When do the area of effect is targeted? Can i ready an action to move away from breath atack, so if it happens i just move our of the area? Or targeting will happen after, and my movement? Can i move an break LoS to a spell cast in me as readied action?
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Seems totally legitimate. Expect different GMs to handle it differently, though.
The problem is, in all the many times my PCs have been blasted with Dragonfire and other AoE bad things, there have been very few opportunities for a readied action. Either my PC is actively involved in the battle (E.g. Cleric casting Communal Resist Energy and touching allies, or shooting arrows, etc) , else there is no time to ready the action.
In short, one rarely has the luxury of Readying an Action to escape an AoE blast. When one does have this luxury it seems 100% fair and rules-legal to use a readied action this way. It seems like a very smart defensive action.
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Only problem I see is that you would never know exactly where the AoE is going to land. I could see letting to player ready an action and move, but I wouldn't show him exactly where the blast will land, so a character won't just shift over five feet and miss the dragon fire, but instead have to run far.
Either that or just give them a good bonus on Reflex to avoid for readying the action to avoid it. Something like a +1 for every 5 ft of speed.
When I GM, I wouldn't allow you to "ready a move action" to avoid rolling a save (which is what it sounds like you're trying to set up). That's what the Reflex save is for. You either manage to dodge it, or part of it, or not. Saving throws take into consideration the fact that a character would do whatever they could to avoid an effect. To allow a readied move action like this seems a bad precedent to set, and the places where it might be allowable should be rare.
Just for reference for those who may jump in:
The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).
Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.
You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.
When I GM, I wouldn't allow you to "ready a move action" to avoid rolling a save (which is what is sounds like you're trying to set up). That's what the Reflex save is for. You either manage to dodge it, or part of it, or not. Saving throws take into consideration the fact that a character would do whatever they could to avoid an effect. To allow a readied move action like this seems a bad precedent to set, and the places where it might be allowable should be rare.
Just for reference for those who may jump in:
I know that, i was thinking about situation where we talk to dragon and while our "face" talking can i ready an action to leap away in case dragon gonna breath at us (since readied action resolves before the action that triggered it).
I will go with my DMs judgment, but wonder about opinions of other experienced people.|
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Well, I see we're all nicely bunched up in Fireball Formation, and the dragon is making a strafing run. Ok, then! On my turn I could double move to get away from the clump, but if we all do that it may dissuade the dragon from approaching. Nope, I want to draw the dragon in range of Fritz's spells. Here's what I do:"I ready an action to move my top speed East on the map. This action will be triggered when the dragon is much closer than it is is, just before it breathes."
Y'all might want to go some direction that's not East.
The game effect is that your action interrupts the dragon's turn. The dragon completes it's strafing run, is about to breath on the clumped adventurers, when your readied action goes off. Your PC moves 30' East of the clump. Dragon continues its action, and breathes. You may, or may not, be in the Area of Effect.
If other members of your party got your hint, and similarly readied actions to run North, South, and West, the dragon may have a less target-rich environment than it expected.
One does not often encounter situations where this would be useful. When one does, and when the group is clever enough to use readied actions this way, I'd totally give it to them. It's also RAW.
Readied action are really just a way to make the time-frame more 'fine grained' than the ordinary turn-based rules allow. E.g. waiting until the dragon is close before spreading out, when the dragon is capable of both moving and breathing on its turn.
Note that one can not ready an action out of combat! That's what Initiative is for.
It's more complex than just: "I ready my move action to move out of the AoE" or even "I move when the spell is about to go off."
A) You need to know what type of spell is being cast. Is it a ray? AoE? Targeted? This would require you to use an action to Spell-craft (identify) it. IF your character can do so. Or you need an ally to have done so and communicate that information.
B) How would you know when the spell is about to go off? Is there 1 standard Fireball spell that everyone who is an arcane caster knows so you could tell "Ah, just a few more syllables!"?
You can say: "If that guy begins casting, I'll move!" But I, personally, would not let you use "about to finish" as a trigger for a readied action.
A dragon's breath weapon is a different situation, but not too much so. "If the dragon dives to attack, I'll move!" If you waited until it attacks, however, then it is up to the saving throw, because you can't know when the breath weapon is coming out - nor would you likely know: it's type. shape, etc. without prior Knowledge checks.
I may be incorrect. But it seems like an attempt to bypass the saving throw mechanic by simply saying "I ready an action to get out of the way!"
How does counter-spelling work? What is the sequence of actions and readied actions that allow one to cast a counter-spell? That might apply, I suppose.
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Moving 50' away from your clumped allies is a way to bypass the saving throw mechanic. You are guessing that the AoE blast will come, but won't be big enough to get you all. That's totally legit, whether done on your own turn or via a readied action that interrupts someone else's turn. When done as a readied action you give up half your movement to time it just right.
Sure, pay attention to what the player chooses as a 'triggering mechanic'. It's possible to wait too long to run, or to run too soon. A poorly worded trigger may not work at all. That's a GM call, but I'd tend to give the PC the benefit of the doubt [OotS] because Rule-of-Cool.
You could use a standard action to ready an action to move if someone casts a spell or uses a breath weapon (probably just one of them). The spell or breath weapon would occur after the movement, so the enemy could still target you. The only advantage to this tactic is that you and your clumped together allies could disperse, and less of you would get attacked.
I don't like the idea of a '"Flash-like-move-your-speed" movement right before a fireball goes off, but if you can find a way to know when and where the "bomb" is gonna go off, I suppose you could find a way to mitigate the damage.
By RAW, if you know/think the enemy is going to move close to where you are to perform the AoE, then you could ready to move away from his range if you have enough movement for that, and he'll have already spent his movement so it's less likelly he'll be able to move close to you again to include you in the attack.
In the case of the dragon, if you can feel he's already decided he's going to breath on a specific person/area where you'll just be colateral damage and you want to ready your move to get off the are right before the breath so he doesn't have time to adjust it, I don't think there are specific rules for that, to interrupt his action after he's targeted but right before it happens, but I would suggest for you to be considered to have evasion or improved evasion for sacrificing your standard action on this.
If it were a cannon instead of a dragon, it should be alot easier to get out of the way before it blows and before the aim could be adjusted.
Also, you could consider geting something like a Collapsible Tower Shield, if you are going to be spending actions on this anyway.
Note that one can not ready an action out of combat! That's what Initiative is for.
That and the fact that there are other things you can't do out of combat is totally stupid.
Monk: As the fighter is about to open the door I enter my fighting stance (activate my combat style) so I am ready when the fighting starts.
RAW: You can't activate a style out of combat.
Cop: I aim my gun at him and yell: "Freeze". (I take a ready action to shoot if he makes a threatening move)
RAW: You can't ready actions out of combat.
Note that one can not ready an action out of combat! That's what Initiative is for.That and the fact that there are other things you can't do out of combat is totally stupid.
Monk: As the fighter is about to open the door I enter my fighting stance (activate my combat style) so I am ready when the fighting starts.
RAW: You can't activate a style out of combat.Cop: I aim my gun at him and yell: "Freeze". (I take a ready action to shoot if he makes a threatening move)
RAW: You can't ready actions out of combat.
In the former case, I agree that's frustrating.
The latter case is an example of a stand-off that is best resolved with an initiative check (if the enemy is very, very fast, it might not matter that you are covering them, and it isn't as if getting shot is that big a deal in this system, anyway).
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When I GM this sort of situation I sometimes allow combat to start when the PCs want to initiate it. In anything but PFS I'll totally allow a PC to hit a Combat Stance outside of 'combat'. If the PCs want to behave as if they are already in combat, well, they are either paranoid or prescient. The GM doesn't need to wait until the PCs open the door and see the goblins (which they suspect are there) before entering combat mode. Start combat sooner, and role Perception checks to see whether anyone is surprised.
If one does not allow this it leads to more absurdities than it creates.
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A couple things that I feel the "you can't dodge a fireball" crowd are missing:
1) For most things, like breath weapons, you would have to declare a trigger that occurs before they finalize their targeting choice. In other words, you move, but they just change which way they point their breath and hit you anyway. The exception is if you move *away* far enough or if you move away from the group they /really/ want to hit (i.e. they have a reason not to worry about missing you). If everyone scatters after they declare their breath weapon this may be a problem for them.
2) Fireball is only sort-of instant. After they declare their target, it shoots out a bead that explodes upon arrival at the destination. How fast does this move? Fast enough, but not instant. Aside from that, no-one knows. A lot of moves are like this: instant for rules purposes, but not *actually* instant.
3) If you *still* hate this, you can at least go for the middle ground: You gave up your action just to run out of the way, so here's a +4 or so to your reflex save against the effect. Alternatively grant them evasion (if they make the save, they got lucky and outran the effect action-hero style).
4) Rule of cool, people. The image of someone outrunning a fireball is iconic. Ham it up!
"I, the wizard, make an unarmed strike against our fully armored tank. Obviously it misses. Now that I'm in combat I ready a maximized enervation."
The rules are silly and there are silly ways around them.
You just have to do what would work best and satisfies everyone or as many people as possible.
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A litle bit of rebuke death here, but i realy want to know is it legal or not.
My reasons why it should:
Ref save is not about you see how he is casting fireball - it is seeing by peripheral vision that it is alreaddy flying into you. By reading an action you "actively" watching for what that guy in robe is doing. I would allow to dodge fireball/ligthing by that way with trigger "when he casting something into my side", but it can be not spell that you are gonna dodge - he is buffing his allies or making TARGET spell (like curse, rays or magic missle). For atk rolls (as i see it) it can work only if character will move into cover (we are not in EVE with slow turret tracking speed). If player also have spellcraft skill i will allow him to declare trigger "when he is casting zone spells into my side" and if he win check trigger works - otherwise it is not.
The true mechanical question is zone for spell declared with casting or after casting? It is siple with charge ray/touch spells, but with other it is not so simple.
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When I GM, I wouldn't allow you to "ready a move action" to avoid rolling a save (which is what is sounds like you're trying to set up). That's what the Reflex save is for. You either manage to dodge it, or part of it, or not. Saving throws take into consideration the fact that a character would do whatever they could to avoid an effect. To allow a readied move action like this seems a bad precedent to set, and the places where it might be allowable should be rare.
Just for reference for those who may jump in:
I know that, i was thinking about situation where we talk to dragon and while our "face" talking can i ready an action to leap away in case dragon gonna breath at us (since readied action resolves before the action that triggered it).
I will go with my DMs judgment, but wonder about opinions of other experienced people.
Beside the whole can of worm of "I ready an action of of combat, so I act first when combat start and initiative be damned", the area of effect or target of a spell is determined when the casting has been completed. You move away and break LoS? Good for you, but the caster can still target other people or choose a different area.
I would say that breath weapons and other Su/Ex effects follow the same rules, but I don't think that that is spelled out in the rules.
Relevant text for spells:
You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.
When I GM, I wouldn't allow you to "ready a move action" to avoid rolling a save (which is what is sounds like you're trying to set up). That's what the Reflex save is for. You either manage to dodge it, or part of it, or not. Saving throws take into consideration the fact that a character would do whatever they could to avoid an effect. To allow a readied move action like this seems a bad precedent to set, and the places where it might be allowable should be rare.
Just for reference for those who may jump in:
I know that, i was thinking about situation where we talk to dragon and while our "face" talking can i ready an action to leap away in case dragon gonna breath at us (since readied action resolves before the action that triggered it).
I will go with my DMs judgment, but wonder about opinions of other experienced people.Beside the whole can of worm of "I ready an action of of combat, so I act first when combat start and initiative be damned", the area of effect or target of a spell is determined when the casting has been completed. You move away and break LoS? Good for you, but the caster can still target other people or choose a different area.
I would say that breath weapons and other Su/Ex effects follow the same rules, but I don't think that that is spelled out in the rules.
^ This.
Relevant text for spells:
You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.
And once a target of a spell or breath weapon has been selected, it is now to late to move. e.g, you could not ready an action to move if someone made a successful attack roll against you to avoid the damage (you need to move before the attack roll is made). With a spell/breath weapon I would follow the same logic. The completion of a spell is like the completion of an attack.
This doesn't work unless you can move completely out of the way or arounda corner.. which you pretty much could have done on your turn.
There is no time in between when the dragon breathes and the dragon targets for you to move in. The dragon starts to breathe. You move. The dragon exhales... in all likelihood it still roasts you (unless you moved away from your friends and there's no need for it to change its actions because 4 out ot 5 roast adventurers is close enough. )
If the dragon doesn't have to breathe, then it never breathed, so there's a timey whimey ball where you responded to an action that never happened but...
If the dragon is now "stuck" on its action it creates huge game implication problems that can make it impossible to hit a kobold in melee.
Once the action is resolved, you can not turn back time.This statement contradicts the readied action rules. It is not possible to react to X (which it says you do), act before X (which it says you do), and also not turn back time (or see the future, alternatively, which I'm guessing you don't like either).
If you don't think that's fun, then house rule it to say "occurs AFTER the action that triggered it" which I have done before and it works just fine without violating causality anymore. The only thing it really causes any issue with is concentration attacks on casters, but that tends to get abused at tables I play at anyway, no big loss. For counterspelling, on the other hand, time travel doesn't seem that unreasonable, magic and all.
But anyway, going to bed and not staying up to argue this yet again, take it or leave it, but logically without time travel, Either:
1) You wait until after X occurs to react to it, of course, but now the point in the universe's timeline just prior to X has already occurred, so you can never do anything "before X" ever again and thus can't follow the rules, Buzzzz
2) You get ahead of the game and act before X while there is still time. But how did you know to do that? The trigger didn't happen yet. You're either cheating or seeing the future, Buzzzz again.
3) You could see a trigger and then, without time traveling, act on it in your current timestream. I heartily endorse this, but it's a house rule because it breaks the written rule "you act before X" Buzzzz
4) You could just never allow any readied actions, them all being impossible, thus not time traveling OR house ruling. I guess.... not very fun though.
I see no other logical options possible.
It's a tricky one. For example:
"I ready an action to shoot the first person who opens the door in front of me".
Technically RAW your action goes off before the action (opening the door), so your arrow thuds into the door before it has been opened.
The options has to be 3), or more accurately 3) + 'your action takes place before, during, or immediately after depending on which one makes logical sense'.
Yes, it is basically a houserule patch, but it is one that I think you'd find even PFS would not bat an eyelid at. Welcome to a lot of the dodgy fringes of the pathfinder ruleset.
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you could not ready an action to move if someone made a successful attack roll against you to avoid the damage (you need to move before the attack roll is made)Why's that?
"If I am hit, say my own name" should by RAW trigger from the attack roll, which is part of the attack action. "You act before the action that triggered", then as part of your readied action you can 5 foot step, and you do so out of range of the weapon before the attack action begins, and thus never actually get attacked. Nor damaged, which is part of the same action you're acting entirely prior to.
Ready an action say: "The action occurs just before the action that triggers it."
Applying the damage of an attack or the the effect of a spell isn't an action. Attacking or casting the spell is the action.Once the action is resolved, you can not turn back time.This statement contradicts the readied action rules. It is not possible to react to X (which it says you do), act before X (which it says you do), and also not turn back time (or see the future, alternatively, which I'm guessing you don't like either).
Read the rules. You are not trying to react to an action, you are trying to react to its effects.
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PRD says : "To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition."
That condition is not necessarily an action. It can be an action's result for example.
You missed the next sentence:
Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it.
you could not ready an action to move if someone made a successful attack roll against you to avoid the damage (you need to move before the attack roll is made)Why's that?
"If I am hit, say my own name" should by RAW trigger from the attack roll, which is part of the attack action. "You act before the action that triggered", then as part of your readied action you can 5 foot step, and you do so out of range of the weapon before the attack action begins, and thus never actually get attacked. Nor damaged, which is part of the same action you're acting entirely prior to.
Read what I wrote again, I think you misunderstood what I said.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.
Invalid:
Ready an action to move if someone makes a successful attack against me.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack against me.
NPC rolls high enough to beat my AC (a successful attack).
My readied action triggers and I move (negating the damage that would be dealt) - INVALID.
Now you could still ready an action to do X if you get hit (and if the hit doesn't incapacitate you in some fashion then you do X).
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.
No. The raw is silent on how this works exactly and thisway of handling it makes the game unplayable.
The immortal dancing kobold readies an action to attack you and then five foot step away once you attack
PC steps next to IDK Declares attack. IDK attacks, 5 foot steps away, attack is invalidated. IDK does it again. It happens again. It will KEEP happening as long as there's room in the dungeon.
There is no rule for handling an action that has become illegal.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.No. The raw is silent on how this works exactly and thisway of handling it makes the game unplayable.
The immortal dancing kobold readies an action to attack you and then five foot step away once you attack
PC steps next to IDK Declares attack. IDK attacks, 5 foot steps away, attack is invalidated. IDK does it again. It happens again. It will KEEP happening as long as there's room in the dungeon.
There is no rule for handling an action that has become illegal.
In your example, because of how 5 ft steps work, you can take your own 5ft step and still attack after your opponent 5ft steps. So, yeah, that doesn't work. If you choose to Move 5 ft (probably via acrobatics) and follow that with a ready action to move away when attacked, then you might have something, but if the attacker swaps to a ranged weapon your turn was, and will continue to be, wasted.
you could not ready an action to move if someone made a successful attack roll against you to avoid the damage (you need to move before the attack roll is made)Why's that?
"If I am hit, say my own name" should by RAW trigger from the attack roll, which is part of the attack action. "You act before the action that triggered", then as part of your readied action you can 5 foot step, and you do so out of range of the weapon before the attack action begins, and thus never actually get attacked. Nor damaged, which is part of the same action you're acting entirely prior to.
Read what I wrote again, I think you misunderstood what I said.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.Invalid:
Ready an action to move if someone makes a successful attack against me.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack against me.
NPC rolls high enough to beat my AC (a successful attack).
My readied action triggers and I move (negating the damage that would be dealt) - INVALID.Now you could still ready an action to do X if you get hit (and if the hit doesn't incapacitate you in some fashion then you do X).
The reason your invalid one is invalid is because once they've gotten a successful attack on you they've already finished the attack. You've readied an action to do something after you've been hit, you just used different words.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.Invalid:
Ready an action to move if someone makes a successful attack against me.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack against me.
NPC rolls high enough to beat my AC (a successful attack).
My readied action triggers and I move (negating the damage that would be dealt) - INVALID.Now you could still ready an action to do X if you get hit (and if the hit doesn't incapacitate you in some fashion then you do X).
One quibble. There is no 'declare' step in pathfinder.
So your valid example would have to be:
NPC moves next to me
NPC attacks me.
Readied action move away.
NPC hasn't attacked (he was going to, but you moved before he could), so he can continue his movement (if he has any), attack someone else, or take a different standard action.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.Now you could still ready an action to do X if you get hit (and if the hit doesn't incapacitate you in some fashion then you do X).
One quibble. There is no 'declare' step in pathfinder.
So your valid example would have to be:
NPC moves next to me
NPC attacks me.
Readied action move away.
NPC hasn't attacked (he was going to, but you moved before he could), so he can continue his movement (if he has any), attack someone else, or take a different standard action.
But if the NPC never attacked you then your readied action wouldn't have triggered. So NPC never attacked then no readied so now I'm still there to be attacked.
Plus then you're ignoring this line, "Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. " He attacked you, your readied goes off and you move, and then he continues attacking you if able, odds are he's not, and so he's just done.This is the same issue of moving and getting tripped. You trying to leave a square causes you to be tripped, now that you're tripped you can't continue your action so you're done.
But if the NPC never attacked you then your readied action wouldn't have triggered. So NPC never attacked then no readied so now I'm still there to be attacked.
Plus then you're ignoring this line, "Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. " He attacked you, your readied goes off and you move, and then he continues attacking you if able, odds are he's not, and so he's just done.This is the same issue of moving and getting tripped. You trying to leave a square causes you to be tripped, now that you're tripped you can't continue your action so you're done.
You can't have it both ways. Either the action happens (you get attacked) or it didn't (you move before being attacked) in which cast it is still available to be used. If I haven't used my standard action, then I still have it.
In some cases, he certainly won't be able to complete that particular action, for example, if you kill him. However it doesn't say at all that he has to continue the actions he had planned to take, it says he continues his actions, meaning any actions he has left in his turn he can continue taking.
I'm not sure what you are referring to with moving and getting tripped. Once against there is no 'declare' stage in Pathfinder, so even if I had planned to move and attack someone, if I am tripped during the move I haven't taken my standard action, and I can still do so, using it to stand up for example. I can't continue my move at that point, but I certainly am not 'done' as soon as I am tripped. (It is more complex with a charge.)
You can ready an action to move in response to being attacked, moving before you are attacked and (in some cases) preventing the attack.
You cannot ready an action to move after being successfully attacked in an attempt to prevent the attack. Once you are stabbed, you are stabbed. That is meta knowledge if an attack will be successful.
Once again, Crimeo has taken a wild interpretation of the rules and has gotten carried away from it, knowing full well that it's ridiculous as he rules it otherwise in his own games.
Valid:
Ready an action to move if I am attacked.
NPC moves next to me.
NPC declares an attack.
My readied triggers and I move away invalidating his attack.No. The raw is silent on how this works exactly and thisway of handling it makes the game unplayable.
The immortal dancing kobold readies an action to attack you and then five foot step away once you attack
PC steps next to IDK Declares attack. IDK attacks, 5 foot steps away, attack is invalidated. IDK does it again. It happens again. It will KEEP happening as long as there's room in the dungeon.
There is no rule for handling an action that has become illegal.
Please go read any of the dozen threads on how to shut this tactic down. Its not a real issue against anything but a mindless creature. And is meaningless even for the mindless attacker if he has any allies.
While true there is no explicit rule on illegal actions, the only sensible course is the attempted action is lost (and cannot be replaced with anything). Again see other threads on this topic where I point out the absurdity of allowing a player to change actions after either a readied action or AoO triggers.
The reason your invalid one is invalid is because once they've gotten a successful attack on you they've already finished the attack. You've readied an action to do something after you've been hit, you just used different words.
Which is precisely why I used it as an example for the original question. Once a target creature or target point for a spell or breath weapon has been selected, it is now to late to move out of the way. You need to move when they start casting the spell, or when the dragon inhales.
Please go read any of the dozen threads on how to shut this tactic down. Its not a real issue against anything but a mindless creature. And is meaningless even for the mindless attacker if he has any allies.
They all either fail to understand whats being said or result in throwing a weapon at someone in round 2.
While true there is no explicit rule on illegal actions, the only sensible course is the attempted action is lost (and cannot be replaced with anything). Again see other threads on this topic where I point out the absurdity of allowing a player to change actions after either a readied action or AoO triggers.
Or not allow ready actions to go in between things that aren't seperated in time.
In your example, because of how 5 ft steps work, you can take your own 5ft step and still attack after your opponent 5ft steps. So, yeah, that doesn't work. If you choose to Move 5 ft (probably via acrobatics) and follow that with a ready action to move away when attacked, then you might have something, but if the attacker swaps to a ranged weapon your turn was, and will continue to be, wasted.
Kobold readies
Barbarian moves up
Barbarian starts swing. Ready action goes off. Kobold attack and 5 foot steps. Barbarians action is wasted.
Kobolds turn again, just before the barbarian. Kobold readies.
If the barbarian 5 foot steps and attempts a swing, the kobold attacks and 5 foot steps and the kobold is stuck
If the barbarian just walks the 5 feet he has begun his move action and ended it when he swings , he's out of actions and can't 5 foot step either because he moved or because he already 5 foot stepped.
If the barbarian just moves twice, the kobold never does anything, and jkust stands there while the bard plays "can you feel the love tonight" In the background.
AC is supposed to determine hits and misses in this system not player cheekiness.
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In your example, because of how 5 ft steps work, you can take your own 5ft step and still attack after your opponent 5ft steps. So, yeah, that doesn't work. If you choose to Move 5 ft (probably via acrobatics) and follow that with a ready action to move away when attacked, then you might have something, but if the attacker swaps to a ranged weapon your turn was, and will continue to be, wasted.
Kobold readies
Barbarian moves up
Barbarian starts swing. Ready action goes off. Kobold attack and 5 foot steps. Barbarians action is wasted.
Kobolds turn again, just before the barbarian. Kobold readies.
If the barbarian 5 foot steps and attempts a swing, the kobold attacks and 5 foot steps and the kobold is stuck
If the barbarian just walks the 5 feet he has begun his move action and ended it when he swings , he's out of actions and can't 5 foot step either because he moved or because he already 5 foot stepped.
If the barbarian just moves twice, the kobold never does anything, and jkust stands there while the bard plays "can you feel the love tonight" In the background.
AC is supposed to determine hits and misses in this system not player cheekiness.
Anything with more than one attack can defeat a dancing kobold.
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Once again, Crimeo has taken a wild interpretation of the rules and has gotten carried away from it, knowing full well that it's ridiculous as he rules it otherwise in his own games.I'm happy to hear any other reasonable interpretation of how you think I can follow the rules without time travel or prescience? The rules clearly say:
1) That I "react" to X.
2) That I then "act before" X.By common sense, you cannot react to something before it begins, but also by common sense, you can't act before something once it has already begun. NOR by common sense can you act prior to your reaction that told you to act. Not even instantaneous events with divinely zero reaction time could make sense here. Unless you can explain otherwise? How can those two criteria can possibly be met without time travel or prescience?
If I start my action first, but finish after; who is faster?
You destroy your own argument Crimeo, I don't see the point to.
"My interpretation is ridiculous, and here's why!"
Yes, we all agree. It's ridiculous. That's why we reject it. But unlike you, we don't have to justify this rejection by houseruling it. We simply interpret it in a more reasonable manner. I know that previous sentence hurts your very soul, but try to accept it.
Yeah I'm just going to bow out before this goes any further. I've already reached my "Dealing with Crimeo's bovine excrement" limit for the day.
In conclusion, Crimeo is wrong (as he almost always is), and please ignore him. He is not conducive to providing clarity of the rules.
Good day.
You can preempt a breath weapon with a move, but by doing so, the dragon goes immediately after you and can still aim it how they want. Also note that
You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after your other actions in the round.
so readying a move to avoid a breath is a legitimate, but hardly foolproof, tactic.
For consideration: If you think a dragon is going to breathe fire on you, you need a Sense Motive with a readied action to flee in a particular way before the dragon acts. If the Sense Motive fails then you either run inappropriately when he isn't actually attacking, or you stay and burn from a bad guess.