Haste and Refocus

[Stalker0]

I understand a lot of people's thinking that the part about doing nothing while refocusing is flavor text. And the SRD seems to confirm that. Although it seems really weird to me in this situation that a move will disrupt your refocusing, but casting a 9th level spell wouldn't


Anyway, this stuff isn't always logical. I'm going to go with no move during that round even with haste (as the faq clearly points out), you still get the haste partial action, and no 5ft steps.

 

[kreynolds]

I'm going to go with no move during that round even with haste (as the faq clearly points out)

Uhm...where in the FAQ does it say that?

 

[kreynolds]

Notice it says you can do nothing for entire round not entire full round action.
Round is not the same as full round action.

You're right, there is a difference between the two, yet the passage states both.

 

[mkletch]

There seems to be a lot of focus (no pun intended) on taking the Haste action first. It is my understanding (and please ciorrect me if it is otherwise) that if you are hasted and cast a full-round spell with your standard action first, the spell goes off when you start your partial action. You could refocus in the same way. Refocus on standard, then take your partial. On the next round, you are OK to go on initiative.

My problem is more fundamental. Why even bother to refocus. You give up an action so that your next action will come before the opponent? Why not just take the action? In 3E, you simply roll to see who acts first, and in what order. After that, it is cyclic, and you get no benefit from changing your position in the initiative order.

         [b][color=white]Refocus           No Refocus[/color]
[color=blue]round 1: opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 1: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]         you-    refocus[/color]
[color=blue]round 2: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 2: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]round 3: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 3: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]round 4: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 4: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]round 5: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 5: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]round 6: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 6: opponent-action[/color]
[color=blue]round 7: you-     action[/color]   [color=green]         you-     action[/color]
[color=blue]         opponent-action[/color]   [color=green]round 7: opponent-action[/color][/b]

So, other than changing when the round breaks, the actions all fall the same. Granted, a combat with several participants will look more complicated, but the relative initiative between any two combatants is unchanged with a refocus. Sorry, but it is indeed useless, except for perception.

-Fletch!

 

[mkletch]

Oh, and why is a full round action handled differently than a full round spell. If you have to wait until the next action with a spell, you should have to wait until the next action with anything else (including refocus), possibly having to make Concentration checks to avoid being interrrupted.

Look at that poll about favorite Specialist choices for Wizards. No wonder Conjuration is next to last, better than only Divination. A class based on full-round spells with short durations has got to be non-viable except for a really skillful and dedicated player. I don't know if I could stick with a character facing those kinds of challenges.

-Fletch!

 

[kreynolds]

Oh, and why is a full round action handled differently than a full round spell.

Is that a rhetorical or philosophical question?

 

[mkletch]

From the Main DnDFAQ, Special Initiative Actions
Is the refocus combat maneuver intended for the next combat round only? Do you reroll initiative the next round? I can see this being abused by most all character’s who do not gain a very good initiative for the combat session—they can refocus and possibly win initiative for the rest of the combat.

When you refocus, you spend your entire round refocusing; you cannot act or move. You can’t even move except for a 5-foot step. You do not reroll initiative next round; your initiative is treated as though you’ve rolled a 20 on your initiative check. Though many people seem to think refocus is great option, it’s seldom—if ever—worth doing.

Emphasis mine...

-Fletch!

 

[mkletch]

Is that a rhetorical or philosophical question?

Actually, mechanical.

Why is it? To screw spellcasters? Or to keep a little of the flavor from previous editions with spells getting interrrupted by attacks, etc.?

-Fletch!

 

[kreynolds]

You can’t even move except for a 5-foot step.

This makes me smile particularly widely.

 

[kreynolds]

Why is it? To screw spellcasters? Or to keep a little of the flavor from previous editions with spells getting interrrupted by attacks, etc.?

The latter seems the most likely.