DM Academy

My ruling is the condition can be as complex as the player wants, but they are still only allowed to ready a single action. So yeah they can build an "if/elseif" clause into their condition, but the action they take has to be the same regardless of which condition ends up getting triggered.

So they could say "if an enemy comes around that corner OR enters another party member's melee range, I will shoot my bow at them" (since it's the same action being taken regardless of which condition is met)

but they can't say "if an enemy comes around that corner I will throw my dagger at them, but if an enemy enters my melee range I will stab them with my rapier" (because attacking with a rapier is a different action than throwing a dagger)

RAW it’s supposed to be a single action with single trigger, and that’s how I enforce it. I do allow vague triggers (“If anyone does anything that looks threatening,”) but not if-then clauses.

One of my players is very risk averse and will often spend undue time agonizing over a simple combat decision. I fear that giving them the ability to set up if-then clauses for every contingency with a single Ready action would spell doom for our entire table.

Hm I like that, though I would add that IF the enemy closing in scenario happens then the other cannot happen. Its pedantic but if you don't define that barrier your players can argue etc. If you trust your players wouldn't argue then that's good!

At my table I'm very set that my players need to be as specific as possible in the trigger to their action. I'm lenient on if they want to say, any enemy that comes into melee range, they don't need to specify to me on their left, right, etc side. So far my players are not thinking 3 steps ahead yet though, theyve been very basic in their combat strategies lol.

Some logical responses here, and I completely understand where your rulings come from.

I think I want to try something different in my game. This is coming from the RAW verbiage “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.”

I read that as, yes, a single action and trigger happens but you can decide what PERCEIVABLE circumstance will trigger the action. In the case of a more seasoned/experienced combatant - they can perceive multiple actions and potential responses to those actions at the same time, but in real time can only take that one response based on the trigger because of the speed of which things are happening.

Perhaps I could amend my rule as someone level 2 and above can do this or only martial characters (since they are seasoned fighters) can make use of this special amendment of readying an action.

Or maybe I’ll scrap it all and go with only allowing single circumstance reactions (as you all have interpreted). I think I’ll bring it up with my table and see how they feel.

I appreciate the responses so far!