I am a gun slinger I have 3 possible targets and 4 attacks. After 2 attacks my first mook drops, Can I then turn and target the other nook with my remaining attacks? Or am I forced to fire at a corpse wasting ammo?
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I am a gun slinger I have 3 possible targets and 4 attacks. After 2 attacks my first mook drops, Can I then turn and target the other nook with my remaining attacks? Or am I forced to fire at a corpse wasting ammo?
I see no reason why you cannot reorient each successive shot on whatever target of opportunity your whims carry you towards.
Attack 1: Shoot baddy #7
Attack 2: Shoot baddy #7
Attack 3: Shoot the keg of ale and enjoy a refreshing drink
Attack 4: Shoot baddy #6.1 for their poor sense of fashion
If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough (see Base Attack Bonus in Classes), because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon, or for some special reason, you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks. You do not need to specify the targets of your attacks ahead of time. You can see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones.
The only movement you can take during a full attack is a 5-foot step. You may take the step before, after, or between your attacks.
If you get multiple attacks because your base attack bonus is high enough, you must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest. If you are using two weapons, you can strike with either weapon first. If you are using a double weapon, you can strike with either part of the weapon first.
See the combat section. Most GM's will rule that you need to declare who are attacking with the iterative attacks before you roll to attack.
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In that combat section link
If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough (see Base Attack Bonus in Classes), because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon, or for some special reason, you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks. You do not need to specify the targets of your attacks ahead of time. You can see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones.
RAW clearly states that you don't have to specify the targets at the beginning and that's so obviously purposefully written that RAI says the same thing RAW does.
If you declare a full attack, shoot once, after that point you can even change your mind and turn it into a standard action, and do a move action instead of having to waste 3 more shots, provided you haven't done more already than a standard action allows.
However what you can't do is roll, see how the result is and then decide to instead shoot the low-AC target because you wouldn't hit your primary target with that roll.
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See the combat section. Most GM's will rule that you need to declare who are attacking with the iterative attacks before you roll to attack.
And they would be wrong.
This has always puzzled me. This is one case in the rules where I don't think they could have stated it any more clearly.
The rules explicitly state you don't need to specify your attack prior to making it. Yet, I've seen countless GM's invent a "declaration" phase where you have to specify all your attacks.
Where does this come from? I've been playing the various flavors of D&D for over thirty years and don't remember a declaration phase in any one of them.
I've seen campaign coordinators that don't know this rule. I've even bookmarked the page because this has come up so often.
Most GMs seem shocked when they read the passage, like I've somehow inserted a new page into their copy of the Core Rulebook.
I just don't know how this house rule has become so pervasive that a lot of rules-knowledgeable people don't even realize that it is a house rule.
I roll all my attacks at once to save time. are you suggesting I roll them one at a time so I can choose who I shoot?
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You could also state before rolling that you'll attack BBEG 1 until he's down, then attack BBEG 2 until he's down, etc. That way you can't assign attacks after seeing the rolls, but you're not forced to keep hitting the same unconscious foe. Or if you're considering turning the full attack into a standard + move, make the first attack and then if you want to keep going roll the rest of the attacks together.
I roll all my attacks at once to save time. are you suggesting I roll them one at a time so I can choose who I shoot?
You should have some method in place in case your target drops after one shot.
Either roll one at a time. It doesn't really take that much longer. Especially compared with that druid in the corner rolling for himself, his companion, and the six wolves he summoned.
I've seen people play like Weirdo, where you give an alternate target.
I usually use the rule, if your target drops, you re-roll the other attacks after choosing a new target.
A player should never be penalized for trying to make the game faster.
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If you're rolling all your attacks at once you should probably be using multi-coloured dice anyway, so you can keep track of which roll gets the high attack bonus.
I roll all my attacks at once to save time. are you suggesting I roll them one at a time so I can choose who I shoot?You should have some method in place in case your target drops after one shot.
Either roll one at a time. It doesn't really take that much longer. Especially compared with that druid in the corner rolling for himself, his companion, and the six wolves he summoned.
I've been this druid. Made up to 12 attack rolls per turn if everyone got a full attack. That's when I started not just rolling all at once (with alternate targets) but rolling during the previous guy's turn.
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I roll all my attacks at once to save time. are you suggesting I roll them one at a time so I can choose who I shoot?
Roll all your attacks at the same time, against the same (or predetermined) targets, save time picking targets, combat moves more smoothly and you have saved time.
Or...
Roll each attack separately, declaring each one as you make it, drop targets faster, combat moves more smoothly and you have saved time.
Pick one. ;)