Action Economy on Archon Style

[Redjack_rose]

Hi folks,

So I'm GM'ing and one of my players is looking at Archon Style. However, we're not sure how the actions around Archon Style work.

Style feats require a swift action to enter that style. So it takes a swift action to enter Archon Style.

Archon Style (Feat) then takes a move action to designate an opponent, and granting AC to allies against that opponent.

Archon Diversion (Feat): Allows you to redirect an attack to you, while using Archon Style, for no action. Then that enemy provokes an AOO.

So is Archon Diversion referring to be Archon Style, the style chain that you need to use a swift to enter, or Archon Style the Feat (meaning you need to use a swift, then a move, with very specific conditions)?

My understanding and my ruling is leaning towards the first option (otherwise, Archon Diversion becomes nigh unusable to me). Thoughts?

[TxSam88]

So yes, you spend a swift action to enter Archon Style, then a move action to cover your allies. If you have Archon Diversion, then while you are in Archon Style, covering your opponents, you can redirect an attack from an opponent to yourself, and your ally get an AOO.

since you and your opponent must both be in threatened squares, and the opponent is free to choose their target, this seems like a pretty weak feat to me. AS the opponent can always just attack you (and you are at a -1), and never trigger the AOO opportunity.

[Redjack_rose]

Do you have an FAQ or a source for that, or is that also your interpretation?

I agree, that's a needlessly useless feat if that's the intention behind it, and I might just have to fix it. I don't believe in useless feats that have a 3 feat cost first.

[TxSam88]

Redjack_rose wrote:

Do you have an FAQ or a source for that, or is that also your interpretation?

I agree, that's a needlessly useless feat if that's the intention behind it, and I might just have to fix it. I don't believe in useless feats that have a 3 feat cost first.

that's RAW -

Archon Diversion (Combat)

Prerequisite(s): Archon Style; Combat Expertise; Combat Reflexes; base attack bonus +4 or monk level 3rd.

Benefit(s): The penalty to AC for using Archon Style to grant nearby allies a bonus to AC against a single opponent decreases to –1. Once per round while using Archon Style, when you have at least one hand free or when wielding a shield, you can divert one melee weapon attack targeting an adjacent ally to yourself. After resolving the attack, the ally you protected can make an attack of opportunity against the diverted opponent. You expend no action to divert the attack, but you must be aware of it and must not be flat-footed. You must choose to divert the attack after the opponent has declared the melee attack, but before the attack roll is rolled.

"while using Archon Style" this means you must have already activated Archon style the feat, which is a swift action. Oddly, it does not seem to require you to be protecting yoru ally, but it probably should.

[Derklord]

Redjack_rose wrote:

So is Archon Diversion referring to be Archon Style, the style chain that you need to use a swift to enter, or Archon Style the Feat (meaning you need to use a swift, then a move, with very specific conditions)?

The phrase "while using X Style" is synonymous with "while you're in X style", as can be seen from followup feats of style feats with no active component (like Dragon Ferocity for Dragon Style). Therefore, once you've spend a swift action to take on the style, you can use Archon Diversion, even if you never spend a move action on Archon Style.