How do people adjudicate the difference between drawing/sheathing a weapon vs. retrieving or putting away a stored item (which is coverd by the Manipulating an Item action)?
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 includes activating or deactivating the weapon. This also applies to weapon-like objects that are easily accessible, such as remote controls and most tools or sensors you can carry and use with one hand. If your weapon or weapon-like object is stored in a pack or otherwise out of easy reach, you must instead retrieve it as a stored item before you can use it (see Manipulate an Item).
Exception: If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can combine drawing or sheathing a weapon or weapon-like object with moving up to your speed as a single move action.
Moving or manipulating an item is usually a move action. This includes retrieving or putting away a stored item, picking up an item, moving a heavy object, and opening a door.
These descriptions imply that any item that you could conceivably have in a pocket or clipped to your belt can be "drawn or sheathed" like a weapon, while it's pretty clear that anything in a backpack requires the Manipulate an Item action. However, both are move actions, so it seems like a distinction without much difference (although weapons may be drawn as part of a different move action, per the exception).
Would you, for example, require an additional move action to unsling or unzip the pack before retrieving a stowed item? Or do you just treat it like drawing a weapon (with the exception that you can do the latter while moving)?
Just interested in how different people handle it.
..would you, for example, require an additional move action to unsling or unzip the pack before retrieving a stowed item?Or do you just treat it like drawing a weapon (with the exception that you can do the latter while moving)?
Just interested in how different people handle it.
Ok I'll let you know how I do it.
Firstly, I would not require an additional action to unzip a bag..also all the other GM's I know whom i asked were unanimous in agreement.
And secondly.. yeah I allow that at my table.
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Here's the difference. A gear clamp effectively moves an item from in the backpack to be drawn like a weapon.
*cheesy advertisement music*
Without gear clamps
move action: I move up to the fire.
standard action: I take out the fire extinguisher.
*fire WHOOSHES up in the ysoki's face*
Next round, standard action, I put the fire out *blink blinks around scorched fur*
With gear clamps
Move action: I move up to the fire drawig the extinguisher as I go because the gear clamp lets you draw it as a weapon
Standard action: I put out the fire
Next round: I am NOT all burned and singey.
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This is why Starfinder Backpacks are amazing. When you move, you can draw an item from inside as though you were drawing a weapon.
With the backpack, you can move while drawing your spellgem of Jolting Surge, and then zap the enemy.
Without a Starfinder Backpack, you move, and then draw the spellgem, and get zapped by the enemy.
This is why Starfinder Backpacks are amazing. When you move, you can draw an item from inside as though you were drawing a weapon.
and now operatives can get in on that too...
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Normally backpacks trade access time for bulk reduction. It takes longer to take something out of a backpack than it takes to get it from your shirt pocket, but only stuff in the backpack actually has a lower impact on how much bulk you're carrying.
(The Starfinder Backpack uses magic to have its cake and eat it too.)
I'm just here to plug the gadgeteer operative, who at 11th level can draw one item per round for free as part of another action. It's one of the most powerful abilities in the game.