FlyBy Attack question

[Theo R Cwithin]

I was looking over the feat FlyBy Attack for the first time in a long while, and see that it's worded a lot differently than I was remembering (emphasis mine):

Flyby Attack [General]

Prerequisite
Fly speed.

Benefit
When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Normal
Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.

I'd been thinking about the order of actions as follows:

1. start move action
2. standard action
3. finish move action.

However, this wording with "another" is making this sound like it's actually more along the lines of:

1. standard action
2. start move action
3. standard action
4. finish move action

, where that first standard action can happen either before the start of the move, or after the finish of the move.

Which is the correct interpretation?

 

[Dandu]

First one. It is unlikely that the feat would allow you to, say, move, attack, move, and cast a spell in the same turn.

 

[Sorry_Charry]

I think the use of the word 'another' here denotes that the actions occur concurrently as opposed to consecutively.

That is, without the feat, a flying creature may take a move action and then a standard action (or vice-versa).

But, with the feat, a creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another action (although per the feat it must be a standard action) at any point during the move.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

OK thanks, that's how I've always played it. So this is just odd phrasing.

Moreover, I just noted Improved FlyBy Attack (emphasis mine):

Improved Flyby Attack [General]

Prerequisite
Fly speed, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Mobility.

Benefit
If the standard action taken by a creature during a round in which it uses Flyby Attack is a melee attack, the creature provokes no attacks of opportunity from moving out of squares threatened by its target.

Normal
Without this feat, a creature making an attack as part of a Flyby Attack maneuver provokes attacks of opportunity as normal from moving out of squares threatened by its target.

"The". So there is indeed only one standard action happening in that round in which the FlyBy Attack occurs.

 

[Vegepygmy]

So this is just odd phrasing.

Yes. They could have made it clearer like so: "When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another (standard) action at any point during the move."