Greased item and action economy

[Gryphon Gold]

I have a character with a weapon that's covered with grease per the Grease spell, and I'm not sure how many times the character can attempt to pick up a dropped weapon in a round.

Let's say at the beginning of the round, the character is wielding the weapon and fails a reflex save, dropping the weapon. The character uses a move action to pick up the weapon, but fails a save again, losing control of the weapon a second time. Can the character then use a second move action in the same round to try to pick up the weapon again, making it possible to drop the weapon a third time in one round?

[Xraal]

Yes. They can keep trying. As long as they have appropriate action available.

[Nigrescence]

Gryphon Gold wrote:

I have a character with a weapon that's covered with grease per the Grease spell, and I'm not sure how many times the character can attempt to pick up a dropped weapon in a round.

Let's say at the beginning of the round, the character is wielding the weapon and fails a reflex save, dropping the weapon. The character uses a move action to pick up the weapon, but fails a save again, losing control of the weapon a second time. Can the character then use a second move action in the same round to try to pick up the weapon again, making it possible to drop the weapon a third time in one round?

They don't get more actions in a round than they have normally.

Using your example:

He has to make an immediate save on the casting of Grease.

Cast Grease, and the character fails to hold on to the long sword. His turn. Move action used to pick up the sword, but he fails his save. Standard action used as a Move action to pick up the sword, but he fails his save. End his turn (but he can use any Free or Swift actions if he has them).

He does not get more actions than he would normally get in a round. The first failed save is NOT on his turn, but on the casting of the spell. It is, however, very close to his turn.

It's awkward, but he doesn't "technically" drop it three times in one round. He does, however, "effectively" end up dropping it three times in one round (if you count the casting of Grease as in his round).

Though, if this all happens in the same initiative round, yes it is possible to drop it three times in the same round.

[Gryphon Gold]

My example isn't that Grease is cast on the current round, it's that Grease was cast on a previous round, and that the greased weapon is in the character's hands at beginning of the current round.

[Nigrescence]

Gryphon Gold wrote:

My example isn't that Grease is cast on the current round, it's that Grease was cast on a previous round, and that the greased weapon is in the character's hands at beginning of the current round.

So by your example, they made their first save on the casting of Grease. Ok, here's what happens.

"A saving throw must be made in each round that the creature attempts to pick up or use the greased item."

Let's say they're right next to a bad guy, or are using a ranged weapon. They try to attack with a Standard action, but they must save because they're attempting to use it. Fail. Drop weapon. Move action, try to pick up weapon. Fail.

They only fail twice because they made their first save on the casting of Grease. As I said, they don't get more actions than they normally would get. The only way to make them fail three times in a round would be if they failed when Grease was cast, failed to pick it up, and then failed to pick it up again.

Some might rule that due to the wording I quoted above, it's one save for the whole round. If they fail, they fail for the whole round, and if they save, they save for the whole round. I view that its intent is that picking it up or using it makes them try to do so despite its greasiness. Just because they manage to pick it up doesn't automatically guarantee their grip is good enough to attack with it, thus they'd roll again.

It's up to the DM, I guess.

[Prawn]

What if you wanted a mage hand or unseen servant to pick up the sword? Could they do so? How would you manage a reflex save?

[Nigrescence]

Prawn wrote:

What if you wanted a mage hand or unseen servant to pick up the sword? Could they do so? How would you manage a reflex save?

Mage Hand, despite the name, is not an actual hand of any kind. It is a minor telekinetic force. It is not subject to the save because it does not actually hold anything. It's just a telekinetic force that you apply.

Same with the Unseen Servant. It's just a force effect. It doesn't have hands. It has no stats. Even the "effective strength score of 2" is just a gauge so that players know it can lift 20 pounds or drag 100 pounds, or exert 20 pounds of force.

The fact is that these are still just a force effects. They're not subject to Grease's effect.