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I was dwelling (perhaps too much) on the Alkilith encounter in Champions Belt. It says that "The Alkilith's first action when it sees trouble is to prepare an action... "
So how do you prepare an action outside combat?
I ran this as when they threw back the curtain it's action fired off, but I didn't think it legal to prepare an action outside combat rounds. Certainly my players would not be permitted to prepare to shoot an arrow at anything that enters the room. Adventures would take forever and there would never be surprise.
Am I just reading too much into this... tell me because in a meeting today I stated that it was 2005 so I might well just be loosing my mind today.
You need to re-read readied action very carefully. Basically if the akilith makes it spot check/listen check and is aware of the group and they are not (failed spot/listen) it can ready and action as it is considered in combat even though they have not rolled initiative yet. It can continue to ready until it's predetermined trigger goes off, such as the curtain being pulled back.
Be careful with this encounter, I annihilated my group with this demon.
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SI was dwelling (perhaps too much) on the Alkilith encounter in Champions Belt. It says that "The Alkilith's first action when it sees trouble is to prepare an action... "
So how do you prepare an action outside combat?
I ran this as when they threw back the curtain it's action fired off, but I didn't think it legal to prepare an action outside combat rounds. Certainly my players would not be permitted to prepare to shoot an arrow at anything that enters the room. Adventures would take forever and there would never be surprise.
Am I just reading too much into this... tell me because in a meeting today I stated that it was 2005 so I might well just be loosing my mind today.
So how do you prepare an action outside combat?
You are quite right that you cannot Ready an action outside of combat.
However, as a practical matter, it doesn't change anything. If the alkilith is aware of the PCs and they are not aware of it, the alkilith gets to act in the surprise round. It can take a standard action (exactly as it could if it Readied). And it can pretty much decide when the surprise round begins, as long as the PCs remain unaware of it.
So whether it "prepares" an action that will be triggered at a certain moment or simply waits for that moment and then acts in a surprise round, the effect is the same: it gets to take a standard action before the PCs have any chance to act.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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You need to re-read readied action very carefully. Basically if the (critter) makes it spot check/listen check and is aware of the group and they are not (failed spot/listen) it can ready and action as it is considered in combat even though they have not rolled initiative yet. It can continue to ready until it's predetermined trigger goes off, such as the curtain being pulled back.
That turns out not to be the case.
DMG, page 25: "Don't allow players to use the ready action outside combat". I'm sure we can agree this applies to monsters too.
Page 22 of the DMG goes in to how to handle the situation of only one side being aware of the other. Readying isn't a part of it. The (creature) could get an action in the surprise round, but they can't ready.
Russ
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DMG, page 25: "Don't allow players to use the ready action outside combat". I'm sure we can agree this applies to monsters too.
Page 22 of the DMG goes in to how to handle the situation of only one side being aware of the other. Readying isn't a part of it. The (creature) could get an action in the surprise round, but they can't ready.
Russ
It's all a matter of semantics. Readied action vs. one standard action before initiative is rolled. Call it an "Ambush Action" if you need to avoid the semantics of "readied" in the lingo-heavy 3.x rules. If one group is unaware of the other, the aware group has qualified for an "Ambush Action". Otherwise, why would anyone make Move Silent and Hide checks if you knew you could still beat them on the initiative roll?
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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It's all a matter of semantics. Readied action vs. one standard action before initiative is rolled. Call it an "Ambush Action" if you need to avoid the semantics of "readied" in the lingo-heavy 3.x rules. If one group is unaware of the other, the aware group has qualified for an "Ambush Action". Otherwise, why would anyone make Move Silent and Hide checks if you knew you could still beat them on the initiative roll?
It's not just a matter of semantics. At least two abilities (Divine Oracle and Foresight) prevent you from being surprised. So those two classes CAN act before someone who is attempting to ambush them. If you turn into a readied action, you a stripping the utility of certain expensive abilities.
Russ
The way I ran it (and this was weeks ago), was that it happened in a surprise round at the beginning of combat.
The party nearly wiped on it if not for a string of horrific rolls on my part. The demon is still alive, having escaped, but the party doesn't know where it is.
They will meet again.
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It's not just a matter of semantics.
Indeed, this has everything to do with semantics.
se·man·tics [si-man-tiks]
–noun (used with a singular verb)
1. Linguistics.
a. the study of meaning.
b. the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.
The original inquiry was in regards to "preparing an action" before initiative is rolled and whether this was a legal activity. In the process of the discussion, "preparing an action" was boiled down to "readying an action".
Prepare
-verb
1. to put in proper condition or readiness
And...
Ready
-adjective
1. completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use
As each word is found in the other word's definition, the English language semantics suggests that each word has a similar meaning.
I think this was the initial confusion that the topic was mired in, using ready vs. prepare, because the 3.x D&D language semantics for those words do have different meanings. "Ready" is really part of "ready action" which is a "Special Initiative Action" which suggests that you have to be in combat to utilize it. Thus the original use of "prepare" in the adventure text to avoid the initiative connotation. I offer the term "Ambush Action" as an alternative, as it is descriptive/specific enough to make the use of "prepare and/or ready" moot.
At least two abilities (Divine Oracle and Foresight) prevent you from being surprised. So those two classes CAN act before someone who is attempting to ambush them. If you turn into a readied action, you a stripping the utility of certain expensive abilities.
Agreed, if I invested the years of gaming into getting my PC the Oracle Domain's 9th level Power Foresight and the PrC Divine Oracle's 10th class ability of immunity to surprise, I would be miffed if the DM's perception of semantics failed to differentiate between a "Special Initiative Action" and an "Ambush Action". Then again, the rest of my nearly Epic Level party members would likely cover with their own abilities (I hope!). ::wink::