No that is far from correct.
A bow is a free action to load. Standard or full-round action to fire. In order to benefit from a full-round action to fire you need to have more than one attack (either through a feat or through a base attack bonus of 6 or higher).
Light Crossbows and slings operate as you stated.
- Gauss
Design Manager
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hi all!
I just want to be sure I understand correctly how firing a bow works:
move action to load, standard action to fire. Character can still take a 5-foot.
Only one arrow can be shot per round unless he/she takes a feat.
is that right?
RW
No.
From the PRD:"Not an Action: Some activities are so minor that they are not even considered free actions. They literally don't take any time at all to do and are considered an inherent part of doing something else, such as nocking an arrow as part of an attack with a bow."
**EDIT**
Also from PRD:
"Ammunition: Projectile weapons use ammunition: arrows (for bows), bolts (for crossbows), darts (for blowguns), or sling bullets (for slings and halfling sling staves). When using a bow, a character can draw ammunition as a free action; crossbows and slings require an action for reloading (as noted in their descriptions). Generally speaking, ammunition that hits its target is destroyed or rendered useless, while ammunition that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost."
Sslarn is more correct than I was, drawing it is a free action, nocking it is a nonaction.
- Gauss
Thrown weapons require you to draw the weapon. Drawing a thrown weapon is a move action unless you have quickdraw (which makes it a free action).
However, if the weapons are already drawn you can throw as many as you are holding in your hands without spending a move action. For example: I could reasonably hold about 3 daggers in one hand (a GM fiat type decision) and 1 dagger ready for use in the other. If you have 4 attacks in a round you can throw all of them (transfering each dagger to the throwing hand as a free action).
- Gauss
The rules tend to use "Free action" "immediate action" and "non action" a little interchangeably.
The rules tend to use "Free action" "immediate action" and "non action" a little interchangeably.
"Immediate action" doesn't belong on that list. It differs from a free action in that it can be taken at any time, even when it's not your turn, or in the middle of another creatures action, and that you can only make one per turn. It counts as your swift action for your next turn.
The rules tend to use "Free action" "immediate action" and "non action" a little interchangeably."Immediate action" doesn't belong on that list. It differs from a free action in that it can be taken at any time, even when it's not your turn, or in the middle of another creatures action, and that you can only make one per turn. It counts as your swift action for your next turn.
No, it does. There are quite a few times when contribs thought that free actions can be taken out of turn. They can't. Immediate actions can though.
Example: "Honor in All Things" from Order of the Warrior Samurai. They can't make a free action to get the bonus to saving throws, unless they are making the saving throw on their turn, which is pretty rare, comparatively.
There are quite a few times when contribs thought that free actions can be taken out of turn. They can't. Immediate actions can though.
At least there's clear rules for that.
*cough* attack action *cough*
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One thrown weapon (the only one as far as I know) that is treated as ammunition, and so does not need to be drawn, is the shuriken. But only a monk can use it effectively; it is a monk weapon so it can be used in a flurry of blows. The damage is only 1d2 (plus STR bonus) and the range increment is 10'.
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The rules tend to use "Free action" "immediate action" and "non action" a little interchangeably."Immediate action" doesn't belong on that list. It differs from a free action in that it can be taken at any time, even when it's not your turn, or in the middle of another creatures action, and that you can only make one per turn. It counts as your swift action for your next turn.
Actually, it differs from a swift action as it can be taken out of turn.
If you look at the free action wording, there is nothing that states you can only take them on your turn:
Free Action: Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free, as decided by the GM.
Compare to Swift which states:
Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform only a single swift action per turn.
If you are restricted to taking free actions only on your turn, then disarm becomes weird. Disarm states that, "If your attack is successful, your target drops one item it is carrying of your choice (even if the item is wielded with two hands)". But if you check the rules on drop an item:
Drop an Item
Dropping an item in your space or into an adjacent square is a free action.
So, if you can only take a free action on your turn, then you have to wait for your turn to drop the item if you where disarmed. Either that, or disarm would state that it would happen immediately.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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The result of being disarmed has no more bearing on when you can perform free actions than taking an AoO has on when you can take standard actions.
An AoO is an attack, which normally takes a standard action, but that doesn't mean you're actually taking a standard action to do it.
Similarly, being disarmed causes you to drop an item, which normally takes a free action, but that doesn't mean you're actually taking a free action to do it.
If you look at the free action wording, there is nothing that states you can only take them on your turn
Free Actions: "Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn."
Speak: "In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn't your turn."
If you are restricted to taking free actions only on your turn, then disarm becomes weird.
Disarm is a specific rule that overrides the general rule. Besides, its not really the creature choosing to take an action to drop it, it's a result of something the attacker did. Otherwise the creature could just elect to drop the item you're trying to disarm and prevent you from taking it. Also dropping prone when someone starts shooting at you, etc.
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If you look at the free action wording, there is nothing that states you can only take them on your turnFree Actions: "Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn."
Speak: "In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn't your turn."
If you are restricted to taking free actions only on your turn, then disarm becomes weird.Disarm is a specific rule that overrides the general rule. Besides, its not really the creature choosing to take an action to drop it, it's a result of something the attacker did. Otherwise the creature could just elect to drop the item you're trying to disarm and prevent you from taking it. Also dropping prone when someone starts shooting at you, etc.
"In a turn" is different then "in your turn". Free actions are (most of the time) attached to another action. Sometimes this other action can happen out of turn (See the monster ability "rock catching"). I think that free action was not tied to your turn on purpose to allow such uses. This also would mean that unless the ability specifies, it is usable any time.
I may be proven wrong, but at the moment, I am not seeing it.
(if I am wrong then there is some editing to do since a free action is a defined term that is being pitched around badly in the books, much like the aforementioned "attack action")
I think that free action was not tied to your turn on purpose to allow such uses. This also would mean that unless the ability specifies, it is usable any time.
If a free action can always be taken outside your turn, the Snap Shot FAQ wouldn't have been needed.
Also this one:
Summoner: Can I use life link when it's not my turn, I'm paralyzed, or I otherwise can't take actions?
Although the ability is listed as a free action, it's something a summoner should be able to do at any time the eidolon would take enough damage to send it back to its home plane, even if it's not his turn (as is normally the case when he's being attacked), he's helpless from Strength or Dexterity poison, he's under a hold person spell, and so on. In other words, it's not an action at all, and shouldn't be listed as such.
Update: APG page 56, in the Life Link description, paragraph 1, sentence 2, delete "as a free action"
—Sean K Reynolds, 09/10/11
How about touch spells? It's a free action to touch something within the round you cast the spell. Round, not turn. This means you can cast a touch spell then wait for a creature to approach you then touch it on it's turn, without needing to ready an action.
There are quite a few times when contribs thought that free actions can be taken out of turn. They can't. Immediate actions can though.At least there's clear rules for that.
*cough* attack action *cough*
A lot of things I've been saying recently have caused coughing. Maybe I have spores or something...hm.
Yea, Free Actions are always on your turn unless explicitly stated otherwise.
For added fun, ever since they deleted "as a free action" from the summoner's Life Link, that (Su) ability technically defaults to a standard action :)
They seriously need an action that is explicitly defined as "able to be taken out of your turn, without limits."
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Yea, Free Actions are always on your turn unless explicitly stated otherwise.
For added fun, ever since they deleted "as a free action" from the summoner's Life Link, that (Su) ability technically defaults to a standard action :)
They seriously need an action that is explicitly defined as "able to be taken out of your turn, without limits."
They may fall under "not an action" but I agree. Or the abilities that use free actions "re-actioned". For example, rock catching might be better defined as an immediate action (happens out of turn, only once per turn).
Yea, there's just a lot of confusion over free actions due to all these abilities that don't follow the rules 100%. It's annoying to have to write "as a free action able to be taken out of your turn" every time you want that to work :)
The rules tend to use "Free action" "immediate action" and "non action" a little interchangeably."Immediate action" doesn't belong on that list. It differs from a free action in that it can be taken at any time, even when it's not your turn, or in the middle of another creatures action, and that you can only make one per turn. It counts as your swift action for your next turn.
It does. A lot of the "free" actions from feats and abilities get used outside of your turn. Snap Shot for example requires that you reload your bow. Lifelink (posted above), grab, flight (unless you want to rule birds fall down when its not their turn), trip... there's a bunch of others.