Immediate Actions *can't* be used when flat-footed?


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blargney the second

blargney the minute's son
Hypersmurf said:
If you're using immediate actions, Feather Fall is an immediate action - the text defining immediate actions specifically calls the spell out as being an immediate action, not a free action as the spell describes.
Original source trumps everything except errata. There hasn't been errata on that spell, so you can use feather fall anytime because the description of the spell says you can.
 

hong

WotC's bitch
blargney the second said:
Original source trumps everything except errata. There hasn't been errata on that spell, so you can use feather fall anytime because the description of the spell says you can.
How metaphysical.
 

Wish

First Post
So, back to feather fall. If it's an immediate action, and you can't use immediate actions while flat-footed, and you're flat-footed any time you're not in combat, it's pretty useless. Even if you walk up to a cliff, see the cliff clearly, and say, "Well, it's a pretty tough climb, I'll feather fall to the bottom," you're out of luck. The cliff didn't surprise you, but you're not in combat, so you can't cast the spell. Ridiculous. Do you propose that one of the other PCs start shooting arrows at you so you can get to the bottom of the cliff? If you believe, as a previous poster has stated, that the clause allowing FF to be used in an unexpected fall isn't subsumed in the immediate action designation, could you, perhaps, close your eyes and ask your friends to shove you off the cliff at some unexpected point in the future?
 

Caliban

Rules Monkey
Wish said:
So, back to feather fall. If it's an immediate action, and you can't use immediate actions while flat-footed, and you're flat-footed any time you're not in combat, it's pretty useless. Even if you walk up to a cliff, see the cliff clearly, and say, "Well, it's a pretty tough climb, I'll feather fall to the bottom," you're out of luck. The cliff didn't surprise you, but you're not in combat, so you can't cast the spell. Ridiculous. Do you propose that one of the other PCs start shooting arrows at you so you can get to the bottom of the cliff? If you believe, as a previous poster has stated, that the clause allowing FF to be used in an unexpected fall isn't subsumed in the immediate action designation, could you, perhaps, close your eyes and ask your friends to shove you off the cliff at some unexpected point in the future?

"you're flat-footed any time you're not in combat" -This statement has not been proven to be true.

What causes you to become flat-footed again when combat ends? :)
 

tomBitonti

Adventurer
Setting up a scenario

Sorry, late to this discussion.

I'm setting up a scenario to work out the details of how this should work:

*) Character walks into a room.
*) Enemy has hands on a level to drop out the floor of the room (creating a pit).
*) Initiative is rolled; enemy goes first, character second.
*) Enemy pulls level.
*) Character gets a saving throw to avoid falling into the newly opened pit.
*) Character *does not fall yet*.
*) Character goes, and begins to fall.

The important points are that:

*) the character makes the saving throw on the enemy's action (I'm convinced of this);
*) but falls on the character's action (I'm thinking this is true, but am not wholly convinced).

I'm setting up this example to contrast with:

*) Outside of combat;
*) Character walks down a hallway and across a pit trap;
*) Pit trap opens;
*) The character makes a saving throw;
*) If they failed that saving throw, they fall.

And to contrast with the same scenario, but in a combat, that is, changing "Outside of combat" to "On the character's initiative".

Thx!
 


Diggus Rex

First Post
Caliban said:
"you're flat-footed any time you're not in combat" -This statement has not been proven to be true.

The right column of pg. 102 of the FAQ addresses a question of traps that use attack rolls. It's said that flat-footed AC is used, suggesting that in between combats you're flat-footed. I'd reason you go back to being flat-footed after the current combat ends, before you can take an action in your next combat.
 

Caliban

Rules Monkey
Diggus Rex said:
The right column of pg. 102 of the FAQ addresses a question of traps that use attack rolls. It's said that flat-footed AC is used, suggesting that in between combats you're flat-footed. I'd reason you go back to being flat-footed after the current combat ends, before you can take an action in your next combat.

Traps with attack rolls using your flat-footed AC is a FAQ ruling, nothing more. It simply suggests that being hit by a trap with an attack roll is like being attacked in the surprise round, not that you walk around flat-footed all the time by default.

The rules cover being flat-footed at the beginning of combat, not in between combats. Certain things can make you flat-footed (balancing, some spells), but they are all spelled out specifically.
 

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