Pathfinder Remaster suggestion-Ready 2 actions


Pathfinder Second Edition General Discussion


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It has always bothered me that you can't ready a 2 action spell in 2e. How am I supposed to cauterize that Hydra neck stump with a Produce Flame spell after the Fighter lops the head off?

Therefore I propose a new Ready option that allows you to spend 3 actions on your initiative in order to ready something that takes 2 actions like a spell or Double Slice for example.

Anybody see any problems or unforeseen consequences to this?


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The most probable consequence is to lose your spell of the reaction don't happen. But it's fine to me. Would be fun you are able to use 3-action to use a 2-action activity as reaction.


I also don't think it will break the game, but it's definitely more interesting than readying one action for 2 (obviously).
I'd far prefer a one-action version of Produce Flame. I hope Paizo will hear me out!

Verdant Wheel

SuperBidi wrote:

I also don't think it will break the game, but it's definitely more interesting than readying one action for 2 (obviously).

I'd far prefer a one-action version of Produce Flame. I hope Paizo will hear me out!

I think I heard about a spell called "Ignite" so maybe?


One houserule that our group has done was to adjust the Ready rules to instead be an "add-on" activity. Basically, you can take an activity, add an action, as well as a reaction, to wait until the conditions are met, at which point you expend your reaction, and your effect takes place.

The only big issue with this is that it's too generic and is quite niche. I would probably rather see this as a Metamagic feat, called "Reactive Spell," where it takes an additional action to let you state a condition that lets the spell take place as a Reaction, dictating the target(s)/area(s) as you see fit.


How about instead:

Spend two action to ready and activity up to two action. I see nothing wrong or overpowered with this and you are still risking that the trigger does not happen.


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Ready is stronger in PF2 because you keep your place in the initiative. Given the strength of 2-action abilities (especially spells), it's risky to open them up to being a Reaction. There's great potential for locking down enemies and making encounters trivial. And this goes both directions, with enemies vs. PC whose players would likely react poorly to such tactics.

Meanwhile Delay exists so cauterizing a Hydra's stumps is simple. Wait.
With coordination, you can shuffle your party's actions around already to maximize your tactics. Adding the whole list of spells and attacks like (Improved) Knockdown Reactions to the mix would be unwise because they can directly interrupt the opponent mid-action while robbing them of an action (or two). This is bad much like interrupting spells had been too strong to remain as it had been in PF1.

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