confused about flat-footed

[Fenlock]

when are you no longer flat-footed?

1) after your action no matter if you are able to make an action or not.
2) after you take your first action no matter how long since the encounter started.

the situation came up in a gaming session where the evil cleric was stunned during the first round and before the clerics first action.
since the cleric was denied any actions in the first round there was an - disagreement - about the cleric still being flat-footed.

my impression was that flat-footed was the starting condition in an encounter until your initiative comes up first time. but reading the srd the definition i see that you are flat-footed until you take your first action.
so did i remember it wrong?

/fenlock

 

[Berk]

you are flat footed until you act.

 

[Hypersmurf]

PHB Glossary : Characters are flat-footed until their first turn in the initiative cycle.

PHB p120 : At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed.

-Hyp.

 

[Fenlock]

So, you are flat-footed until you can take an action?

bugger.. that makes monks murder!

 

[kengar]

So, you are flat-footed until you can take an action?

bugger.. that makes monks murder!

The short answer is "yes."

Bear in mind, however, that Rogues and Barbarians gain the class ability "Evasion" as they progress in level which eventually grants them a "never flat-footed" status.

 

[Thain]

I don't see how it makes Monks "murder," now, any class with Backstab... then it can get messy. But thats the point, innit?

 

[Rel]

I have a player in my RttToEE game that is rather indecisive (she just doesn't get to play much and like to take her cues from how the rest of the party reacts). She often "Delays" when her first initiative comes up. Should she be considered "Flat Footed" until she stops delaying?

By reading the text that Hypersmurf italicized it looks like she shouldn't (and I have not been treating her as such) but I'm just seeking clarification.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Bear in mind, however, that Rogues and Barbarians gain the class ability "Evasion" as they progress in level which eventually grants them a "never flat-footed" status.

I am sure you meant "Uncanny Dodge," which grants the rogue or barbarian the ability to retain their dex bonuses to AC when they are flat-footed or when being attacked by an invisible opponent. They still lose any dex bonus to AC if they are immobilized, however, like when being stunned by a monk, for instance.

 

[Bauglir]

"At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act "

Key word there is chance - if you're stunned then you won't be able to take that chance, but the chance still exists.

So I'd have to interpret that you are no longer flat footed the moment your first initiative comes up, and that stun will not maintain the flat-footedness

 

[kengar]

I am sure you meant "Uncanny Dodge," which grants the rogue or barbarian the ability to retain their dex bonuses to AC when they are flat-footed or when being attacked by an invisible opponent. They still lose any dex bonus to AC if they are immobilized, however, like when being stunned by a monk, for instance.

uhh YEAH! that!

I always confuse Evasion & U.D.