Do you need to declare you want to optional take a 5-foot step when making a Readied Action?

[harmor]

Do you?

[Magicdealer]

Pg 203 under "Readying an Action" last part of that entry.

"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."

So it can be part of any readied action assuming you haven't moved yet, and thus doesn't need to be declared separately.

[MC Templar]

harmor wrote:

Do you?

I would say you do based on this...

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.

The part that says 'specify the action.. and the conditions under which you will take it.' I would rule that the conditions would need to be specific enough to clearly communicate that you intend to make a 5-foot step to support you action.

I wouldn't be harsh about it, but I would ask the player for his or her specific intent and clarify how they intend to trigger the readied action.

my 2 cents.