Even though the GM allowed this, I'm sure I did everything wrong here. I somehow had the impression that fighters could combine move actions, ie. move and draw a weapon, or move and pick up a weapon. What are the actual rules on this?
Scenario
Round 1: I drop the bow and arrow as a free action, and charge the creature, drawing my falchion as I move. My first turn ends with an attack.
On its turn, the creature has taken enough damage that it flees, climbing 30 ft vertically into the tree.
Round 2: I drop my weapon as a free action, run back to the fallen bow and arrow as a move action, and wishfully combine that move action with the action to 'draw' the bow and arrow from the ground. After expending a free action and a move action, I used my standard action to shoot at the creature, taking it down.
What did the GM let me get away with that the rules don't explicitly permit? In his defense, we would have been completely crushed if he didn't allow us some liberties, but now I'm confused about the rules.
Its a full round action to pick an item off the ground I believe, but you can draw weapons as part of a move if your bab is at least +1.
It's a move action to pick something up. That should have been the end of your turn. You should have got an AO when it ran.
So how off base was the GM's decision? My dex was 18, could picking up the fallen weapons be fudged as a 'swift action?'
So how off base was the GM's decision? My dex was 18, could picking up the fallen weapons be fudged as a 'swift action?'
No but, as mentioned above you should have got an Attack of opportunity when the monster ran (unless it used a withdraw action I guess) so it all evens out more or less.
So how off base was the GM's decision? My dex was 18, could picking up the fallen weapons be fudged as a 'swift action?'
Everything was normal until he let you pick the weapon up off the ground for 'free', at which point the rules were broken. The GM is never "wrong" of course, he's free to break whatever rules he wants when he wants to, but if you think he just overlooked it or don't agree you can certainly bring it up. Personally if it were me I would not let you grab it as a swift action regardless of your dex, as I think there should be a penalty for dropping items onto the ground (a free action) rather than sheathing or stowing them, as represented in the rules.
As to the potential attack of opportunity for the monster fleeing, if all it did was move (including no run action) then that would count as withdrawing, meaning the first square it moves out of does not provoke attacks. So depending on the specifics of what it did and where everyone was it may be that it should not have provoked any attacks.
I somehow had the impression that fighters could combine move actions, ie. move and draw a weapon, or move and pick up a weapon. What are the actual rules on this?
"Draw a weapon" is a move action that does not draw AoOs and has footnote 3. Footnote 3 is "If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can combine one of these actions with a regular move. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can draw two light or one-handed weapons in the time it would normally take you to draw one."
"Pick up an item" DOES draw AoOs and is a move action. It does not have footnote 3.
You could move and draw a weapon with the same move action assuming a BAB of 1 or more. You can't move and pick an item off the ground with the same action.
Also note, Quickdraw only lets one draw weapons, NOT sheath them / store them. Remember this when your are surrounded by foes and want to drop a weapon worth thousands if not tens of thousands gold.