Noted in the text for Weapon cord, it requires you to take a full-round action to change weapons. So lets say I tie it to a weapon I am using (prior to this example) in my right hand or preferably BOTH hands, but tie it to my right arm. As a cleric, I could drop the item and cast (or if I am disarmed I would also be unarmed) If the item is on the ground (yet still close as in the text), may I draw a weapon that I would hold with my Left hand? (quick draw feat, possible spring loaded weapon sheathe combo). Ideally, I would be able to perform the following actions with a dropped weapon cord item:
1. Drop tied melee weapon, free action I believe.
(Cast with right is a given, I used a cleric effectively with that strategy).
2. Draw a bow or separate item with free hand (likely a quickdraw throwing shield)? Free action with quickdraw, likely not moving unless 5 ft adjust to a square containing the weapon.
3. if 2. is doable, may I also fire that bow? (if theoretically possible, should I/could I? load it with an arrow loaded springloaded wrist sheathe? (or utilize that shield same round/next round? Btw, isn't a throwing shield a free action to drop if it is a free action to throw? Option of just throwing the shield at the opponent when they close or flee attractive as well).
4. If enemy closes, (this would be to take advantage of Far Challenge to normal Challenge from the Luring Cavalier), could I then recover my dropped melee weapon as a swift action? (this presumes I didn't just use a swift action on a spring-loaded wrist sheath, as this would likely be on a separate round than the first 3 actions).
if the above action tree more or less works with cutting the cord ove action with a free hand I guess?) then I'd be amenable to having to pick it up in a preferably non-adjacent square. Any quirks I should know about should this be a two-handed weapon I attach to the cord?
I realize it may be gimmicky or even just dismissed in some groups and that a quickdraw character could manage something like this easily without a cord, but would the cord just get in the way? The finer action bit is certainly notable, it might be argued to interfere with casting, but I'm hoping the situation doesn't change with that. It may well interfere with firing a bow if tied to the drawing and knocking hand, but I figure it may be less of an issue for the holding hand.
I am not sure what you're trying to do here:
1. Drop tied melee weapon, free action I believe.
Correct.
(Cast with right is a given, I used a cleric effectively with that strategy).
Are you saying you ARE casting a spell right now? If so, fine (but see my last paragraph below).
2. Draw a bow or separate item with free hand (likely a quickdraw throwing shield)? Free action with quickdraw, likely not moving unless 5 ft adjust to a square containing the weapon.
Square containing what weapon? Isn't it dangling from your wrist by a weapon cord?
In any case, you can draw a bow or shield (or anything else) as a move action. With QuickDraw, you can draw weapons as a free action. Since shields are on the weapon list, it's very likely that QuickDraw can be used to draw a shield. Equipping a shield (if you want the AC bonus) requires a move action and QuickDraw doesn't help with that.
3. if 2. is doable, may I also fire that bow? (if theoretically possible, should I/could I? load it with an arrow loaded springloaded wrist sheathe? (or utilize that shield same round/next round?
You don't need a springloaded arrow - loading a bow is part of the action of firing it (or in other words, it's a free action to take an arrow from your quiver and put it into your bow for firing - this is why high level fighters prefer bows over crossbows because they can fire a bow multiple times in a round since loading requires no actions. Crossbows, however, require move or even full-round actions to load them unless you take Rapid Reload to make it faster.
Because you don't need any actions to load the bow, you can definitely shoot it the same round you draw it, even if you don't have QuickDraw (it's only a move action to draw a weapon leaving your standard action to fire the bow and changing the move action to a free action to draw the bow is irrelevant, other than you would still have a full round to fire the bow multiple times if you're able to).
See my last paragraph below for a possible complication.
However, I asked earlier, are you casting a spell way up there in your first action? If you did, then you won't likely have a standard action left to fire your bow or throw your shield.
Btw, isn't a throwing shield a free action to drop if it is a free action to throw? Option of just throwing the shield at the opponent when they close or flee attractive as well).
It's a free action to drop anything but a bad habit or a clingy girlfriend...
Jokes aside, yes, free action to drop a shield. This is only not true if the item is somehow attached to you and you need extra actions to detach it.
4. If enemy closes, (this would be to take advantage of Far Challenge to normal Challenge from the Luring Cavalier), could I then recover my dropped melee weapon as a swift action? (this presumes I didn't just use a swift action on a spring-loaded wrist sheath, as this would likely be on a separate round than the first 3 actions).
You are still talking about the weapon dangling from your weapon cord? Yes, it's a swift action to regain the weapon. Since your previous actions involving either a shield or a bow never required a spring-loaded wrist sheath or any other swift actions, you should still have a swift action to reclaim your weapon.
if the above action tree more or less works with cutting the cord ove action with a free hand I guess?) then I'd be amenable to having to pick it up in a preferably non-adjacent square. Any quirks I should know about should this be a two-handed weapon I attach to the cord?
I have no idea what you're talking about here. Why are you cutting the cord or picking up your weapon if the previous action you used your swift action to get it back into your hand?
I realize it may be gimmicky or even just dismissed in some groups and that a quickdraw character could manage something like this...
Like what? I still don't know what you have gained. You started with a weapon in your hand(s). You didn't use that weapon, you dropped it on a weapon cord, drew either a bow or shield, used that as a standard action, then dropped it and retrieved your original weapon from the weapon cord.
No big deal. You can definitely do that.
But...
Weapon cords say you cannot do actions that require fine manipulation, and some GMs might say that spellcasting or firing a bow could count as fine manipulation and therefore you cannot do them. Check with your GM.
I am not sure what you're trying to do here:
1. Drop tied melee weapon, free action I believe.Correct.
(Cast with right is a given, I used a cleric effectively with that strategy).Are you saying you ARE casting a spell right now? If so, fine (but see my last paragraph below).
2. Draw a bow or separate item with free hand (likely a quickdraw throwing shield)? Free action with quickdraw, likely not moving unless 5 ft adjust to a square containing the weapon.Square containing what weapon? Isn't it dangling from your wrist by a weapon cord?
In any case, you can draw a bow or shield (or anything else) as a move action. With QuickDraw, you can draw weapons as a free action. Since shields are on the weapon list, it's very likely that QuickDraw can be used to draw a shield. Equipping a shield (if you want the AC bonus) requires a move action and QuickDraw doesn't help with that.
3. if 2. is doable, may I also fire that bow? (if theoretically possible, should I/could I? load it with an arrow loaded springloaded wrist sheathe? (or utilize that shield same round/next round?You don't need a springloaded arrow - loading a bow is part of the action of firing it (or in other words, it's a free action to take an arrow from your quiver and put it into your bow for firing - this is why high level fighters prefer bows over crossbows because they can fire a bow multiple times in a round since loading requires no actions. Crossbows, however, require move or even full-round actions to load them unless you take Rapid Reload to make it faster.
Because you don't need any actions to load the bow, you can definitely shoot it the same round you draw it, even if you don't have QuickDraw (it's only a move action to draw a weapon leaving your standard action to fire the bow and changing the move action to a free action to draw the bow is irrelevant, other than you would still have a full round to...
pardon, this was all over the place. I believe the rules as intended would certainly keep you from changing weapons with the cord attached and the weapon in hand. the issue would be to use another weapon in that hand (dropped corded weapon), especially Making use of a bow or even just a one handed weapon. A Quickdraw shield allows usage as a free action with the Quickdraw feat, out of interest in action economy and a overwhelming desire to act like Captain America in game makes me want to also make that shield a throwing shield (questionable item creation, but at least it is mundane).
Should I be barred from changing weapons with the cord weapon dropped, I would cut it (move action) and be able to pick it up in my square or an adjacent after resolving any other remaining actions/turn issues.
I think I should definitely streamline my questions.
Action should go like this 1. Drop weapon (to switch/cast) 2. Use other item/cast. 3. use swift action to regain weapon (again, while possible to drop, shoot, regain weapon, it is more likely to work with a second turn, requiring at least at one point full hands.
The finer task restriction is worth bringing up with my DM. might work with a held touch spell/heal, but maybe not.
Ideally, I'd be dropping my two-hander, likely to bow or shield up (if I go twf, then a one-hander as well). The issue is whether or not it is worth even bothering using a weapon cord if it gets in the way of action economy.
I think the item isn't well described (found another thread asking how long to actually attach the cord. forum agreed that the weapon would already be tied and usable with a 2ft reach when the weapon is drawn.)
I suppose I am needlessly complicating things. The springloaded sheath was superfluous should I have a quiver on me. (which I would), but I was considering stashing a set of strategic/tactically useful arrows in the sheathe (magic or mundane, perhaps weapon blanched). If I did use that to pull arrows from, that would be a swift and I certainly wouldn't be able to pick up my cord weapon same turn.
Alternatively, I could weapon cord the bow. Luring cavalier works in one direction for Far Challenge at first. Long range, then regular challenge when attacked in melee. at which point dropping the bow would be necessary. quickdraw two-hander or quickdraw shield and one-hander. I guess the trick I was looking to see how it might work (or not) is switching back and forth (Casting would also be easy with a shield I can drop freely). To that end, I may need some advice still.
If the throwing shield can be thrown as a free action, I wouldn't see the point of Equipment Tricking the Release option (unless I want to change shields) even though it says you can release a throwing shield as a free action with that trick.
Casting with the off-hand that ISN'T tied should be easier than a corded hand with a dropped weapon. Still, for my previous Holy Vindicator, casting wasn't brought up as an issue with his weapon corded Morning star (though I didn't know it existed yet, I had used a leather loop that let me drop the mace to free his hand- probably shouldn't have worked.)