How many actions may you prepare with a readied action?

[Legioned]

I am in a conundrum with my play group regarding readied actions. Another player believes the wording on readied actions indicates you may prepare more than one action depending on the trigger. He cites counterspell and its ability to choose spells based on the outcome as an example of multiple preparation.

I believe for game balance and action economy, along with the wording that at best one specific action with one specific trigger may be readied. I cite the fact that they use action (singular) and a/an when referring to said action.

Is there some evidence somewhere that clarifies this? Or is this interpretation?

[Skeld]

You can Ready a Standard, Move, Swift, or a Free action. Place emphasis on the word "or."

d20pfsrd wrote:

You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.

-Skeld

Edit: The other player is wrong. Readied Action does what readied Action says it does; no more, no less. Counterspell is a separate thing (that also only does what is says it does).

[Byakko]

Btw, one sentence was left off the above quote:

Quote:

You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.

So you CAN ready a 5' step and another action together. Try not to abuse this. (in all seriousness)

[Johnny_Devo]

Byakko wrote:

Btw, one sentence was left off the above quote:

Quote:

You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.

So you CAN ready a 5' step and another action together. Try not to abuse this. (in all seriousness)

Hmm...

What if you had it on good authority that someone was going to charge your ally next turn, and you happened to be two squares away from the straight line between those two characters. Could you ready an attack on the condition of "when the character passes through X square", have it trigger in the middle of his charge, take a 5' step to be in range of him, take your readied attack, and then take an attack of opportunity as he continues his charge and leaves your threatened square?

And if it is possible, would this count as abuse?

[Byakko]

Yes, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Like I said, play nice and don't abuse it. >.<

(otherwise the GM might use similar tactics in return, heh)

[TGMaxMaxer]

You could ready the attack when they pass that square. However, you can only take the 5ft step if you didn't move at all on your normal turn (you can use a move action equiv, just not actual movement). The safer action to ready is "If an enemy comes within 10 feet of me", so that it won't matter who he charges and also allows for anyone else who moves before/after him in case he gets shot/spelled from range before he charges.

Also, after you step over and hit him, it is the GM's call if he has to still continue his charge and provoke again.

There are several debates on what happens when a readied action changes the conditions of your stated actions so that it is no longer possible/safe to continue them.