Readying a Spell and duration

[Kryx]

When readying a spell, does the duration start at that moment, or when you release?

Relevant rules:

Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn so that you can act later in the round using your reaction.


When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of 1 action, and holding onto the spell’s magic requires concentration (explained in chapter 10). If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your reaction, your concentration might be broken.

Technically the ready only works for that round, but if we go by Crawford's "as a DM ruling" then it can span multiple rounds and this question becomes more relevant.

As a DM, I would allow the caster to use his or her action on a subsequent turn to keep the spell ready.


So does the duration start when you cast the spell as normal, or does it start when you release it?

[coredump]

When you release it. Otherwise instantaneous spells could never work

[Gwendol]

Yup, it has to be when released. Casting is completed, sure, but the effect isn't released yet and so the "duration clock" hasn't started yet (for those spells with a longer than instantaneous duration).

[Kryx]

When you release it. Otherwise instantaneous spells could never work
Sure it could - you cast the spell per the instantaneous and hold it. It doesn't need a duration to hold.

Though I'm not saying it is that way.

[Malifice]

Actions for the round span the entire six seconds (despite the cyclic nature of the DND combat round.

When you ready an action, it becomes a reactiom.

I'd say the duration begins on the round you cast it as normal.

[Kryx]

Actions for the round span the entire six seconds (despite the cyclic nature of the DND combat round.

When you ready an action, it becomes a reactiom.

I'd say the duration begins on the round you cast it as normal.

That doesn't quite answer the question. What about if you ready it and then continue to hold it each turn as an action as Crawford said he'd use? Would it start when you ready, or when you release?

[PoeticDwarf]

When readying a spell, does the duration start at that moment, or when you release?

Relevant rules:




Technically the ready only works for that round, but if we go by Crawford's "as a DM ruling" then it can span multiple rounds and this question becomes more relevant.



So does the duration start when you cast the spell as normal, or does it start when you release it?

The duration starts when you release the spell.
You ready to cast it, you don't cast it before.

[Gwendol]

The duration starts when you release the spell.
You ready to cast it, you don't cast it before.

No, the rules for readying a spell says that you use your action to cast the spell as normal, then concentrate on holding the charge.

[GiantOctopodes]

I'm going to go the other way from most people on this one (how surprising, I know). First, I'd like to start by saying I would not allow a readied spell to be held indefinitely in the way Mr. Crawford is describing. The reason for that is because I would not want it to become common practice for my adventurers to ready a spell for "when a creature with clearly hostile intent is within sight" and then just hold the casting until combat, starting the 1st round with a reaction cast time spell in return for not being able to use another concentration spell in the meantime. Have it be a damaging cantrip (say, Eldritch Blast) and the character's apparent itchy trigger finger comes with no mechanical drawback, as if they need to use a concentration spell they can simply cease concentrating on the readied spell, then they can start again whenever they're done with the aforementioned concentration based spell.

For much the same reason, were I to allow such a thing, I would rule that the duration for non-instantaneous effects begins the round the spell is cast, as normal. This creates a clear rules discrepancy with instantaneous duration spells, but since that rules discrepancy was created by the houserule allowing the readied spell to be carried over from round to round, I would resolve it with a further houserule that readied spells with an instantaneous duration cannot be "held" in that way for more than a minute.

[Kryx]

The reason for that is because I would not want it to become common practice for my adventurers to ready a spell for "when a creature with clearly hostile intent is within sight" and then just hold the casting until combat, starting the 1st round with a reaction cast time spell in return for not being able to use another concentration spell in the meantime. Have it be a damaging cantrip (say, Eldritch Blast) and the character's apparent itchy trigger finger comes with no mechanical drawback, as if they need to use a concentration spell they can simply cease concentrating on the readied spell, then they can start again whenever they're done with the aforementioned concentration based spell.
Exactly what was happening and exactly my concern. One could still do it in the same manner - just ready an Eldritch Blast every round.

Though on the other side of the coin is readying a cantrip significantly different from readying an arrow? It scales I guess.
Also, could you not hold an arrow?


In most cases I would firmly be against readying outside of combat, but the PCs were being attacked by a undead ship that summoned fog around them and would appear and disappear so it makes sense that they readied.

[Vogonjeltz]

When readying a spell, does the duration start at that moment, or when you release?

Given that the charge is being held, I'd say when you release.

Even if you don't accept that, I'd say from a fairness perspective, casters are weak enough that I wouldn't punish them even more by making limited duration spells start ticking down before they're even released.

[GiantOctopodes]

Exactly what was happening and exactly my concern. One could still do it in the same manner - just ready an Eldritch Blast every round.

Though on the other side of the coin is readying a cantrip significantly different from readying an arrow? It scales I guess.
Also, could you not hold an arrow?


In most cases I would firmly be against readying outside of combat, but the PCs were being attacked by a undead ship that summoned fog around them and would appear and disappear so it makes sense that they readied.

True, but then you have at least guaranteed it's a cantrip they have readied, instead of say a 5th level casting of Fireball or something. Free quicken spell on the 1st round of combat, applied to any level spell, is not a small thing.

I find that the specific scenario you are describing, there isn't much you can do, using Readied Actions is both RAW and would totally apply to that situation. Unfortunately, if the creatures use even a bonus action to appear and disappear, you end up with their impermanent nature being a liability instead of a strength due to those rules, as they can concentrate multiple rounds of firepower on the creature, both caster and martial alike, upon it appearing. My best recommendation would be to stretch the encounter out. Don't have it be a round by round thing they reappear, have it be minutes or hours apart. As a note, I certainly would not allow someone to have an arrow readied for more than a minute, having a bow fully drawn is a lot of stress!

In terms then of PCs who run around with readied actions all day long, hrmm, it's a tough one. After thinking about it for a while, I came to the following conclusion- why don't people walk around with weapons drawn and readied in real life? One, because of the social reactions that result, and two, because of the mental and physical stresses that result. Both combat and combat readiness are exhausting. So, I'd probably go with that, and start having Exhaustion rules coming into play. I haven't thought long enough about this (hasn't been an issue yet) to speak intelligently regarding how exactly I would apply that, but it seems thematically appropriate and since exhaustion rules don't come into play often would likely make the encounter more memorable. Think about an endless slog through the deadly fog, with attacks at random throughout the night, where no one can sleep, everyone's nerves are worn by the constant state of readiness, and as soon as an assailant appears and claims another victim, he is gone before the PCs can even get within sight of him. Sure, they may get the occasional one that appears in sight, and they may even blast it apart, but it's a matter of winning the war, not the battle, and that is easier said than done on a vessel they cannot crew by themselves.

Hope that helps!

[Malifice]

That doesn't quite answer the question. What about if you ready it and then continue to hold it each turn as an action as Crawford said he'd use? Would it start when you ready, or when you release?

Release for mine.