Confused about partial actions

[KrazyHades]

How do partial actions work? I've generally picked up that they work like standard actions, and that using one leaves you with a move action. However, the combat chapter in the PHB does not mention partial actions (unless I missed it). They talk about full round, standard, move, swift, free, and non-actions, all of which I already know.

 

[Pinotage]

How do partial actions work? I've generally picked up that they work like standard actions, and that using one leaves you with a move action. However, the combat chapter in the PHB does not mention partial actions (unless I missed it). They talk about full round, standard, move, swift, free, and non-actions, all of which I already know.

Are you referring to the partial actions that were in 3e? I think they were all but removed in the revision to 3.5e.

As I understand it, in 3e you had in any given round a partial action and a standard action to use, assuming you didn't use a full-round action like full-attack. A partial action could either be a move action or a move-equivalent action, so you could either move your base speed or do something else like draw something from your pack. Partial actions are not standard actions, though. You can't make an attack on a partial action, drink a potion or activate a wand, for example - only a move or a move-equivalent action.

In 3.5e there's something called a partial charge, which is when you can charge as part of a surprise action when you don't get a full-round action. But there aren't any partial actions in 3.5e.

Pinotage

 

[Hypersmurf]

As I understand it, in 3e you had in any given round a partial action and a standard action to use, assuming you didn't use a full-round action like full-attack. A partial action could either be a move action or a move-equivalent action, so you could either move your base speed or do something else like draw something from your pack. Partial actions are not standard actions, though. You can't make an attack on a partial action, drink a potion or activate a wand, for example - only a move or a move-equivalent action.

No - in 3E, a standard action allowed you to "do something", plus a move or MEA. So with a standard action, you could attack and move, or cast a spell and move, or drink a potion and move.

A partial action was like a standard action, minus the move. So with a partial action, you could attack (and not move), or cast a spell (and not move), or drink a potion (and not move).

In 3.5, standard actions were redefined - instead of a round allowing you to perform a standard action (that is, 'do something' and move), a round now allows you to perform a standard action (that is, 'do something') and also a move action. In effect, a standard action in 3.5 allows you to do what you could do with a partial action in 3E.

In 3.5e there's something called a partial charge, which is when you can charge as part of a surprise action when you don't get a full-round action.

There's no such thing as a partial charge in 3.5; partial charge was a 3E term. There's something equivalent to the partial charge in 3.5; that is, if you are restricted to taking a standard or move action on your turn, you may charge as a standard action, moving up to your speed instead of twice your speed.

But it isn't called a partial charge.

-Hyp.