Questions about [Ready an Action]

[hirahito]

On page 160 of the PHB it states that the READY action allows you to delay a standard action until some trigger event occurs (I didn't repost the rules here for brevity's sake, I'm assuming everyone has access to the rules). Further, it states that the Ready action is, itself, a standard action and allows you to delay a standard, move, or swift action for use if and when the trigger event occurs. This isn't really the debating point.


What I have questions about is - Can a Ready event be coupled with a move and / or swift action which occurs at the initial initiative order? In other words, can I move, do a swift action and then Ready an action based on some trigger event?


It has been broached at one of my gaming groups that rounds cannot be 'split' in 3.5 and thus, this is an illegal action. Try as I might I cannot find any clear cut text in the rules saying this can be done other than rules on page 5 which covers the basic combat round.


Anyone have any insight and / or arguments to decisively argue one way or the other? Any serious discourse would be welcome! Thanks in advance!

 

[Vegepygmy]

In other words, can I move, do a swift action and then Ready an action based on some trigger event?

Yes.

It has been broached at one of my gaming groups that rounds cannot be 'split' in 3.5 and thus, this is an illegal action.

The Ready action rules are a specific exception to the general rules.

Anyone have any insight and / or arguments to decisively argue one way or the other?

Sure, it's really quite simple. If you weren't intended to be able to "split" your turn using the Ready action, Readying wouldn't be a standard action, it would be a full-round action.

There's absolutely no reason for it to be a standard action OTHER than to allow such "splitting."

 

[delericho]

Yeah, what Vegepygmy said.

 

[Grogg of the North]

In the readying rules, it talks about how you can include a five foot step with your ready action, provided you haven't moved yet that turn. So, in a round about way, the rules specifically state that you can move and ready.

A good example of this would be moving to the door and readying an action to shut it once your friends were through.