Is it possible for a PC to alternate his actions with his minion/animal companion?
As per RAW: "Your minion acts on your turn in combat, once per turn, when you spend an action to issue it commands".
It's not clear to me if the minion must spend both actions right after commanded or if the player can alternate between the PC's and the minion's actions.
The rules don't actually say one way or the other. Generally it isn't important since the results will be the same.
The existence of the exception in the Valet familiar ability
Your familiar doesn't use its 2 actions immediately upon your command.
is a mild indication that the rules expect that the minion will use its actions sequentially and immediately after your action to command it.
The rules don't actually say one way or the other. Generally it isn't important since the results will be the same.
The existence of the exception in the Valet familiar ability
Your familiar doesn't use its 2 actions immediately upon your command.is a mild indication that the rules expect that the minion will use its actions sequentially and immediately after your action to command it.
I'd say that with Valet's wording, that the minion takes it's actions immediately after the Command, so you could have it's actions between the characters but they'd be back to back: if not, then Valet wasted a bunch of words on an ability it already gets.
I'd say that with Valet's wording, that the minion takes it's actions immediately after the Command, so you could have it's actions between the characters but they'd be back to back: if not, then Valet wasted a bunch of words on an ability it already gets.
Only one word: 'Instead'. Without that, the rest of the extra words could be considered reminder text.
But that is a pretty weak argument. It would be reminder text for rules text that doesn't actually exist. Plus the whole fact that the word 'instead' does appear in the Valet rules.
Generally it isn't important since the results will be the same.
I agree. Usually, it doesn't matter. But it can be important in some cases. As an example, let's say you are mounted on your animal companion and you want to move in (with one of the animal companion's actions), attack an enemy (with the PC's action) and move back (with the companion's second action). This is not possible if you must take the 2 actions sequentially.
The text on the Valet description pretty much seals the deal though. Thank you for pointing it out.
If you want to do that there's the Cavalier's Charge ability.
Even though that's a good option, this would cost 2 actions from the PC, whereas 2 strides from the animal companion would cost only one.
It's all good though. Thank you all for the replies.