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Can you ready an action to attack a monster's natural weapon (a part of its body) with reach?

Can I “shove” with a reach weapon?Word of Binding with a Reach WeaponWhich squares can be targeted when using a reach weapon, Lunge, and Whirlwind Attack?Does a Monster with a body part that grants Reach provoke an Opportunity Attack?How do I scale up reach when designing a larger monster?If you grapple a creature while staying out of its reach, can it still attack you?Can I ready an action to roll away from an attack or special attack?Do you get Extra Attacks when you ready an attack and use it in your own turn?Opportunity Attack, Ready Action, & Eldritch Blast/Repelling BlastIf a character provokes an opportunity attack by a grick alpha, can the DM choose which of its attacks to use?

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17

$begingroup$

In my current OOTA Group my party fought against a rocktopus. They attacked them from the ceiling out of reach for melee attacks.

Is it possible for the players to ready an attack with the trigger "when one of the tentacles attack I'm gonna hit it"?

Normally I would say no. If your target attacks you with a weapon with more reach and is out of your reach it shouldn't be possible to hit them with your readied action. But the melee weapon (the tentacle) is part of the rocktopus and I am not sure how to handle this situation.

dnd-5e combat readied-action natural-weapon reach

share|improve this question

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

17

$begingroup$

In my current OOTA Group my party fought against a rocktopus. They attacked them from the ceiling out of reach for melee attacks.

Is it possible for the players to ready an attack with the trigger "when one of the tentacles attack I'm gonna hit it"?

Normally I would say no. If your target attacks you with a weapon with more reach and is out of your reach it shouldn't be possible to hit them with your readied action. But the melee weapon (the tentacle) is part of the rocktopus and I am not sure how to handle this situation.

dnd-5e combat readied-action natural-weapon reach

share|improve this question

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

In my current OOTA Group my party fought against a rocktopus. They attacked them from the ceiling out of reach for melee attacks.

Is it possible for the players to ready an attack with the trigger "when one of the tentacles attack I'm gonna hit it"?

Normally I would say no. If your target attacks you with a weapon with more reach and is out of your reach it shouldn't be possible to hit them with your readied action. But the melee weapon (the tentacle) is part of the rocktopus and I am not sure how to handle this situation.

dnd-5e combat readied-action natural-weapon reach

share|improve this question

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

share|improve this question

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

edited Apr 29 at 7:38

V2Blast

29k5105176

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

asked Apr 29 at 7:28

XiremXirem

4529

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

11

$begingroup$

You sure can.

Even if you couldn't by the rules as written, I would suggest allowing it to reward player ingenuity, and allow for diversity in combat. However, this overruling is not necessary because the rules permit this action:

Choose a target [for the attack]. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location.

While the tentacle is attacking you, the creature is within range and is therefore a valid target. This is further supported by the lead game designer, Jeremy Crawford, on Twitter when he answered a similar question (while not an official ruling, it lends credence to my ruling above):

A creature grappled by a giant octopus can attack the octopus via the grappling tentacle.

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  This... is uncomfortable. Being in a grapple does not have the same timing context as being the target of an attack. I don't think this quote applies to the original question.
  $endgroup$
  – João Mendes
  Apr 29 at 16:19
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JoãoMendes That's why I mentioned it only as cursory evidence (which it would be anyway as it only speaks to the rules intent as clarified by one of the designers). My official ruling refers to the fact that the creature is within range
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 16:21
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  How does this ruling interact with other rules like attack of opportunity? Do PCs get to swing back each time they are attacked by a tentacle with reach?
  $endgroup$
  – Winterborne
  Apr 29 at 17:14
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne no, because the rocktopus is not "moving" out of reach.
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:18
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne because the tentacles are not the creature. They are a part of a creature so they can be targeted as a creature, but attacks of opportunity require "movement" (the game term), as in expending part of your speed (or movement gained from something else)
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:40
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

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11

$begingroup$

You sure can.

Even if you couldn't by the rules as written, I would suggest allowing it to reward player ingenuity, and allow for diversity in combat. However, this overruling is not necessary because the rules permit this action:

Choose a target [for the attack]. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location.

While the tentacle is attacking you, the creature is within range and is therefore a valid target. This is further supported by the lead game designer, Jeremy Crawford, on Twitter when he answered a similar question (while not an official ruling, it lends credence to my ruling above):

A creature grappled by a giant octopus can attack the octopus via the grappling tentacle.

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  This... is uncomfortable. Being in a grapple does not have the same timing context as being the target of an attack. I don't think this quote applies to the original question.
  $endgroup$
  – João Mendes
  Apr 29 at 16:19
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JoãoMendes That's why I mentioned it only as cursory evidence (which it would be anyway as it only speaks to the rules intent as clarified by one of the designers). My official ruling refers to the fact that the creature is within range
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 16:21
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  How does this ruling interact with other rules like attack of opportunity? Do PCs get to swing back each time they are attacked by a tentacle with reach?
  $endgroup$
  – Winterborne
  Apr 29 at 17:14
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne no, because the rocktopus is not "moving" out of reach.
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:18
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne because the tentacles are not the creature. They are a part of a creature so they can be targeted as a creature, but attacks of opportunity require "movement" (the game term), as in expending part of your speed (or movement gained from something else)
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:40
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

11

$begingroup$

You sure can.

Even if you couldn't by the rules as written, I would suggest allowing it to reward player ingenuity, and allow for diversity in combat. However, this overruling is not necessary because the rules permit this action:

Choose a target [for the attack]. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location.

While the tentacle is attacking you, the creature is within range and is therefore a valid target. This is further supported by the lead game designer, Jeremy Crawford, on Twitter when he answered a similar question (while not an official ruling, it lends credence to my ruling above):

A creature grappled by a giant octopus can attack the octopus via the grappling tentacle.

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  This... is uncomfortable. Being in a grapple does not have the same timing context as being the target of an attack. I don't think this quote applies to the original question.
  $endgroup$
  – João Mendes
  Apr 29 at 16:19
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JoãoMendes That's why I mentioned it only as cursory evidence (which it would be anyway as it only speaks to the rules intent as clarified by one of the designers). My official ruling refers to the fact that the creature is within range
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 16:21
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  How does this ruling interact with other rules like attack of opportunity? Do PCs get to swing back each time they are attacked by a tentacle with reach?
  $endgroup$
  – Winterborne
  Apr 29 at 17:14
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne no, because the rocktopus is not "moving" out of reach.
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:18
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Winterborne because the tentacles are not the creature. They are a part of a creature so they can be targeted as a creature, but attacks of opportunity require "movement" (the game term), as in expending part of your speed (or movement gained from something else)
  $endgroup$
  – David Coffron
  Apr 29 at 17:40
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

$begingroup$

You sure can.

Even if you couldn't by the rules as written, I would suggest allowing it to reward player ingenuity, and allow for diversity in combat. However, this overruling is not necessary because the rules permit this action:

Choose a target [for the attack]. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location.

While the tentacle is attacking you, the creature is within range and is therefore a valid target. This is further supported by the lead game designer, Jeremy Crawford, on Twitter when he answered a similar question (while not an official ruling, it lends credence to my ruling above):

A creature grappled by a giant octopus can attack the octopus via the grappling tentacle.

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

edited Apr 29 at 21:34

V2Blast

29k5105176

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298

answered Apr 29 at 10:32

David CoffronDavid Coffron

41.9k4145298