Animal Companion Actions

[Rameth]

Do Animal Companion actions have to be consecutive?

As in I use an Action to command them, they get 2 actions they have to use right now, then I get my remaining 2 actions.

Or.

I use an action to command them, they get 2 actions but use 1. Then I use 1. Then we both use our last actions.

I see no rule that says they have to be consecutive only that they be on your turn.

[Zman0]

"A minion acts on your turn in combat when you spend an action to issue it verbal commands (this action has the concentrate trait)."

It is ambiguous, but would lean towards them needing to be consecutive. Command an Animal is an even trade ability, you command and the animal does. There is no delay. Now, for an animal companion, your get two actions for the price of one and IMO there is no real permission to split those up. Command an animal talks about how limited the commands are and how they are executed. Logically, it follows the AC would act directly following the command.

The minion trait reads that the AC acts when you issue it a command. Without extra permission I wouldn't want to allow that, if not for the rules being ambiguous, but it being cumbersome to execute the back and forth. I believe the RAI falls in line with them being immediate and consecutive, but the RAW is more abiguous, but doesn't really give you much leeway to execute them nonconsecutive.

[Rameth]

Hmm...

I'm mostly asking for mounted ACs. As I was wondering if you could command, mount moves, you attack, mount moves away. Essentially making it a sort of ride-by-attack.

[Zman0]

Rameth wrote:

Hmm...

I'm mostly asking for mounted ACs. As I was wondering if you could command, mount moves, you attack, mount moves away. Essentially making it a sort of ride-by-attack.

Yeah, I can definitely see the appeal of that. How I would see that working would be ready strike, command to ride. Reaction strike as you pass by.

[Themetricsystem]

By RAW, the Animal takes the actions as you command them, so it would follow the order of things is as follows:

Command Animal 2 Actions (Move & Strike) > The Animal Moves as an Action > The Animal Strikes as an Action > PC Strikes as an Action > PC dismounts adjacent to Animal.

There is currently no way to Rideby Attack with a Commanded Animal since you cannot forego your own Actions to give additional Commands later in the Round, nor can the Animal make any actions of their own accord without the Command Action inside Combat.