Partial actions and running

[zyzzyr]

Hi again,

I'm personally not a fan of "standard, move or move-equivalent, and partial" actions. I find it overly confusing.

Can I equate a move-equivalent action to a partial action?

Specifically, can I attack, then run (x2 movement), only in a straight line of course - as my full action?

I'm not gaining another attack (as I would if I was trying to grab a partial charge instead), so that's not a problem.

Or can I cast a spell, then run (x2 movement) in a straight line? I would have assumed that the trade off between a regular move vs. partial run would be that it has to be a straight line.

Any help would be appreciated.

zyzzyr

 

[mikebr99]

You can attack (std. action) and move (1x movement) in your round without being hasted. If you were hasted you could attack, move, and move again as your extra partial action due to haste.

Partial actions are only completed during a partial action... such as when you are hasted and get an extra one or when you are slowed and ONLY get a partial action per round.

Running is a full action and allows you to move at 4x movement.

A double move is also a full action and allows you to move a 2x movement.

 

[dcollins]

No.
Attacking (or casting a spell) is a standard action, which allows only a normal move with it. (PH p. 122).
Running is a full-round action, which requires it to be entirely disjoint (PH p. 127).

A partial action is significantly more potent than a move action (see PH p. 127); you certainly can't trade the latter for the former.

 

[zyzzyr]

Hmm

Well, I suppose this then falls more under the realm of house rules.

E.g. Assume I want to get a potion out of my sack (move-equiv). I have a move left. Any particular reason it can't be a partial run (x2)? Logically, that is? I can't really see one.

I can definitely see why you can't have an attack, then any partial action (including partial charge, attack, or cast a 1-action spell!) And I can also see why you can't have a move, then a partial charge.

However, I see no real thematic reason why a partial run can't be allowed - with the explicit restriction that it must be in a straight line. You'd also lose your dex bonus to AC.

Any thoughts?

thanks,

zyzzyr

 

[dcollins]

That, too, is against the rules. You don't get to trade the action part of a standard action for a partial action, either -- rules-wise there's no difference between a partial charge (which you admit would be distasteful) and a partial run.

From the Official FAQ, p. 31:

You don’t get a move-equivalent action plus a partial action
as your turn. You get either a standard action (which does not
allow a 5-foot step), a full-move action (which allows a 5-foot
step if the action itself doesn’t include movement), or a partial
action (which also allows a 5-foot step if the action doesn’t
include movement).

 

[hong]

Here's a nice rule of thumb that someone mentioned on rgfd. Think of a move-equivalent action as taking 45% of a full round, and a partial action as 55%. Thus anything that requires a MEA you can also do as a partial action, but not vice-versa.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Re: Hmm

E.g. Assume I want to get a potion out of my sack (move-equiv). I have a move left. Any particular reason it can't be a partial run (x2)? Logically, that is? I can't really see one.

Run is a full-round action. Partial run is a partial action. As mentioned often enough, you cannot chooose to take a partial action, it only occurs when you're somehow hasted, slowed, ready an action and in a couple of other situations (like staggered with 0 hp)

I would probably to a house rule where you combine drawing something out with a move equivalent action (just like it's possible with drawing a weapon) - provided it's more or less handy. If it's on your belt or something, it's no problem. If it's at the bottom of your rucksack, forget it. Drinking the potion would not work while running, though.

However, I see no real thematic reason why a partial run can't be allowed - with the explicit restriction that it must be in a straight line. You'd also lose your dex bonus to AC.

For the simple reason that you can't take partial actions instead of standard actions. They're specially there for those situations where you can't take full-round action it's derived from (if you're hasted, you can run as a full round action and have another partial action - if there was no partial run you'd have to slow down for a portion of a round)