as an interrupt when the trigger occurs.
Almost all the opponents we've faced so far in this underground lair have had the ability to appear, strike at us, and dissappear in a single turn without any chance for us to strike them. I have been routinely stating a Ready Action to counter that: making it narratively clear that Awwrak is holding an attack ready and wary so that he can trigger an interrupt, getting an attack on their turn when they pop out and before they dissappear. Otherwise, we aren't getting any actions on our own turns anyway, so stating the ready action seems appropriate.
I am assuming from your Reddit quote that, in this current case, they are hiding and we are advancing on them. I do agree that in this case, the ready action would be irrelevant and we'd just use the normal action in initiative order, since we're the ones triggering the action. (If they pop-out to attack again before we initiate, however, then the Ready Action would trigger on their turn and then the normal action would occur when on our normal round when we get the chance to enter and initiate the attack. That's what I was preparing for.)
This won't be an issue when we're facing creatures that don't have so many special abilities. Normally, a foe would need to approach with no more than half their movement, attack, and then retreat with the other half of their movement. This wouldn't prevent an attack on them but would instead trigger an extra Attack of Opportunity unless they have a special feature to allow a Withdraw action for free or as a bonus action (which I assume these invisible spider things have).
While we're discussing it, invisibility usually doesn't prevent attacks either - we would normally be allowed to attack with Disadvantage. Not as important now that they've become visible.
Does that help?
Re: OOC Chatter
It does, much appreciated.
Feeling like an old 1st ed relic
Feeling like an old 1st ed relic
I'm Rad and I'm a Rabbit
Radrabbit
Radrabbit
Re: OOC Chatter
I agree with you on that Radrabbit!
Re: OOC Chatter
Apologies for the slow posting rate, work seems to have blocked the website so it's not so easy to update as it has been.
I'm Rad and I'm a Rabbit
Radrabbit
Radrabbit
Re: OOC Chatter
No problem. My work blocks the site as well so I only post from home so I get it.
Re: OOC Chatter
Sorry everyone for being away. For a little bit there I was suffering from Covid Burnout (amazingly a real thing for frontliners) and then I guess my resistance was done and I was out a good part of last week with a bad case of the seasonal cold. I am thankfully back and in better spirits. Hopefully I will have something posted this afternoon.
Re: OOC Chatter
happy to have you, no worries. Glad there are good people like you helping folks that need it.
Brett
~A.K.A. Bluehorse
~A.K.A. Bluehorse
Re: OOC Chatter
My ISP at home sometimes completely blocks The Unseen Servant as not secure. But usually it will let me access it if I click "Proceed to website" on the warning page.
PCs
Re: OOC Chatter
I am heading into the woods for some much needed camping/hunting. This will be through the 25th and every weekend through mid-December. I will update as more weekdays get added later on. I may be able to check in once or twice depending on how things go but don't count on it. Feel free to NPC my character so I don't slow things down.
Thanks and good gaming,
Rex
Thanks and good gaming,
Rex