Ready Action and "combat"

[Arial Black]

But for some reason characters dealing with a complex trap are not hyper-alert? Why wouldn't they be?

Perhaps we are talking past each other. I was responding to what I thought was a situation where there was no combat going on at all, but where the party had plenty of time to mess with a trap. In that circumstance Combat Rounds are not required.

If the party are messing with a trap during combat, then Combat Rounds are happening anyway.

If the party are peacefully messing about with a trap, and half-way through they get attacked, then initiative is rolled when they get attacked, not when they started messing with the trap in what was then a non-combat situation.

You're incorrect about RAW. Complex traps do have initiative. "When it is activated, the trap's active elements act according to its initiative. On each of its initiative counts, after all creatures with that same initiative have acted, the trap's features activate."

So that is when you are in combat anyway.

So if a PC is surprised they don't get to respond for one round to the active complex trap they already knew about and were trying to deal with. That's pretty harsh.

They weren't in Combat Rounds/initiative order before they get attacked by the creatures that arrive sometime during the trap-messing.

There's no place for a second step 2 or 3 either, so what do you do when new creatures arrive at an ongoing fight? If RAW doesn't allow a determination of whether the new arrivals are surprised, then it also doesn't allow them to roll initiative, or even for the DM to determine where they are positioned when they arrive.

That's because the DM established their positions and rolled their initiative originally, just like with every combatant. The fact that their position is established as 'several rounds away' doesn't prevent them from being included in the initiative order.

[Kuu Lightwing]

Prepare away. You can prepare to jog up and down on the spot while juggling 5 daggers and humming the national anthem if you want.

Door opens, roll initiative. Fireball away on your turn one.

That's funny, but that's not what "prepare" means. There's a difference between "prepared to fight something" and "I'm going to focus on this one objective to do this one action as soon as X happens". Tell me, why the second option should only be possible when characters already fight something?

[Malifice]

That's funny, but that's not what "prepare" means. There's a difference between "prepared to fight something" and "I'm going to focus on this one objective to do this one action as soon as X happens".

No there isnt.

You can prepare your fireball before opening the door. You can be as specific about the conditions as to when it goes off as you want.

Then when we open the door we roll initiaitive and your fireball (and all other actions from aware combatants) resolves in initiatve order. If you're really fast you get to resolve your fireball before everyone else who has also readied a fireball, and if you're very sneaky (or your enemy is caught off guard) you always get to resolve it first.

You might even be fast enough to move 30' and fireball, and then move another 30'and fireball again before your opponent can move an inch.

Tell me, why the second option should only be possible when characters already fight something?

Because the rules say so. And for good reason. What you're trying to model is already factored into the rules as written.

And because if we're already fighting something, we have already determined initiative order (reflex time, reaction speed, action resolution and surprise). You're putting the cart before the horse.

In any event, you're wrong so it doesnt really matter.

[MaxWilson]

I know, this is somewhat a controversial topic, but still want to ask how you would rule this.

Question #1 Would you allow to Ready an action outside of combat? This might lead to some cheese with characters going "I always ready an attack action when I see someone", but on the other hand, that's a common trope of action movies and stuff, where people enter a hostile territory with weapons ready, and checking every corner and such.

Would I allow Ready actions outside of combat? Yes. But if you try to spend an extended period of time in such a state you'll exhaust yourself. (I wouldn't necessarily impose a mechanical penalty, but I'd eye the player askance, same as I would for a player who claimed he was recasting Guidance continuously every minute for days on end. "Really?" In my experience that's enough to put a kibosh on unreasonable action declarations.) And if you ready an attack on someone the instant you see them, you're pretty much guaranteeing that your interaction with them will be hostile.

It's possible, but people don't really do that kind of thing without a good reason any more than police go around pointing their guns at everything.

I also use a custom initiative system (based on AD&D initiative and loosely related to 5E DMG Speed Factor initiative) which avoids the need to make artificial distinctions between "in combat" and "out of combat." They flow naturally into each other, and sometimes players even pause during combat to return to non-combat activities like negotiating, because the system doesn't punish you for not aggressively attacking every chance you get. Anyway, in that initiative system there would be only limited benefit to Readying an attack out of combat. It might make you more likely to shoot first, but it won't give you extra attacks.

[Malifice]

Would I allow Ready actions outside of combat? Yes.

Dude, characters are always ready outside of combat sequencing.

Player: ''My Fighter enters the dungeon with Bow in hand and arrow nocked, scannining in an arc to his front, ready to shoot the first hostile monster he sees.''

That's not 'taking the ready action'. That's just what the characters are doing.

I wish you people would read the rules some times.

[Kuu Lightwing]

No there isnt.

Oh, but there is. Just as there is a difference between a reaction and a turn. Pretending that there's no difference is simply lying.

Because the rules say so. And for good reason. What you're trying to model is already factored into the rules as written.

And because if we're already fighting something, we have already determined initiative order (reflex time, reaction speed, action resolution and surprise). You're putting the cart before the horse.

In any event, you're wrong so it doesnt really matter.

You never presented me any "good reason", you just insist that there is one. Also, could you find me any actual reference in the rules that say that initiative must only be rolled when the characters actually see the enemy?

In any event, you're wrong so it doesnt really matter.

Best argument in this thread. "I'm right, you're wrong".

[Lombra]

Dude, characters are always ready outside of combat sequencing.

Player: ''My Fighter enters the dungeon with Bow in hand and arrow nocked, scannining in an arc to his front, ready to shoot the first hostile monster he sees.''

That's not 'taking the ready action'. That's just what the characters are doing.

I wish you people would read the rules some times.

So characters always use their reaction on the first round of combat in the first turn to shoot attack move or whatever because they're Ready™

[Unoriginal]

Where are the Cassalanters when we need them?

[JoeJ]

Perhaps we are talking past each other. I was responding to what I thought was a situation where there was no combat going on at all, but where the party had plenty of time to mess with a trap. In that circumstance Combat Rounds are not required.

If the party are messing with a trap during combat, then Combat Rounds are happening anyway.

If the party are peacefully messing about with a trap, and half-way through they get attacked, then initiative is rolled when they get attacked, not when they started messing with the trap in what was then a non-combat situation.

Why would there be initiative rolled if characters are just messing around? I'm talking about a complex trap that's been triggered. The trap by RAW goes on initiative count 10, or 20, or both 10 and 20 depending on the description. The PCs roll initiative to determine when they go.

That's because the DM established their positions and rolled their initiative originally, just like with every combatant. The fact that their position is established as 'several rounds away' doesn't prevent them from being included in the initiative order.

And how do they do that when the DM doesn't know when they'll arrive, or even if they'll join this fight at all? The newcomers might be PCs who have been off doing something else, after all. Or it could be something gated in. Or it could be something from a table of wandering monsters.

[sophontteks]

So characters always use their reaction on the first round of combat in the first turn to shoot attack move or whatever because they're Ready™

No, because readying an action means delaying your turn. They intend to act immediately, on their turn. Thats where the sillyness comes in. We are trying to use something designed to delay an action in order to do something before an action. Just take the action.

[Tanarii]

That's funny, but that's not what "prepare" means. There's a difference between "prepared to fight something" and "I'm going to focus on this one objective to do this one action as soon as X happens". Tell me, why the second option should only be possible when characters already fight something?

You seem to have missed the point of the Ready action.

It isn't "I'll do X when Y happens".

It's "I'll give up my turn now to do X when Y happens later."

It's a way to delay part of your turn, with the added condition that you must say what you're going to do in advance and limit yourself to specific triggers.

So no, there's absolutely no point in the Ready action to "prepare" for combat. You're not giving anything up now to do something later.

[Xetheral]

I wish you people would read the rules some times.

MaxWilson said he was using a custom initiative variant, rather than the initiative rules in the book. The rules don't matter here, because MaxWilson isn't using them.

It's a way to delay part of your turn, with the added condition that you must say what you're going to do in advance and limit yourself to specific triggers.

So no, there's absolutely no point in the Ready action to "prepare" for combat. You're not giving anything up now to do something later.

While yes, the practical impact of Ready is to delay an action, the purpose of Ready is to choose the sequence of actions.

I think the OP has a valid question. From a simulation standpoint, why should it only possible for PCs to choose the sequence of their actions after they've all taken their first turn in combat?

From a game-mechanics standpoint, the answer is obvious: sequencing your actions via Ready requires taking a turn, so you can't sequence your first-turn actions (because you haven't had an action yet). But from a simulation perspective that's extremely problematic, because there isn't an in-game reason that this should be true, particularly in situations where the PCs are the aggressorss and have plenty of time to prepare before alerting the enemy. If anything, sequencing actions should logically be easier in such a circumstance because you aren't trying to set it up in the middle of a fight.

[Malifice]

You never presented me any "good reason", you just insist that there is one.

Ive presented plenty of good reasons.

Also, could you find me any actual reference in the rules that say that initiative must only be rolled when the characters actually see the enemy?

Your DM could call for initiative for the encounter with the Orcs in a nearby dungeon 3 weeks before you even depart town to fight them if he wants.

Its a bit weird calling for an opposed Dexterity ability check between your PCs and a bunch of Orcs several miles away who have never met your PCs (and vice versa), dont know they even exist yet, and so forth.

An opposed Dexterity ability check to determine reaction speeds of the parties when (if?) they get into combat... in three weeks time?

A DM calls for initiative (an opposed Dexterity ability check) when there is something for each party to react to, and abstract 'turn' sequencing is important (i.e. when combat starts). Until combat abstraction starts, you're in narrative time and 'turns' dont exist. They dont exist 'in the game' - only outside of it to assist the players (and DM) in sequencing largely simultaneous activity in portioned off six second combat rounds.

Does your DM call for Opposed Ability checks like Dexterity Stealth or Wisdom Perception checks weeks in advance? What about Persuasion and Insight checks? What about opposed Strength checks to grapple, weeks before the grapple starts?

Finally remember, by RAW you can only take the ready action on your turn, and turns do not exist until the DM has called for initiative (an opposed Dexterity Ability Check) from all combatants (and after he has also determined awareness and surprise, and position of all parties) in the following steps (also RAW, from the PHB):

1. Determine surprise: The GM determines whether anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised.
2. Establish positions: The GM decides where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers’ marching order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the GM figures out where the adversaries are, how far away and in what direction.
3. Roll initiative: Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns.
4. Take turns: Each participant in the battle takes a turn in initiative order.
5. Begin the next round: When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the fighting stops.

See how it works? You dont get a turn until the DM has already determined surprise, established positions of all combatants, and rolled initiative for everyone involved in the combat. You cant (RAW) ready an action until the DM has done all the above (placed miniatures on the board or otherwise determined their position, determined if you or the other party are surprised, called for an opposed Dexterity Ability Check between you and the other party and started to count down rounds)

Best argument in this thread. "I'm right, you're wrong".

Im just showing you the rules (which show you're wrong) and indicating to you that (outside of those rules) there is zero support for everyone 'readying actions outside of combat'. Im also showing you the rules already take into account how to resolve a group of combatants sneaking up to another group with 'readied actions'. If they are not discovered before they take those 'readied actions' then they get off a full rounds worth of attacks before the enemy can react; maybe even two.

[Xetheral]

Ive presented plenty of good reasons.

You've presented reasons that support your interpretation of what the rules say (an interpretation I agree with). But what you haven't presented is reasons why the rules should be that way.

Kuu has presented a scenario where (to some posters, including me) the abstraction of initiative has the heavy believability cost of irrationally preventing characters from sequencing their actions on the first round of combat (because they can't have taken the Ready action yet) even though they can freely sequence their subsequent actions.

I believe what Kuu is looking for from you (and everyone else) is a discussion of why the rules are that way, a discussion of what breaks if those rules are modified, and how those rules might best be modified to avoid a situation he considers absurd.

I think he (and everyone else) is well aware of your (probably correct, imo) interpretation of what the rules say.

[Mellack]

The reason you need initiative is because the characters have a plan, but you need a contest for when that plan confronts the enemy. The wizard has readied a fireball to go off when the door opens. Now he has to react when the door opens to asses the situation. He is not just blindly casting. What if the door opens into a closet or a barricade? Do you force him to cast and fireball themselves? Does the archer have to pick a spot or do they get to target an orc anywhere in the room. All of those decisions take time. The orcs inside the room might be surprised, then they don't get to react and your team will go first no problem. If the orcs are not surprised, they might be able to react faster than the PCs. So we use initiative to determine who is able to react in what order.

[opaopajr]

Of course I would. All the other functions mentioned in that Combat chapter can be used outside combat -- yes, including Attack -- so why would I exclude Ready? Read Making an Attack again, it states basically to target a Noun (a person, place, or thing):

Making an Attack
Whether you’re striking with a melee weapon, firing a weapon at range, or making an attack roll as part of a spell, an attack has a simple structure.
1. Choose a target. Pick a target within your attack’s range: a creature, an object, or a location. [...]
(D&D 5e Basic. August, 2014. p. 73.)

Same with Use an Object, Search, Help, Dash, Spell, Dodge, etc., they are not excluded strictly into Combat usage. It's all there for interesting Exploration situations. Want to coordinate something, like chopping down a tree and then others getting Ready to Dodge or Dash away? Attack out of combat the tree, and Ready out of combat your Dodge or Dash.

It's also there to set up Ambushes, too. All of this is bundled up in the Surprise section. Will people try to abuse it by legalese? Naturally, but that's why the GM is there to adjudicate.

Also it might be why so much of the Surprise section is left up to GM judgment, since people are still coming away from 3.PF & 4e Rules as Written Statute. This way there is less confining structure to lock down the imaginative flow of the game. This is an Old Skool feature, not a bug.

If you cannot handle such applications, well OK, that's your table. But as written, there's no specific beating general restriction. So feel free to stay as confined or as liberated as you want.

[Cybren]

Dude, characters are always ready outside of combat sequencing.

Player: ''My Fighter enters the dungeon with Bow in hand and arrow nocked, scannining in an arc to his front, ready to shoot the first hostile monster he sees.''

That's not 'taking the ready action'. That's just what the characters are doing.

I wish you people would read the rules some times.

In combat, you can choose to always act before some specific event you're waiting for. Are you arguing that is literally impossible outside of combat? That's fairly absurd.

[opaopajr]

No, because readying an action means delaying your turn. They intend to act immediately, on their turn. Thats where the sillyness comes in. We are trying to use something designed to delay an action in order to do something before an action. Just take the action.

Technically incorrect. It is merely "programming" your Action into your Reaction with an optional trigger. And since Reactions may go off anywhere from the start of your turn in a round until the start of your next turn, you technically can have your optional trigger triggered within your turn this round. It's not common, but if someone else's Reaction went off in your turn -- or something occured simultaneously within your turn (such as environmental circumstance) -- it is possible.

This is important to understand the potential of Ready. It can be used for loads of fun!

[opaopajr]

FWIW, Surprise is explicit in taking away your Move, Action & Reaction:

Surprise
[...]
"If you’re surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can’t take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren’t.
(D&D 5e Basic. August 2014. p. 69.)

Specific Beats General. That means the Surprise is taking these things away. That does not mean they were granted by Combat starting. Important distinction. (And why would we argue that move is granted only by Combat? C'mon... )

[strangebloke]

In combat, you can choose to always act before some specific event you're waiting for. Are you arguing that is literally impossible outside of combat? That's fairly absurd.

Okay, let's just think this through a bit.

Scenario #1: Party is on one side of a door, goblins on the other. Both know that there's something unpleasant on the other side.

Logically, every party member should ready an reaction for "When the door opens" right? And since goblins can prepare actions too, they'll all ready an action off the same trigger. So the door flies open. Who gets to go first? Well, maybe you have some kind of contested DEX check...

Oh wait, that's literally initiative.

Scenario #2: Party is on one side of a door, goblins on the other. The party knows about the goblins, but not vice versa.

Okay, so they succeeded on a stealth check or scouted with a familiar or something. So yeah, we'll let them get one round of actions off for free. Maybe we have a special "readied action" round where the PCs get to do stuff and the goblins can't...

Oh wait that's literally surprise.

In conclusion, I really don't see there being any real reason to allow for this kind of nonsense. It doesn't add any capability to the game that didn't exist before. And this works identically for a social surprise. He wouldn't have expected you to knife him? Well, roll deception against his passive insight, see if you can hide your killing intent. You succeeded? Roll initiative, he's surprised! His buddy isn't, though, so he's acting normally.

[Cybren]

Okay, let's just think this through a bit.

Scenario #1: Party is on one side of a door, goblins on the other. Both know that there's something unpleasant on the other side.

Logically, every party member should ready an reaction for "When the door opens" right? And since goblins can prepare actions too, they'll all ready an action off the same trigger. So the door flies open. Who gets to go first? Well, maybe you have some kind of contested DEX check...

Oh wait, that's literally initiative.

Scenario #2: Party is on one side of a door, goblins on the other. The party knows about the goblins, but not vice versa.

Okay, so they succeeded on a stealth check or scouted with a familiar or something. So yeah, we'll let them get one round of actions off for free. Maybe we have a special "readied action" round where the PCs get to do stuff and the goblins can't...

Oh wait that's literally surprise.

In conclusion, I really don't see there being any real reason to allow for this kind of nonsense. It doesn't add any capability to the game that didn't exist before. And this works identically for a social surprise. He wouldn't have expected you to knife him? Well, roll deception against his passive insight, see if you can hide your killing intent. You succeeded? Roll initiative, he's surprised! His buddy isn't, though, so he's acting normally.

Okay but those are all combat scenarios.
I'm talking about situations completely devoid of combat. Like haggling with a shopkeeper or schmoozing at a banquet. In a fight you can say "I ready an action to slam the door shut the second i see someone approach". At a regal gala you can't do that. That's weird. r

[MaxWilson]

Okay, let's just think this through a bit.

Scenario #1: Party is on one side of a door, goblins on the other. Both know that there's something unpleasant on the other side.

Logically, every party member should ready an reaction for "When the door opens" right? And since goblins can prepare actions too, they'll all ready an action off the same trigger. So the door flies open. Who gets to go first? Well, maybe you have some kind of contested DEX check...

Oh wait, that's literally initiative.

Except, what if some of them want to do something else? For example, a spellcaster may not want to ready a spell because he's using concentration for something else; another spellcaster may want the freedom to choose which spell to use after he sees what's on the other side of the door.

Furthermore, triggering a readied action eats your initiative, and by strict RAW cannot include movement, so Readying and a full, normal round are not equivalent situations anyway, even in the simple scenario where everyone just wants to attack the first thing they see on the other side of the door.

The isomorphism you're proposing just doesn't hold.

[Pelle]

In combat, you can choose to always act before some specific event you're waiting for. Are you arguing that is literally impossible outside of combat? That's fairly absurd.

Outside of combat, you don't take the Ready Action, you just prepare for something and do it when applicable since you don't need to define stuff as an Action to fit them into their Initiative slot. If you decide not to wait, you just do something else. And you can run, cast spells and chop wood, but you don't think about that as Actions because you don't need to fit them into the 6 sec sequence.

The default assumption is that the fighter is prepared to attack monsters, but at the same time, monsters are also prepared to attack fighters. So when they meet each other, how do you resolve that situation? You roll Initiative. You could have both parties first make a reaction in order, and then their turn in order, but that's just pointless. You can just as well start with the regular turns where the fighter will attack the monster and the monster attack the fighter, just like they had prepared to do out of combat. That adequately represents the fiction, and is what the streamlined rules ended up as.

Edit:

Okay but those are all combat scenarios.
I'm talking about situations completely devoid of combat. Like haggling with a shopkeeper or schmoozing at a banquet. In a fight you can say "I ready an action to slam the door shut the second i see someone approach". At a regal gala you can't do that. That's weird. r

Why do you care about initiative order when you are haggling or schmoozing at regal galla? Just say what you want the character to do, and then use the rules that fit best to adjudicate it.

[Pelle]

Except, what if some of them want to do something else? For example, a spellcaster may not want to ready a spell because he's using concentration for something else; another spellcaster may want the freedom to choose which spell to use after he sees what's on the other side of the door.

Sounds like you want a 1 sec mini-turn with pre-programmed binding actions for everyone. You could add it to your game, but it doesn't add enough benefit to make up for the added complexity IMO. You can represent the situation adequately enough as is anyways. If following a specific sequence of actions is important narratively, just ask people what they intend to do after the door is opened, and hold them to their word in the first turn. For the wizard that wanted to see what is on the other side before choosing, make him take the Dodge Action first turn, to not upstage the ones who prepared.

[strangebloke]

Okay but those are all combat scenarios.
I'm talking about situations completely devoid of combat. Like haggling with a shopkeeper or schmoozing at a banquet. In a fight you can say "I ready an action to slam the door shut the second i see someone approach". At a regal gala you can't do that. That's weird. r

So, just to be clear, you're saying something like: "I ready an action to call him a liar when he boasts about his role in the battle." Am I right?

If so, I'd argue that you're getting a bit far afield with social encounters. DND straight up doesn't have rules for something like this. Talking is just 'something you can do' on your turn, not on your turn, or whenever.

If you have hacked together a mini-system for social/exploration encounters, I think that an alternative initiative is by far the best way to handle it. It's initiative but you roll with CHA or WIS instead of DEX.

Who says you only use initiative in combat?

Except, what if some of them want to do something else? For example, a spellcaster may not want to ready a spell because he's using concentration for something else; another spellcaster may want the freedom to choose which spell to use after he sees what's on the other side of the door.

Furthermore, triggering a readied action eats your initiative, and by strict RAW cannot include movement, so Readying and a full, normal round are not equivalent situations anyway, even in the simple scenario where everyone just wants to attack the first thing they see on the other side of the door.

The isomorphism you're proposing just doesn't hold.

Okay, but I think you're missing my point.

I'm responding to arguments that, narratively, the ready action needs to exist because a character should be able to prepare.

Mechanically, everyone starting with a 'readied reaction' round is different. You're beginning combat with a round of pre-fixed actions, and no movement or bonus actions. But it isn't different in a way that improves the narrative flow, and it's mechanically wonky. It heavily advantages archers, since everyone who doesn't have a good ranged attack is either accepting a lot of risk (caster) or is just sitting there like a bum.

I don't see why we should add another non-intuitive corner case in a game that's already full of them. (I consider this 5e's greatest weakness)

[Lombra]

No, because readying an action means delaying your turn. They intend to act immediately, on their turn. Thats where the sillyness comes in. We are trying to use something designed to delay an action in order to do something before an action. Just take the action.

Readying an Action means Readying an Action.

Let's not get too silly here. If I'm walking down the street and decide that I want to shoot whatever opens that door, I'm shooting the instant the door is opened (or not, player's choice). You may want to roll initiative but the character readied an action, he just choose to do so before rolling initiative. It's no different than doing it in-combat.

You can roll initiative before opening the door, the character readied an action and ehichever part goes first, the character uses his reaction on the first turn of combat to choose wether to act or not.

Readying an action is supposed to give you aj advantage for thinking ahead of stuff. Often you need to think ahead of stuff before it happens, so it's unreasonable to require readying only when something is already happening.

[strangebloke]

Readying an action is supposed to give you aj advantage for thinking ahead of stuff. Often you need to think ahead of stuff before it happens, so it's unreasonable to require readying only when something is already happening.

OK, but what if multiple people ready actions with the same trigger? Who goes first "When the door opens"?

Readying an action isn't about being rewarded for thinking ahead. Readying an action is about being able to act when it isn't your turn. Most readying I see at my table is "I'm going to stab him once gary moves into flanking position."

[Mellack]

Readying an Action means Readying an Action.

Let's not get too silly here. If I'm walking down the street and decide that I want to shoot whatever opens that door, I'm shooting the instant the door is opened (or not, player's choice). You may want to roll initiative but the character readied an action, he just choose to do so before rolling initiative. It's no different than doing it in-combat.

You can roll initiative before opening the door, the character readied an action and ehichever part goes first, the character uses his reaction on the first turn of combat to choose wether to act or not.

Readying an action is supposed to give you aj advantage for thinking ahead of stuff. Often you need to think ahead of stuff before it happens, so it's unreasonable to require readying only when something is already happening.

What is the cost of just always having a readied action? Why would not every character say "I will ready an attack to shoot if I see a hostile creature."

[Unoriginal]

I think people just have an issue with their characters wanting to do something with a plan in mind yet being beaten on the initiative.

No one so far managed to give an example of an out-of-combat action you'd want to Ready, IMO.

Let's not get too silly here. If I'm walking down the street and decide that I want to shoot whatever opens that door, I'm shooting the instant the door is opened (or not, player's choice). You may want to roll initiative but the character readied an action, he just choose to do so before rolling initiative. It's no different than doing it in-combat.

One, this is not Readying an action, it's deciding what you do in advance. Not the same.

Two, you might decide what you do before the initiative, but it doesn't mean you'll be able to.

You might want to shoot the next person who opens the door, it doesn't mean they're not going to be prepared for that.

You can roll initiative before opening the door, the character readied an action and ehichever part goes first, the character uses his reaction on the first turn of combat to choose wether to act or not.

That's just trying to get one free Reaction on top of the surprise round.

The cost of Ready is one action so you can act outside your turn. You can't just decide you're not paying it.

Readying an action is supposed to give you aj advantage for thinking ahead of stuff. Often you need to think ahead of stuff before it happens, so it's unreasonable to require readying only when something is already happening.

No, Readying an action is supposed to let you act in reaction to things that happen during the round but after your turn.

[Amdy_vill]

I know, this is somewhat a controversial topic, but still want to ask how you would rule this.

Question #1 Would you allow to Ready an action outside of combat? This might lead to some cheese with characters going "I always ready an attack action when I see someone", but on the other hand, that's a common trope of action movies and stuff, where people enter a hostile territory with weapons ready, and checking every corner and such.

Question #2, let's assume that Ready isn't allowed outside combat, would you allow to enter initiative earlier, without seeing an enemy yet? The most obvious situation where this could be needed is when a party prepares and ambush, say Himiko wants to cast a fireball as soon as Gonta opens the door that (as they think) has enemies behind it?

1. yes i feel the rules allow this

2. yes and no really depends on the situation.