Free actions and invisibility tactics and whatnot.

[pokedigimaniac]

This comes from a theoretical situation that arose during the last session. We were discussing dealing with an (Improved) Invisible, flying sorceror, with the party armed with a Detect Evil at will. (Coming from the paladin, and the sorceror is evil, natch)

I figured the way it would go is that the sorceror would get one or two attacks off from the air before the party wised up, and the paladin would start scanning for location using his Detect Evil. 3 rounds later, he'd point and shout, and the party would start shooting. The sorceror would then move somewhere else.

Here is where another question comes in concerning Detect Evil - if you keep scanning an area after the third round, do you continue to get the 3rd round 'location' benefits even if the things inside the scan area move in and out of the scan area, or just move around in the scan area?

In any case, assuming the paladin continues getting the 3rd round benefits, I figured the flying sorceror would get smart and ready an action to shoot and then move right after the paladin shouted the location, so the party aimed at entirely the wrong place. The paladin's player contended that he would then delay until after he moved to shout where he was. When I asked how he would know if the flying sorceror moved, he said that if he was focusing on a certain area, and thus if the sorceror moved, he would ping at a different location. I returned that by way of focusing/Detecting Evil, he had taken his action and could not delay. His response was that he could take a free action afterwards (when not his turn) to yell. I disagreed - no free actions when not his turn.

So, yes. It's confusing. Help however you can.

Bonus question for extra credit! How do you conduct conversations in battle? Talking back and forth, each individual speaking on their own turn? How does this work when two or more people are asking questions of another one? Or do you just do straight-up conversations?

 

[Artoomis]

Simple answer:

The sorceror should NOT be staying in the same spot at all. He should cast and move every round.

The party needs to ready actions to attack his square whenever his casting indicates the square of origin (like , say, magic missles).

As for conversation in battle, short ones are always allowed, regardless of whose turn it is.

 

[Hypersmurf]

His response was that he could take a free action afterwards (when not his turn) to yell. I disagreed - no free actions when not his turn.

From the Actions in Combat chapter of the PHB:

Speak
In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action.

-Hyp.

 

[the Jester]

By the RAW you can talk during other peoples' turns. (I house rule otherwise, however.)

 

[Saeviomagy]

Of course making people only talk on their own turn effectively ends up with someone saying "ouch" 6 seconds AFTER someone stabs them.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Detect Evil is only likely to be useful in an extremely tight space. Read the spell description carefully; you need 3 rounds to pinpoint a source of Evil. If the Sorceror keeps moving that would usually never occur.

What Detect Evil is useful for is knowing you are still being hunted by an Invisible sorceror if, you some strange reason, that information were not made totally obvious by the rain of spells falling on the party.

 

[nittanytbone]

Of course making people only talk on their own turn effectively ends up with someone saying "ouch" 6 seconds AFTER someone stabs them.

It also prevents anyone from surrendering in a timely manner after taking a nasty hit or seeing that the odds are against them.

 

[nittanytbone]

Regarding the original post, would the paladin have to make a concentration check if he was, say, pelted with a magic missile? While its not like he's about to "lose the spell," failing the check seems like it would reset the clock on his pinpointing of position. It seems like it would be difficult to concentrate if you were busy dodging fireballs/getting hit by missiles from the air/etc.

 

[Li Shenron]

I would allow the Paladin to keep concentration and continually monitor the sorcerer's position.

I'd use the fact that concentration is a standard action: this way the paladin is not going to be able to attack or do anything else during the round, except for a move action.

Anyway, "pinpointing" the sorcerer would mean for the paladin to know the exact square (or cube, since flying). However, the other characters would not know the exact square, only the general direction in which the pally points - unless the Paladin can describe better when the sorcerer is at an easily identifiable position (for example "1 foot over that rock").