How long can you hold a readied spell?

[Isaire]

Hi all,
this came up in a game a few weeks back, and when we were quickly checking the rules we couldn't find a reference for it. Is there a page for the rule that spells can only be held readied for a single round, as we vaguely thought? It seemed like the PHB did not say that you could not hold concentration for longer.
Cheers!

[Amdy_vill]

i would assume you could hold it for as long as you want so long as you don't use you action on your turn.

[bid]

PH-errata : Ready (p. 193). You have until the start of your next turn to use a readied action.

[Unoriginal]

Hi all,
this came up in a game a few weeks back, and when we were quickly checking the rules we couldn't find a reference for it. Is there a page for the rule that spells can only be held readied for a single round, as we vaguely thought? It seemed like the PHB did not say that you could not hold concentration for longer.
Cheers!

6 seconds, aka under your next turn.

[PhoenixPhyre]

PH-errata : Ready (p. 193). You have until the start of your next turn to use a readied action.

This is the correct answer. And you use the spell slot when you take the Ready action, not when you release it. So if you either don't use the readied action in time, or get hit and lose concentration, you wasted a spell slot. This is designed as a brake on potential shenanigans (not that I can think off-hand what those would be, but :shrug:).

[Isaire]

Ah it's an errata'd rule, got it. Thanks!

[Demonslayer666]

PH-errata : Ready (p. 193). You have until the start of your next turn to use a readied action.

Yeah, but that does not say that you must stop concentrating on a spell.

I would certainly allow a caster to re-ready without spending an additional slot since they can maintain concentration over multiple rounds. If they stopped re-readying (took another acton) then I would force the loss of the spell slot.

[DMThac0]

I would certainly allow a caster to re-ready without spending an additional slot since they can maintain concentration over multiple rounds. If they stopped re-readying (took another acton) then I would force the loss of the spell slot.

This is a nice idea, unfortunately it's not how it works. Casters kinda get the short end of the stick on a readied spell vs any martial class readying an attack. If the trigger for the spell does not happen, the spell slot it used.

[PhantomSoul]

Yeah, but that does not say that you must stop concentrating on a spell.

I would certainly allow a caster to re-ready without spending an additional slot since they can maintain concentration over multiple rounds. If they stopped re-readying (took another acton) then I would force the loss of the spell slot.

Adding to Therverian's comment that covered the last line, it does mean you stop concentrating on this readied spell -- because there's no longer a readied spell to concentrate on.

[JackPhoenix]

This is a nice idea, unfortunately it's not how it works. Casters kinda get the short end of the stick on a readied spell vs any martial class readying an attack. If the trigger for the spell does not happen, the spell slot it used.

Martials lose extra attack and other things that can only be done on your turn. So they're pretty much equal.

[RyvernFyre]

Martials lose extra attack and other things that can only be done on your turn. So they're pretty much equal.

I think I disagree that losing a spell slot is equal to losing a resourceless extra attack, regardless of both characters “losing” their readied actions. Still, the rules are pretty clear with the errata. *shrug*