Immediate Reactions

[Abraxas]

Does anyone know if the designer's reasoning for not allowing Immediate Actions on a character's turn is discussed in an article somewhere that I could read?

We had a couple issues come up related to the "no immediate action" on your turn rule that just seem strange.

1) All the PC powers / Item powers with immediate reactions triggered by melee attacks that can't be used when the PC is subject to an opportunity attack.

2) Immediate actions that trigger when taking damage and starting in a zone that causes damage.

We had PCs in both situations, and not being able to use an immediate reaction had a significant impact on the way things played out.

 

[Zaphling]

afaik, immediate actions always effect on other's turns. Since it's a reaction or interrupt, it also means a 'response'. You can't respond to your own actions right? you need an external entity to initiate something in order to respond.

about your point number 2, i think it's a valid reason,but again, refer to my initial reason above.

 

[OnlineDM]

I'd be really interested to hear other people's thoughts on this. It's an intriguing question.

[MENTION=89462]Zaphling[/MENTION], the first example that Abraxas gives is:
-PC moves past a monster on PC's turn
-The monster takes an opportunity attack against PC
-PC wants to use an immediate action to respond to the opportunity attack, but it not allowed to do so.

So, it's still responding to another creature's action, not its own.

 

[Skyscraper]

Can you refer to where the rules state that immediate actions cannot be used during a player's turn? I wasn't aware of that rule.

Thanks,

Sky

 

[OnlineDM]

I don't have my books with me right now, but it's in the online Compendium under the definition of "Immediate Action". Specifically:

Once per Round: You can take only one immediate action per round, either an immediate interrupt or an immediate reaction. If you take an immediate action, you can't take another one until the start of your next turn, but you can't take an immediate action on your own turn.

 

[Matt James]

Things can get really messy, really quick. That being said, in your home game, do what is the most fun.

I can, however, see the deliberate use of specific actions just to get the immediate action to trigger. Monsters will get obliterated rather quickly, causing the DM to have to further mutate their game to make it challenging.

 

[Redbadge]

Our group got rid of this rule long ago, after an encounter in which the party used readied actions to completely circumvent a dracolich's Mesmerizing Glare (an immediate interrupt and its only good ability). Also, the fighter's mark, wizard's shield, and several other abilities were too often negated by readied actions, opportunity attacks, or other common occurrences. So we just ignore that rule, and I haven't found anything to come up that necessitated anything close to it.

 

[Matt James]

Our group got rid of this rule long ago, after an encounter in which the party used readied actions to completely circumvent a dracolich's Mesmerizing Glare (an immediate interrupt and its only good ability). Also, the fighter's mark, wizard's shield, and several other abilities were too often negated by readied actions, opportunity attacks, or other common occurrences. So we just ignore that rule, and I haven't found anything to come up that necessitated anything close to it.

In your home game, would you allow one of your players to ready an action, move, and then spend an action point on a separate action--just to then allow the readied action to go off? I can see some very interesting and overpowered combinations with this.

 

[Redbadge]

In your home game, would you allow one of your players to ready an action, move, and then spend an action point on a separate action--just to then allow the readied action to go off? I can see some very interesting and overpowered combinations with this.

I don't know; it's never come up. Though I do find it hard to imagine a scenario in which readying an action and then subsequently triggering it in the same turn would be much more powerful than taking the standard action in the first place.

Honestly, I'd address it if and when it came up. But careful, my players might be reading this and you might give them... ideas.

 

[Matt James]

If a power has a conditional effect, the condition can be met if they ready the action and then use their action point to meet the requirement. Granted, if your group is working just fine as is, there is no reason to change it because of the possibility. Do what generates the most fun. If that means allow immediate actions during their turn, I'm all for it. Sadly, my group cannot have this type of leeway without me having to overhaul other systems (such as monster design)