Hold actions, readying actions

[The_lone_gunman]

Can someone help me out with these rules:

Holding an action: You can hold an action for 10 counts. Afterwards you can refocus in order to reset your initiative if you choose to do nothing

Ready an action: you ready an action to do a specific thing, ie: if this guy casts a spell i take a 5 foot step and wack him. If the preconditions don't happen, you basically lose your action until your initiative on the next round. Is this correct? Or if you ready your action and nothing happens, can you then refocus to act at the beginning of the next round? IE: I ready my action to attack if this one guy casts a spell, but he moves instead, so when he moves, my action didnt take place, can I now choose to refocus instead?

I may houserule that if your readied action doesnt happen, you can then reset since you did nothing during the round. It makes sense to me that if what you were waiting for doesnt happen that your initiative would get set at the top (you lose the action for that round, but don't have to wait on the next one). Does this seem silly or what?

Refocusing takes the whole turn and allows you to act first the next round.

Thanks,

TLG

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Holding an action: You can hold an action for 10 counts. Afterwards you can refocus in order to reset your initiative if you choose to do nothing

First, "holding an action" is called "Delay."

You may choose to delay, not 10 counts of initiative, but until the initiative count reaches -10 minus your initiative bonus. See the PHB page 134, first column, 5th full paragraph for an example of this.

You may choose Refocus as your action after you Delay, although in most cases this makes no sense. You delay to last in the round, refocus and go first in the following round. Nothing changed except the number of your initiative. You still acted next. It is not really a reset of your old initiative. Refocusing gives you an initiative as if you rolled a 20. Note that if another combatant rolled a really high initiative number, you may not go first in the next round, but after the other, faster character.

Ready an action: you ready an action to do a specific thing, ie: if this guy casts a spell i take a 5 foot step and wack him. If the preconditions don't happen, you basically lose your action until your initiative on the next round. Is this correct?

Yes.

Or if you ready your action and nothing happens, can you then refocus to act at the beginning of the next round?

No.

I may houserule that if your readied action doesnt happen, you can then reset since you did nothing during the round. It makes sense to me that if what you were waiting for doesnt happen that your initiative would get set at the top (you lose the action for that round, but don't have to wait on the next one). Does this seem silly or what?

Yes. What you are proposing is that a character gets his cake and eats it, too. You see, Ready is a standard action. He did not do "nothing." He readied an attack but the situation never happened for which he readied. He cannot just undo his action and get another. The differance between Ready and Delay is that the Ready action is an action, Delay is not an action. Ready means the character takes an action on his turn, but Delay means he delays his turn entirely. That is why he can Refocus after Delaying, but not after he takes a standard action like Ready or any other standard action.

Refocusing takes the whole turn and allows you to act first the next round.

Refocus is a full round action during which you cannot move (not even a 5 foot step). It does not necessarily allow you to go first in the next round, although this may be the typical result. Your initiative number is recalculated as if you rolled a 20. You add to this your initiative bonuses (or penalties). That is your new initiative.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Refocus is a full round action during which you cannot move (not even a 5 foot step). It does not necessarily allow you to go first in the next round, although this may be the typical result. Your initiative number is recalculated as if you rolled a 20. You add to this your initiative bonuses (or penalties). That is your new initiative.

This is correct and is a feature of D&D's nearly-cyclical initiative system. Most poople choose to set the person's initiative above all others, making the system completely cyclical.

 

[Moto Jojo]

I may houserule that if your readied action doesnt happen, you can then reset since you did nothing during the round. It makes sense to me that if what you were waiting for doesnt happen that your initiative would get set at the top (you lose the action for that round, but don't have to wait on the next one). Does this seem silly or what?

The problem here is that your readied action ends on your following turn, not when the initiative counter ticks back to the top after you set your ready action. For example, you rolled a 10, and your opponent has a 15. You set a ready action to shoot the opponent if he pokes his head out from cover, for example. Initiative rolls around to the next round, and your ready action is still valid until your turn comes up again. It doesn't make sense to refocus at this point instead, because you're still waiting with a readied action that might yet be triggered.

 

[Eothe_Master]

Re: Re: Hold actions, readying actions

For example, you rolled a 10, and your opponent has a 15. You set a ready action to shoot the opponent if he pokes his head out from cover, for example. Initiative rolls around to the next round, and your ready action is still valid until your turn comes up again. It doesn't make sense to refocus at this point instead, because you're still waiting with a readied action that might yet be triggered.

OK. Using your example:

Round One
Guy Goblin takes cover on 15.
Joe Warrior readies an attack on 10--he'll shoot the Guy Goblin if he breaks cover.

Round Two:
Guy Goblin breaks cover on 15, triggering Joe Warrior's attack. Let's say it hits.

My question: Can Joe Warrior act on 10 (drop the crossbow, Quick Draw his weapon) and move toward Guy Goblin?

I.e., if your readied attack is discharged in the following round, but BEFORE your turn in the initiative, can you act "twice" in that round?

--EM

 

[Artoomis]

Re: Re: Re: Hold actions, readying actions

My question: Can Joe Warrior act on 10 (drop the crossbow, Quick Draw his weapon) and move toward Guy Goblin?

I.e., if your readied attack is discharged in the following round, but BEFORE your turn in the initiative, can you act "twice" in that round?
--EM

No, your new initive is 15.1. That is, just before the Goblin at 15, but after those at 16.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: Re: Re: Hold actions, readying actions

I.e., if your readied attack is discharged in the following round, but BEFORE your turn in the initiative, can you act "twice" in that round?

No.

 

[Oracular Vision]

No, your new initive is 15.1. That is, just before the Goblin at 15, but after those at 16.

Or, as I prefer to do it, your new initiaitve is 15a, and the Goblin is now 15b. This works better because up to 27 PC's and NPC's can have the same initiative before you run out of letters. But if the decimal works for you, its not a problem. I despair of seeing 15.11 as an initiative...

 

[Eothe_Master]

Can you ready an action and include a 5-foot step.

E.g., "If the wizard starts casting a spell, I take a 5-foot step and attack."

--EM

 

[Hypersmurf]

Can you ready an action and include a 5-foot step.

At the risk of starting an argument...

Yes, as long as you haven't moved any distance in the round until that point.

-Hyp.