5 foot step and drawing weapons

[Erich_Jager]

I'm sure this has been addressed and I apologize for asking again, but I can't seem to find the answer.
Can a character with a +0 BaB make a 5 foot adjustment, draw a weapon and attack in the same round?
The crux of the question seems to be whether or not the 5 foot step is a move/move equivalent action.

Thanks
-Erich

[Chess Pwn]

yes you can 5ft draw and attack. a 5ft step is a free/non action.

[Dave Justus]

Drawing a weapon is move equivalent, 5' step is free as long as you haven't otherwise moved (i.e. changed position) during your turn, so yes you still have a standard action to use to attack.

[Hubaris]

A 5 foot step can be performed as long as you haven't 5 foot stepped yet or moved (whether with a move action, a withdraw action, a run action, or whatnot).

So in your situation.

Free: 5 Foot Step
Move Action: Draw
Standard Action: Attack

Full Text For you!
5 Foot Steps

Quote:

Take 5-Foot Step
You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can't take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can't take a 5-foot step in the same round that you move any distance.

You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after your other actions in the round.

You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn't hampered by difficult terrain or darkness. Any creature with a speed of 5 feet or less can't take a 5-foot step, since moving even 5 feet requires a move action for such a slow creature.

You may not take a 5-foot step using a form of movement for which you do not have a listed speed.

[SlimGauge]

Rules wrote:

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.

(bolding mine)

A five-foot step is not "a regular move". If you don't have Quick-Draw, there must always be a move action involved.

So you can STEP.DRAW(move-action).ATTACK(standard-action)
but you can't
STEP.DRAW.FULL_ATTACK(full-round action)
unless you have quick-draw to make drawing a free action.

[Komoda]

I believe that a 5' step is not enough to allow you to draw a weapon, but moving 5' as a move action would be.

I believe this due to action economy. There is no game logic behind making Draw a Weapon a move action that can also be done as part of a move (action economy that limits you to a single attack) and then give you the ability to 5' step and draw your weapon at no cost.

It seems to me that the designers felt that drawing a weapon and getting one attack was fine to enable everyone (after level 2) to attempt to attack in the first round. I think this was to stop the "I always carry my sword in my hand" type of play. I do not think their intent was to make the 5' step more powerful than standing still.

On the flip side, would you allow someone that does not have a weapon out to Charge and draw that weapon during the Charge? I would not, but I don't think I have seen this argument flipped like that before. And believe me, your question comes up a lot.

[_Ozy_]

Hmm, if you move 5' as a move action to draw a weapon, does that provoke an AoO?

[Komoda]

Yes.

[Byakko]

The poster stated the character has a BAB of +0, therefore not allowing them to draw a weapon as part of a move action.

If they did have a BAB of +1 or higher, however, the character would still be unable to draw a weapon as part of a 5' step. This is because a 5' step is a Miscellaneous Action, not a Move action.

Anyone can, however, simply draw a weapon as a move action that doesn't provoke. This is really a move-equivalent action, though, so can be used in the same round as a 5' step. (even if this distinction is often not clearly stated in the rules)

Ozy: the drawing of the weapon doesn't provoke, although the movement might, as normal.

[Firebug]

Komoda wrote:

On the flip side, would you allow someone that does not have a weapon out to Charge and draw that weapon during the Charge? I would not, but I don't think I have seen this argument flipped like that before. And believe me, your question comes up a lot.

Perhaps because the rules explicitly say you can draw a weapon on a charge?

PRD link Movement During a Charge: You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1.

[Komoda]

Firebug wrote:

Komoda wrote:

On the flip side, would you allow someone that does not have a weapon out to Charge and draw that weapon during the Charge? I would not, but I don't think I have seen this argument flipped like that before. And believe me, your question comes up a lot.

Perhaps because the rules explicitly say you can draw a weapon on a charge?

PRD link Movement During a Charge: You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1.

Good point, so it allows you to draw a weapon during that move at a cost of half of your normal charge distance.

Yet there is a set of players that thinks by adding a 5' step one gets to add the ability to draw a weapon as well. It just seems to me that the 5' step is not enough to enable one to draw a weapon for free.

But yes, it looks like I didn't even understand the original question and lumped it in with the movement requirement question often seen. Sorry for hijacking the thread to that.

To the OP's question, yes, it is a valid option to take a single melee attack.