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I've seen several thread about what is a regular move and what isn't but now official answer on it. Is a Regular move your character actually moving from on square to another or is the act of say standing-up a regular move?
Few interesting and seemingly harmless things happened into tonight's gaming session.
Can you Sheath a weapon and draw a weapon while stepping up 5' as one movement? The thought being sheathing and drawing are both parts of a move action while the 5' is the actual movement? (Yes the character had at least a BAB+1).
The second interesting fact is paladin wanted to hold his 2-handed sword in one hand and draw a mace in the other, using the mace to fight without having to sheath the weapon or drop to avoid AoO in future rounds. There aren't any rules saying this legal but there aren't rules that say it isn't legal either. I know there is a FAQ about multiple attacks but senses its a greatsword being held in the off-hand used or not, I'd personally think some minuses would have to happen holding that massive weapon in hand unbalancing the player some.
Many people confuse "moving" and "move actions".
A "move action" is a specific action type that allows you to do certain things such as stand up, move/movement/change squares, draw a weapon, and so on.
Movement(regular move) is when you move from one use square to another. This can be done with your "move action", or your "standard action".
You may also move with a 5-foot step, but if you do so then you can not "move(change squares)" with your "move action" or "standard action". However your "move action" is still available for other things.
Teleportation does not count as "movement". Movement is for things that have a move speed such as walking(normal movement), flying, burrowing, climbing, and so on.
As for drawing and sheathing a weapon while moving here are the rules.
Draw or Sheathe a Weapon
Drawing a weapon so that you can use it in combat, or putting it away so that you have a free hand, requires a move action. This action also applies to weapon-like objects carried in easy reach, such as wands. If your weapon or weapon-like object is stored in a pack or otherwise out of easy reach, treat this action as retrieving a stored item.If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may draw a weapon as a free action combined 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.
Drawing ammunition for use with a ranged weapon (such as arrows, bolts, sling bullets, or shuriken) is a free action.
So this means you can draw a weapon while moving(a regular move). However the rules do not allow you to sheathe a weapon, as a free action while moving.
You may move 5 feet and draw a weapon, but using your move action to move 5 feet, and taking a 5 foot step are not the same thing.
There are no rules against holding a weapon in one hand while fighting with another weapon. It does not unbalance the game. The only way you take penalties is if you use two weapon fighting to get an extra attack. You can fight with two weapons, but if you don't take an extra attack you will not incur penalties.
Going back to the paladin, what he can not do is fight with a two-handed weapon, and another weapon via two-weapon fighting.
Is a Regular move your character actually moving from on square to another or is the act of say standing-up a regular move?
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Can you Sheath a weapon and draw a weapon while stepping up 5' as one movement? The thought being sheathing and drawing are both parts of a move action while the 5' is the actual movement?
Yes, a regular move is going from one square to another. Therefore, standing up is not a regular move.
I believe you could sheath a weapon as a move action, and draw a weapon as another move action, and also take a five-foot step. In this case the weapon sheathing would draw an attack of opportunity.
On the other hand, you could instead sheath a weapon as a move action, and move one square as a move action while drawing a weapon as a free action. In this case the weapon sheathing and the one square of movement would both draw an attacks of opportunity.
Sheathing a weapon is not a regular move so you cannot draw a weapon as a part of its move action.
I'm curious to know if a five-foot step is a regular move. Would you be able to take a five-foot step and draw a weapon then still have a move and a standard action left?
I believe the answer is no.
I've seen several thread about what is a regular move and what isn't but now official answer on it. Is a Regular move your character actually moving from on square to another or is the act of say standing-up a regular move?
This was clarified in the 3.X rules set with a worded example using copyright characters, stating that (random character) could stand up as a move action, 5 foot, and then attack. Although that example had to be taken out for the Pathfinder publication because of copyright, the rest of the rules set is copied over, word-for-word, which suggests (at the very least) that the example in the 3.X rules set would still hold value in the Pathfinder rules set.
Few interesting and seemingly harmless things happened into tonight's gaming session.
Can you Sheath a weapon and draw a weapon while stepping up 5' as one movement? The thought being sheathing and drawing are both parts of a move action while the 5' is the actual movement? (Yes the character had at least a BAB+1).
Normally, you cannot. To sheathe a weapon is a move action. A 5' step is not a regular move; a regular move is taking a move action to have your character travel through squares up to his listed movement speed, something which is commonly listed as a "Movement Action" here on the boards (and for ease of reference). Since a 5' step A. does not take a move action to execute, and B. is limited in its mobility, and C. does not provoke attacks of opportunity, it's wholly separate from a given Movement Action.
This would then mean that the Standard Action the PC had left would have to go to drawing the weapon since the PC does not have the Quick Draw feat.
Of course, this could be accomplished by simply having the PC expend his Movement Action to move the 5', drawing the weapon as a free action in conjunction with that, and the sheathing would still remain the same, though if the PC had 0 BAB, that would not have been a viable tactic.
The second interesting fact is paladin wanted to hold his 2-handed sword in one hand and draw a mace in the other, using the mace to fight without having to sheath the weapon or drop to avoid AoO in future rounds. There aren't any rules saying this legal but there aren't rules that say it isn't legal either. I know there is a FAQ about multiple attacks but senses its a greatsword being held in the off-hand used or not, I'd personally think some minuses would have to happen holding that massive weapon in hand unbalancing the player some.
You should read this FAQ regarding shifting handiness on weapons, as it covers both the RAW and RAI regarding such activities, as well as a clear, concise example relatable to your situation. If you note, the FAQ does not mention any penalty related to making attacks while holding two-handed weapons in one hand. (They just can't make attacks with it like they're supposed to.)
In addition, if the Paladin were to use the Greatsword properly, he would have to sheathe/drop the mace. The other alternative would be to use the Greatsword as an improvised 1-handed weapon in addition to his mace, but that would come with its own penalties (-4), as well as two-weapon fighting penalties (-6 main-hand/-10 off-hand).