Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 vamp70 Sep 29, 2014 3:46:32	I have been reading Ready Action and can't see why you can't do the following.   PC walks into a Dungeon, and uses a actoin to Ready a Cantrip "Frost Ray" , with a trigger "When I see a enemy I will shoot it".     As a Reaction Action you release the Spell after everyone rolls initiative.   All you have to do is concentrate on the Spell , in the PHB it says you can move , and do most normal things while concentrating on a spell.  It doesn't give you a time limit on holding a spell either.   So what are people's thoughts on this?   I like the 5E Ready Action rule, made simple.. but can see my DM not liking this..
#2 Slaunyeh Sep 29, 2014 4:38:47	I'd probably allow it, though I might penalize your perception of the environment in some way since you are entirely focused on possible enemies. Imagine the same situation where a guy carefully walks down a hallway, aiming his crossbow. If something comes around that corner, he's totally going to put a bolt in it. But he might be entirely oblivious to the trip wire he's about to step on.   On the other hand, I could also see a DM argue that non-combat activity isn't divided into actions, and being "ready for a fight" is the default state of everyone climbing around a dangerous dungeon, so who goes reacts first is covered by the initative rules anyway.
#3 Caliburn101. Sep 29, 2014 5:48:01	I'd allow this - with the ruling that in order to maintain normal levels of Perception against the intended target (i.e. "the first monster I see"), Perception is automatically passive (no roll allowed) for all other potential subjects, and at -5 (i.e. 'static' disadvantage).   It would also require a Wis check every hour to maintain against lapses in concentration, or maybe Con checks based on circumstances.
#4 AaronOfBarbaria Sep 29, 2014 6:24:13	I don't really see a problem here - especially because the spellcaster with a spell at the ready has already spent the spell slot (if not readying a cantrip), is choosing to prevent themself from casting any spells that require concentration, and could end up being surprised and thus potentially not even get to use the reaction to cast the readied spell before the enemies that suprirsed them have had a chance to disrupt concentration on the readied spell.   Really, it seems more like a voluntary self-nerf than a good strategy or system abuse.
#5 Novacat Sep 29, 2014 7:47:30	As AaronOfBarbaria mentioned, if the caster is surprised, he doesn't get to use his reaction. In my experience, encounters with enemies generally begin either with surprise against the party, or with advanced notice for the party, meaning that the caster could ready his spell at that time.
#6 Trance-Zg Sep 29, 2014 8:53:53	AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#7 2Chlorobutanal Sep 29, 2014 16:59:39	Readying is an in-encounter (initiative) action, not for exploration.  The surprise rules and initiative check determine who gets the drop on people in combat.   If you start using "ready" outside of combat, then it creates an escalation - if your wizard is clever enough to do it, why hasn't the majority of the game world's population also adopted this tactic?  Orcs walk around "readied" to throw their javelins, dragons are always "ready" to breathe on people, etc.   You then create a situation where every character enters a combat with a readied action and they all trigger at the start of combat, essentially giving everyone a "free action"- but since everyone got the free action, you might as well have just eliminated all the reactions and used regular initiative and surprise to determine order of action.   Beyond this, readying a spell is even more complicated than the general "I'm always ready to attack" scheme.  You're (likely) audibly casting a spell every 6 seconds, negating any element of surprise and alerting anything within earshot of your presence, and you cannot use any concentration-duration buff spell such as hex or enhance ability because your concentration is occupied by the Ready action.   I think you'd do your play group a big favor to not try to introduce this style of escalating power in play.  Simply sticking to initiative and surprise will model essentially the same behavior- if you want to be a high-initiative caster, consider using enhance ability (cat's grace - dexterity), increasing your Dexterity, taking Alert, or taking War Caster (for spell OAs) to increase the odds that you can attack first in an encounter.