Converting actions. Can you convert standard actions into swift?


Rules Questions


Hi all. Pretty sure I know the answers, but I thought I would see if someone found something in the rules I did not. Does anyone know if you can use a standard action to use an ability that requires a swift action?

If so, can you use multiple quickened spells in a round, or in the case of cold ice strike, a spell that has a base casting time of a swift action?

Thanks in advance!


No, the only action-type downgrade allowed by the rules is "standard -> move".


Also, you are limited to one swift action per round.


It seems like you should be able to do it, but the rules don't allow it. I'm not sure it would be broken as a houserule, though I'm sure someone could come up with a combo that makes it overpowered, but to answer your question:

As a houserule, allowing someone to use a standard action to cast a quickened spell would seem to be balanced. In fact, if a wizard had two quickened fireballs prepared in 7th level slots and a regular fireball in a 3rd level slot, and he told me he wanted to use his swift action for one quickened fireball and his standard action to blow his second quickened fireball, I would call him crazy. If he didn't have a 3rd level fireball and wanted to blow his second quickened fireball as a standard action, at least I might understand his motivation and it wouldn't be any more overpowered than what he could have just done with a regular 3rd level fireball anyway.


Player: Hmmm, my quickened Fireball didn't kill the trolls?
DM: Nope, they're toasty, but alive.
Player: Well, the only other Fireball I have is another quickened one in my last 7th level slot, but it's worth it. I cast it at the trolls.
DM: You can't. You already used your swift action on the first quickened Fireball.
Player: Fine, I use my standard action to cast it.
DM: You can't, your quickened Fireball uses a swift action.
Player: But swift actions are shorter right?
DM: Yes.
Player: So I use my long standard action to do what I could otherwise do with a shorter swift action.
DM: You can't. Not allowed.
Player: Look, if I had a normal Fireball, I could cast it in a Standard action, right?
DM: Of course.
Player: And I quickened it so I could cast it super fast, way faster than a normal Fireball, right?
DM: Obviously.
Player: So why can't I cast my super fast Fireball in the same standard action that I could cast a normal Fireball?
DM: Uh, well, it's magic. Yeah, that's it. Magic. See, super-fast quickened spells in a swift action are super-fast, but super-fast quickened spells in a standard action really take extra long, so long in fact, that even a standard action is too short to cast a super-fast quickened spell. That's gotta be it.


Most powerful thing I can imagine is smiting twice in one round (for the defensive benefits). As others have said, not allowed by the rules, but hard to imagine anything making this not a perfectly acceptable house-rule.

Move -> Swift is right out though.

Edit: Oh... there is the fact that quickened spells (swift action spells/spell-like abilities in general) do not provoke attacks of opportunity. That does add a bit of potential abuse. If, for instance, DM_Blake's wizard above was standing in the middle of an troll swarm (and maybe has resist energy (fire) cast). I'd deal with that by saying you can use the standard action to cast the swift action spell, but you actually use a standard action, and thus provoke as normal.


Majuba wrote:
Move -> Swift is right out though.

THREEEEEE Fireballs!!!


It has been a while, but the example with the fireball doesn't work does it? Because of swift actions in general. You are not allowed to cast more than one quicken spell in any round.


Swift actions are a method of controlling more powerful class abilities. Since you're limited to one per round it forces some strategic decisions on what you're going to use and when, and puts a cap on using some abilities in conjunction with others.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

I interpret the restriction on one swift a round as less about the time required and more about the amount of concentration. Basically I see swift actions as taking a certain amount of your focus such that you can only do one per round, even if they take a negligable amount of time to do.

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