Pathfinder 1E Cavalier's Stategy - how does it work?

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Hey gang. I'm playing a cavalier in our campaign at the local library
and I'm playing a level 7 cavalier. I try to stay ahead and be ready
for new abilities when I get them so that they don't become an issue
in game and slow things down.

At level 8, the cavalier with order of the dragon gets "strategy".

The description reads:

Strategy (Ex): At 8th level, the cavalier can spend a standard action to grant one of a number of bonuses to all allies within 30 feet (including himself). The allies must be able to see or hear the cavalier to receive this bonus. The cavalier can grant a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round, a +2 morale bonus on all attack rolls for 1 round, or the ability to move up to their speed as an immediate action once. The cavalier can grant a different bonus to each ally within range, but allies can only benefit from this ability once per combat.

When the bonus is granted, is it for that round, the next round, or can each
player who receives one of the bonuses use it once, and only once during
that combat, on any single round they choose to? I can't glean that from the
description.

It seemed straightforward until I started over thinking it, I guess.

Thanks.

 

[Ezequielramone]

The movement option should be instantaneous, at the same moment you use this action.
The other options have a duration of one entire round, that means each creature's turns. If one player has many attacks and use his attack of opportunity he will use the bonus to attack to every attack. The same with the AC bonus. These options have a one round duration, that is the bonus start when you use strategy and end when is your turn again. Everything in between is affected by the bonus they or you choose.

 

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Okay, so it has to be that one round.

If I employ it at the start of combat, the fighter to the left
of me (example) couldn't add +2 to his AC in round 5 of
combat, correct? Assuming he had not used it up to that
point.

Thanks.

 

[Ezequielramone]

That's right, he can't. Because he doesn't use anything. He just has +2AC for one round. It doesn't matter if he is attacked.

 

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Okay, here is what is confusing me. According to the rules on combat rounds on page 178:

Quote:

Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

So if my cavalier employs "Strategy", as a standard action, then it would end right before his next turn began. In other words, he wouldn't be able to use the +2 to attack as a standard action in the next round on his turn because it would have ended.

Or am I just totally reading that rule wrong?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Ezequielramone]

That's correct. Unless you know you are going to do an attack of oportunity you just will use the AC or the movement action. Remember that many cavalier's abilities are for his team and not for him particulary.