So we were debating at coming up with a way to determine the number of Free Actions you're allowed in a turn so we could be fair to everyone and we came up with this rule.
What do you guys think about this?
Not all free actions are equal so I don't agree. Some would logically take more time than others. Switching a weapon from one hand to another is a free action. Drawing ammo is a free action. Making an AoO is a free action. Speaking is a free action.
I suggest being that each action be looked at on its own, instead of lumping them together.
Making an AoO is a free action.
AoOs are already limited unless you have combat reflexes.
Limiting free actions sounds reasonable, I would probably make it dex mod +2 for physical free actions(using quick draw for a weapon), and cha mod +2 for free actions like speaking. Possibly a few differant stats for others depending.
Good point. We made this ad-hoc ruling at last night session. Maybe we need say as not part of an attack action (e.g. using a bow)?
Talking is a free action.
Wouldn't putting a cost on something that's called free, not make it free anymore?
I understand the urge to document and quantify the specific parameters of rigidly defined doubt and uncertainty but this really shouldn't be necessary. The DM is the arbiter of what is reasonable and if your players are inclined to argue with you about what you think is an appropriate set of free actions in a round, creating a huge table isn't the way to go. Repairing the player/DM trust is.
What I'm saying is that I - as a player - would have a serious problem with this house rule. My Dex 10 wizard can't talk and drop his staff in the same round? Ummm... what? My Dex 12 or 14 rogue with Acrobatics maxed out can't talk and drop his sap and fall prone in the same round?
There are some special abilities such as rogue tricks like Stand Up which are free actions. Magic items whose activation is free. Limiting the economy of action in free actions to a strictly numeric pattern can have undesired side-effects.
Instead I strongly recommend the DM act as the arbiter of what fits reasonably. The wizard wants to yell "over there", point at a square he knows contains a bad guy because he's got see invisibility up, drop his staff, fall prone, and activate a magic item that's a free action once per day to grant him Arrow Deflection or some such, then take his normal move and standard actions... let it be. He uses his move to draw a wand, then activates it. Fair. But if there's a sequence that seems too long or that the actions interfere with one another, don't allow it.
What I'm saying is that I don't think the free action subsystem needs a rule.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
Free actions are just that: Free. I believe you're getting the term mixed up with "swift" actions, which is a common mistake.
Drawing and knocking an arrow to fire from a bow is a free action. You can take as many free actions as you want in a round. Dropping an item is also a free action. So is speech. And drawing a weapon with the Quick Draw feat.
If a character wants to drop his sword, quick-draw his bow, shout a warning to his allies, and make a full attack action all in the same round, he can. He can then also drop to the floor prone at the end of his action, as dropping to the floor is also a free action. Assuming his full attack routine is 4 shots, that's a total of 9 free actions in a round.
Swift actions, on the other hand, are very different. You get one per round. Ever. You can cast a quickened spell, use some class abilities (such as a paladin's lay on hands targeting himself), or any other action specifically called out as a "swift" action, but only one such action per turn. To my knowledge, there is nothing that currently allows a character more than one swift action in a round.