Can You Hold Your Turn in D&D 5e?

The short answer is: no, you cannot directly hold or delay your turn in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e). Unlike some previous editions of the game, 5e does not include a mechanic that allows you to skip your initiative slot and act later. The initiative system dictates the order of play, and once your turn arrives, you are expected to take your actions. However, this doesn’t mean you’re without options. While you can’t postpone your entire turn, 5e provides the Ready action as a way to influence when you act within a combat round, allowing a form of tactical flexibility.

Understanding the Ready Action

Instead of delaying your entire turn, 5e offers the Ready action, which is a crucial mechanic for tactical maneuvering in combat. The Ready action allows you to prepare a specific action and execute it using your reaction. Think of it as setting a trap or a trigger for your planned action.

How the Ready Action Works

When you take the Ready action, you must:

1. Choose a Trigger: You must specify a perceivable trigger that will cause you to perform the ready action. This could be something like “when the enemy enters melee range,” or “when my ally casts a spell.”
2. Choose an Action: You also need to specify the action you will take when the trigger occurs. This can be any action you are normally able to take on your turn. You can also use the Ready action to move up to your speed, instead of taking a specific action.
3. Spend Your Reaction: The prepared action is then executed using your reaction, which must occur before the start of your next turn.

Limitations of the Ready Action

While the Ready action provides a means to be more reactive in combat, it comes with certain limitations:

• Reaction Use: Using the Ready action consumes your reaction, which means you cannot use that reaction for other opportunities that may arise, such as an opportunity attack.
• Single Action: When you use the Ready action you are limited to only executing a single action. If you have features like multiattack you will only make one attack if using a multiattack action.
• Spellcasting Limitations: Spells cast by the Ready action are considered cast when you take the Ready action, meaning that you still lose the spell slot at that time. If the readied action is not triggered you still lose the spell slot. The only exception would be losing concentration before the spell is triggered. You cannot use your reaction to cast another spell if you have readied a spell. You can, however, ready a spell and still use your bonus action on your turn to cast a cantrip. You are also limited to casting only cantrips when taking the action to cast a spell with your reaction.
• No Moving: You cannot use the ready action to move then take an action. You can either ready an action or ready movement. You can move your speed before taking the Ready action though.

Turn Structure in 5e

To fully understand why you can’t delay your turn, it’s important to grasp the basic structure of a turn in 5e combat. On your turn, you can:

1. Move: Travel up to your speed. You can break this movement up before, during, and after your action.
2. Action: Perform a single action, such as attacking, casting a spell, or dashing.
3. Bonus Action: Perform a single bonus action if applicable.
4. Free Actions: Perform free actions such as speaking a few words or dropping an item.
5. Reaction: Use a reaction, but typically not on your turn.

Because the initiative order dictates a sequential flow of actions, there is no built-in mechanic to “pause” this flow and allow a turn to be delayed.

Why Not Delay a Turn?

The elimination of turn delay mechanics in 5e is deliberate, primarily to simplify and streamline combat. Previous editions often had complex initiative rules that could slow down gameplay. By removing the ability to delay a turn, 5e creates a more fluid and dynamic combat system, forcing players to engage actively in the moment.

Instead, the game encourages players to make strategic choices using the Ready action to anticipate and react to unfolding circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I hold my movement and use it later?

No, you cannot hold your movement. You can move your speed on your turn and move your speed again as part of your readied action.

2. Can I skip my turn to wait for a specific event?

No, you cannot skip your turn. However, you can ready an action with a specific trigger and then respond with a chosen action when that trigger occurs.

3. Can I use the Ready action to perform an attack with my multiattack ability?

No. When you take the Ready action, you can only perform a single attack action. Multiattack is only available on your actual turn.

4. Can I hold a spell and cast it later?

Yes, you can ready a spell. This requires you to spend a spell slot at the time of readying the action, specify the trigger, and maintain concentration on the spell. If your trigger doesn’t happen, you lose that spell slot. The only way to not cast the spell is to lose concentration.

5. Can I cast two spells in one turn with the Ready action?

No. When you take the Ready action, you can only perform one action. You could potentially cast a cantrip as a bonus action on your turn and ready a cantrip that would use your reaction if the trigger occurs. You cannot cast a spell as an action and use your reaction to cast another spell.

6. What happens if I don’t want to use my readied action?

If the specified trigger does not occur, you simply do not use your readied action. If your trigger does occur but you change your mind, you can also choose not to execute your readied action. However, you will lose your reaction either way.

7. Can I change my readied action if the situation changes?

No, you cannot change your readied action after you have declared it. If the situation changes, you may have to use a different action on your next turn.

8. Is stowing a weapon an action?

Yes, stowing or sheathing a weapon requires a full action in 5e. This limitation is put in place to balance melee/missile characters with casters.

9. Can I talk outside of my turn?

Yes, you can speak a few short sentences on other player’s turns, which is typically considered a free action. More than a few sentences generally goes outside of this definition.

10. Can I use a bonus action and a readied action?

Yes. You can use a bonus action on your turn. Then, you can use your reaction to take a readied action (if the conditions are met), provided you did not cast a spell that used your bonus action in your action before.

11. What does being “turned” mean in 5e?

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as possible, and it cannot move to within 30 feet of you. It also cannot take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving.

12. Can I use a reaction to counterspell a spell that has been readied?

No. You can only counterspell when the spell is cast, and the spell is considered to be cast when the ready action is taken not when it is triggered.

13. Does being incapacitated cause me to lose concentration?

Yes. When you are incapacitated or you die, you lose concentration on any spells you are maintaining.

14. What is the longest range spell in 5e?

The longest range spell in 5e is 1,200′, achieved through the combination of the Eldritch Spear invocation (300′), and the Spell Sniper feat (doubling the range to 600′).

15. Can you take a bonus action before your regular action on your turn?

Yes. You can use your bonus action or your regular action in whichever order you would like on your turn.