Just as drawing a weapon can be combined with regular move action, can the Slayer ability "Studied Target", which costs a Move Action, be combined with a regular movement - Move Action?
I know the table under Actions in the SRD only lists a few examples of Move Actions that can be combined, but given how short that table is, it seems clear that not all possible Move Actions are listed here. So, how does one decide which Move Actions can, and cannot, be combined with regular movement?
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So, how does one decide which Move Actions can, and cannot, be combined with regular movement?
It will explicitly say so in the description of the ability.
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 a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you can ready or drop a shield as a free action combined with a regular move.
The wording is fairly standardized as "under these circumstances, you can do Thing X as a free action." If you don't see that qualifier, it doesn't happen any faster.
As Belafon said you can only combine these move actions when it explicitly says you can. Drawing a weapon and readying or dropping a shield are actions that really don’t fit in anywhere, so they have been declared move actions because they require more than effort than a free or swift action, but less than a standard or move action. Basically, as long as you have some combat training you can do them while moving.
I know the table under Actions in the SRD only lists a few examples of Move Actions that can be combined, but given how short that table is, it seems clear that not all possible Move Actions are listed here.
The way Pathfinder rules work, in order to be able to do something, you need a rule that allows it. Does something say you can combine Studied Target with movement? No? Then you can't.
It's really that simple. Pathfinder isn't Common law, things do not set precedent for everything similar. The table isn't comprehensive because it doesn't need to be - the superscript 3 in the table isn't even rule text, it's merely reminder text. It's the text in the individual entries for the action in question that allow combining them with movement, if Studied Target allowed that, it, too, would be in the individual entries for the action in question (which in this case is the class feature description).
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The solution is to get to level 7, where you can use your swift action to study your target and then also have your standard and move actions or full attack action available.
In terms of core rules, bards have even worse action economy with their performances [move at 7th, swift at 13th], but those do buff the whole party as a tradeoff. Their buffs' action economy [like a slayer's] also improves only with leveling up.
If you need to move and also to study your target, you can get a quick runner's shirt for 1000gp for a once per day buff. "Once per day as a swift action, the wearer can take an additional move action to move and then immediately end his turn, losing any unspent actions. A character must wear this shirt continuously for 24 hours before he can activate this ability."
There are some rules that specify an action is performed “as part of” some other action, without being quite as explicit as earlier examples. But studying is its own action.
Honestly it kind of makes sense that you could study and move at the same time, but that’s not what the rules gave us.
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Honestly it kind of makes sense that you could study and move at the same time, but that’s not what the rules gave us.
There are a lot of things that would make sense to be able to do at the same time as other actions… and to a certain degree the rules DO actually allow it… just not how a lot of people want it to. Remember a full round is 6 seconds, one persons turn in a round is also 6 seconds, most people assume a move action is 2-3 seconds and a standard is 3-4… but more accurately both are yet again 6 seconds.
You dont take 3 seconds to walk up to someone then spend 3 seconds to swing your sword at them… you prepare to strike as soon as you start moving and finish your swing when you reach them, then you prepare for them to retaliate or to strike again if they give you an opening (remember any AoO you take is STILL part of that same 6 seconds)… everything is happening near simultaneously…