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You can't just ready an action to charge or attack. It has to be triggered by something specific. The assassin has to say, "I prepare to charge at the king and attack if he does x", where x has to be some specific event. If the guards didn't ready an action to intercept the assassin if he...

This is an interesting idea. The DMG says that only standard actions can be taken in the surprise round because you need to take a moment to assess the situation before taking action. This has a certain logic to it, and it seems like it might make sense to limit everyone to just a standard...

I suppose I will test the theory that if something is repeatedly posted enough times in a thread, people will actually start to read it... Pull out your DMG and flip to page 23. Read the section titled Both Sides Aware at the Same Time, and the accompanying Example (Both Aware but Cannot...

As I've already stated, the bit on pg. 26 does not prohibit what I'm suggesting. It states that actions cannot be readied outside of combat, but nowhere does it define what constitutes the start of combat. The example on pg. 23 demonstrates how it's possible for combat to start (i.e. track...

That's not what we're doing at all. We're just trying to interpret the rules in a way that makes the most logical sense. What you are describing here is not what is meant by a readied action. This must be a specific action taken against a specific threat. It's not like looking at all your...

I guess my disagreement just stems from the fact that I don't feel this option should affect balance in any significant way. Initiative is about who moves first in a contested situation. Improved Initiative just means you can move sooner than most other people. But the whole point of readying...

I disagree. Feats are reserved for special actions that require some unusual ability or talent. Pointing a crossbow at a door 30 ft. away and firing at any enemies that come through before they reach you hardly qualifies as a special ability. Any idiot could do it. What does require a...

You are stating that "start combat = roll initiative" as if it is a firm rule, yet there is a clear example in the DMG that states something different should occur in some cases, i.e. combat-style preparatory actions can be taken without rolling initiative. And to head off any concerns about...

This doesn't solve the problem that in scenario #1, the bandit has a chance to miraculously charge 60 ft. and attack, while in scenario #2, which is identical except for the somewhat arbitrary determination that combat has already started, the bandit has no chance at all. Furthermore, this is...

I for one agree with KarinsDad - this has always seemed to me like an obvious problem. Perhaps a better example is in order. Let's say 2 PCs are working their way through a bandit lair that's been alerted to their presence. They enter a large room 60' across with a door on the opposite...

Okay, I buy the Dismissal argument. I would award full XP for Slay Living, and since this is also a 5th level spell, it doesn't seem unbalanced. If I give full XP for the cowardly goblin, is it safe to assume that its "cowardliness" is accounted for in its CR? Or should I modify the EL if I...

Seems like some good ideas here. I like the idea of treating the hit-and-run attacks as equivalent traps, because full XP are awarded for a trap whether it's survived, disabled, or skillfully bypassed. As for the retreating villain, I can see the case for awarding full XP here. Assuming the...

The main issue with awarding full XP for a foe that's driven off is that it can allow PC's to earn it multiple times even if they only kill the foe once. With the Dismissal example, an Outsider with Plane Shift or a similar ability can just keep coming back, and the PC's will can repeatedly...

The Bane Weapon spell is from Dragon #279, in the "Revenge of the Spider Queen" article.

I'm curious how others handle this situation. The DMG states that XP should be awarded when a challenge is overcome. But should this apply to opponents who are driven away rather than killed or captured? I've encountered lots of ambiguous situations related to this. For example, common...

The fundamental flaw in critical hit/sneak attack immunity is that it ties critical hits together with the idea of hitting an important part of the opponent (vital organ or other weak spot), thus causing more damage. Because of the abstract nature of hit points, there's really no way to...

There seem to be a few people defending the rules for crit immunity, primarily by just pointing to the existing rules and balance issues for doing so. These are certainly valid reasons, but I'm still curious how these people describe what happens when a creature with crit immunity is killed...

This is something that I've often found annoying. How do you describe what happens when someone "kills" a creature that is immune to crits? If I lop off a zombie's head, or chop a slime in half, does it die? The rules seem to imply that a crit represents a hit to a vital area. I interpret...