Swashbuckler Opportune Parry and Reposte Before Her Initiative

[Stiletto]

OK, let's say the orc rolls an initiative of 18 and the swashbuckler's initiative is 12 (hey, it happens), can the swashbuckler parry and reposte the orc's first attack?

By RAW, the swashbuckler is flat footed, since she hasn't acted in the round yet. Parry can be attempted when an opponent makes a melee attack and costs 1 panache point and expends an attack of opportunity. Then, as an immediate action, which RAW say can be performed at any time, the reposte can be made. But, since the swashbuckler hasn't acted yet in the round, is the parry even possible? Also, you can't make attacks of opportunity if your flat footed (unless you have combat reflexes), so I don't think the reposte is allowed.

Any help would be great.

--S---------

[Ian Bell]

You can't take an immediate action while flat-footed. Immediate actions have an entry in two different places, and only one has the line about being flat-footed, so it is a little confusing. From the PRD:

Quote:

Immediate Actions
Much like a swift action, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time—even if it's not your turn. Casting feather fall is an immediate action, since the spell can be cast at any time.

Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed.

[Stiletto]

Good catch. So, the reposte is definitely not allowed (because it is an immediate action). And the parry does not count as having acted in the round (RAW says specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order}.

The parry, though, is triggered by a melee attack against the swashbuckler. It says that the parry expends an attack of opportunity and RAW says that attacks of opportunity cannot be made while flat footed. Does that make the parry the equivalent of an attack of opportunity? And if it does, if the swashbuckler then has combat reflexes, which allows attacks of opportunity while flat-footed, can she then parry?

I'm not trying to argue, I am trying to work through the logic of Opportune Parry and Reposte.

---S-------

[Ectar]

I'd think that if you have combat reflexes or some other ability that allows you to make an attack of opportunity while flat-footed, or some way to not be considered flat-footed you could parry just fine.
Combat reflexes is pretty great on a swashbuckler anyhow, so they can parry more than once per round.

[Manly-man teapot]

With combat reflexes, he can parry but not riposte.

[Jack of Dust]

I think it would make sense to rule that you don't have any attacks of opportunity to trade for the Parry while flat-footed. Combat Reflexes would of course get around this but you still wouldn't be able to Riposte.