Retrieving Scrolls and Quick Draw

[Zaruthustran]

The Rule says weapon, and that's that.

However... like others, I'd take that to mean that the feat applies to anything that's as accessible as a weapon. So, you could quickdraw a wand, potion, whatever--anything on your belt or slung over your shoulder. This works great for wands (point and shoot), but not so great for potions, scrolls, or anything else that you have to open/unfurl/read/uncork/etc.

Related question: if you allow quickdraw to apply to wands and such, would you extend the "can draw a weapon during a move as a free action" rule to such items?

-z

 

[Fisk]

I mean if a guy can find a scroll on his person, pull it out, unfurl it, and then read it in 6 secs normally!! then I'd say allowing quickdraw from it is not a big stretch at all

Well then if a guy can pull out a weapon and swing it in 6 sec normarlly.... then why have Quick draw at all?

 

[IceBear]

Well then if a guy can pull out a weapon and swing it in 6 sec normarlly.... then why have Quick draw at all?

He can.

Quickdraw is there in case you want to use a full attack option or if you want to quickly switch from a bow (or reach weapon).

Without quickdraw, it takes a move-eq action to draw the weapon (this can be combined with an actual move if you have +1 BAB). All quickdraw does is to turn that into a free action, and I've yet to see any player take it. That's why I'm kinda lenient with it's use - *within reason*

IceBear

 

[Stalker0]

He can.

Quickdraw is there in case you want to use a full attack option or if you want to quickly switch from a bow (or reach weapon).

Without quickdraw, it takes a move-eq action to draw the weapon (this can be combined with an actual move if you have +1 BAB). All quickdraw does is to turn that into a free action, and I've yet to see any player take it. That's why I'm kinda lenient with it's use - *within reason*

IceBear

I've seen plenty of players take it, its a very nice feat after some of the core feats are covered.

Personally I say all the wand stuff is in the rules. A wand can count as a club, so can a lot of things. And those scolls, man that unfurling rod can hurt!!!

 

[Caliban]

Just get a Heward's Handy Haversack. You can pull anything out of it as a free action.

 

[IceBear]

Just get a Heward's Handy Haversack. You can pull anything out of it as a free action.

Too slow there Caliban - kreynolds beat you to that one

IceBear

 

[Caliban]

Too slow there Caliban - kreynolds beat you to that one

IceBear

Damn, and I skimmed the posts to see if anyone had mentioned it yet. Must have missed it.

 

[coyote6]

would you extend the "can draw a weapon during a move as a free action" rule to such items?

For wands, yes, I already have. Assuming they are stored in a reasonable manner -- the characters that I allowed to do it wore bandoliers or the like to store their wands in.

I've been harsher with scrolls, though, since they do seem to me to require a bit more work (and care -- don't want to rip it) to deploy.

Though I could probably be persuaded to allow a scroll organizer to work, or at least some sort of improved version (a masterwork scroll organizer, maybe).

At worst, a new cheap magic item -- Heward's handy scroll dispenser.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I don't think I'm underrating Quickdraw at all. I have a character who uses quickdraw quite regularly. It's a minor advantage--worthwhile if you play the kind of character who uses it but at most it nets a character a few extra attacks every few combats (Two Weapon Fighters, characters in surprise rounds without drawn weapons, characters beginning a combat in melee range with undrawn weapons who are either two weapon fighters of have BAB 6+, characters switching weapons who are either two weapon fighters or have BAB 6+ will get one or more attacks that they would not get without quickdraw). So it has its uses.

But, IME, it doesn't change the course of combats like Spirited Charge does or substitute for haste (Expert Tactician in some cases) or allow a sneak attack every round (Quicker than the Eye--which some DMs allow to trigger Expert Tactician as well doubling the usefulness of it). Even if you get a conga line of blind kobolds, it won't allow a Supreme Cleaving Master Samurai to break the sound barrier. Nor can it be combined with dodgy rules interpretations, a bucket of snails, and whirlwind attack to break games like Great Cleave can.

As you and others point out, there are common magic items that allow people to get scrolls as a free action (HHH) and nonmagical FR items (masterwork bandolier). I don't see much likelihood that allowing quickdraw to substitute for either item will break any games. As I admitted in the beginning, interpreting the feat in strict accordance with the core rules, does not permit the quickdrawing of scrolls or potions. But allowing it to do so won't break games.

Ooh, I think you underrate quickdraw pretty severely. Frankly, if the dm enforces the "drawing weapons is a MEA" rule, the quickdraw feat becomes highly useful in any combat that breaks out at close range once you have multiple attacks- and this could be as early as first level for a two-weapon fighter.

On the topic of quickdrawing scrolls: I wouldn't allow it, but I wouldn't have a problem with a character taking a feat that allowed scrolls to be readied as a free action. However, I also agree with kreynolds that a common magic item saves you a feat for other things; it's prolly a better investment.

 

[tburdett]

He can.

Quickdraw is there in case you want to use a full attack option or if you want to quickly switch from a bow (or reach weapon).

Without quickdraw, it takes a move-eq action to draw the weapon (this can be combined with an actual move if you have +1 BAB). All quickdraw does is to turn that into a free action, and I've yet to see any player take it. That's why I'm kinda lenient with it's use - *within reason*

IceBear

Every melee character in my campaign has this feat. I haven't seen a melee character yet who hasn't, at some point, taken this feat.