Delay from Surprise Round into First Round
- Thread starter Thanee
- Start date
Thanee
First Post
Man... 
Ok, the last two times I tried to post this earlier, I had a more elaborate explanation...
So, if I delay my action from the surprise round into the first round of combat, can I then take only a Standard Action (as the one I had in the surprise round), or a Full-Round Action (as normal for the regular round, where the action takes place)?
Bye
Thanee
Ok, the last two times I tried to post this earlier, I had a more elaborate explanation...
So, if I delay my action from the surprise round into the first round of combat, can I then take only a Standard Action (as the one I had in the surprise round), or a Full-Round Action (as normal for the regular round, where the action takes place)?
Bye
Thanee
Delaying reduces your initiative, so you couldn't delay until the next round. You could only delay until a lower initiative in the surprise round.
You can choose to take no action in the surprise round and then you would be acting normally in the first, non-surprise round, on the initiative you rolled.
You can also choose to Ready your Action (Standard Action) in the surprise round, which would go off any time before your next initiative when the contigency of your readied action occur.
I'm not sure if I'm explaining what you are looking for. Perhaps an example of what you are trying to do would help.
You can choose to take no action in the surprise round and then you would be acting normally in the first, non-surprise round, on the initiative you rolled.
You can also choose to Ready your Action (Standard Action) in the surprise round, which would go off any time before your next initiative when the contigency of your readied action occur.
I'm not sure if I'm explaining what you are looking for. Perhaps an example of what you are trying to do would help.
Thanee
First Post
@cmanos: No, you can delay into the next round. See Pinotage's quote above, which implies that.
@Pinotage: That's only if you delay into the next round and to an initiative score lower than your original one!
Here's an example:
Let's say you are to act in a surprise round and roll a 7 for initiative.
There are others acting at 13 and 17.
You choose to delay.
Next round at initiative count 16, you choose to take your delayed action.
Do you get to take a Standard Action or a Full-Round Action now?
Bye
Thanee
@Pinotage: That's only if you delay into the next round and to an initiative score lower than your original one!
Here's an example:
Let's say you are to act in a surprise round and roll a 7 for initiative.
There are others acting at 13 and 17.
You choose to delay.
Next round at initiative count 16, you choose to take your delayed action.
Do you get to take a Standard Action or a Full-Round Action now?
Bye
Thanee
I concur with Pinotage. Otherwise, you can use a delay to improve your lot. In Thanee's example, if those were the only characters and the ones with 13 and 17 initiative were surprised, then ordinarily the character with the 7 would get a standard action, then the others would go with their full round actions. If 7 could delay until 19 in the standard round and then take a full round action, he gets more action by delaying than by going quickly ...
Thanee
First Post
Yep, that's the reason why we decided to do it that way, too. This problem only really exists for characters with a low initiative result, tho, as otherwise you will likely just lose a Standard Action by delaying.
Note, that I actually think, that by the rules you would get a Full-Round Action, since delaying only delays the time when you get to take your action (and not the action you could have taken then), and only during the surprise round you are limited to a Standard Action only when you take your action.
My initial reaction was, that you would indeed get a Full-Round Action, but it's probably too problematic to allow that.
Bye
Thanee
Note, that I actually think, that by the rules you would get a Full-Round Action, since delaying only delays the time when you get to take your action (and not the action you could have taken then), and only during the surprise round you are limited to a Standard Action only when you take your action.
My initial reaction was, that you would indeed get a Full-Round Action, but it's probably too problematic to allow that.
Bye
Thanee
Shin Okada
Explorer
The written rule is unclear. Still, I vote for "a standard action".
If you allow him to take a full-round action (or a standard action and a move action), very strange thing happens.
Imagine, a sorcerer wants to cast an empowered Fireball. Now this is a full-round action. But not a spell with casting time with "1 round".
He is not surprised and his initiative is 7.
If he doesn't delay, he takes a "Start Full-Round Action" in his turn of the surprise round. Then, take a "Complete Full-Round Actin" in his turn in the 1st regular round, at initiative count of 7. So, the empowered Fireball are shot at initiative count 7 of the 1st-regular round.
Now, he delays, and then choose act in the next round (1st regular round) at initiative count 16. If you allow him to take a full-round action, he can shoot an empowered Fireball now. Thus, at initiative count 16 of the 1st-regular round.
He could shoot the spell faster because he delayed. That is quite strange, isn't it?
If you allow him to take a full-round action (or a standard action and a move action), very strange thing happens.
Imagine, a sorcerer wants to cast an empowered Fireball. Now this is a full-round action. But not a spell with casting time with "1 round".
He is not surprised and his initiative is 7.
If he doesn't delay, he takes a "Start Full-Round Action" in his turn of the surprise round. Then, take a "Complete Full-Round Actin" in his turn in the 1st regular round, at initiative count of 7. So, the empowered Fireball are shot at initiative count 7 of the 1st-regular round.
Now, he delays, and then choose act in the next round (1st regular round) at initiative count 16. If you allow him to take a full-round action, he can shoot an empowered Fireball now. Thus, at initiative count 16 of the 1st-regular round.
He could shoot the spell faster because he delayed. That is quite strange, isn't it?
