Splash Weapons and how long they take

[heirodule]

Did these get serioulsy hindered in 3.5? As I read it, the actions you need to use one means it takes three rounds to start, and then you'd do it every other round

Round 1. Move action: retrieve stored splash weapon
Round 2. Full-round action: prepare splash weapon
Round 3. Standard action: throw splash weapon. Move action, draw another

I though the point of alchemist fire was that you didn't have to "prepare it" by stuffing a rag in the bottle and lighting it, but that you just tossed it.

What am I doing with the acid flask or alch fire that I wouldn't do with a rock or a thunderstone?

 

[Kyrail]

Free Action if you have it on your belt, which you should if you plan on using it as a weapon.

 

[argo]

Free Action if you have it on your belt, which you should if you plan on using it as a weapon.

Um, only if you happen to have the Quick Draw feat. Drawing a splash weapon is no different than drawing any other weapon.

As to the origional question. You do not have to "ready" a item that is designated as a splash weapon. You draw the item normally (move action that can be combined with a move or a free action if you have the Quick Draw feat) and throw it as an attack action (meaning a standard action if you are throwing one but if you have more than one attack and the quickdraw feat you can full-attack with splash weapons as a full-round action)

The exception to this, and the source of your confusion unless I miss my guess, is that some items which are not in fact splash weapons can be used as splash weapons if you spend a full round preparing them. Namely, you can spend a full round to prepare a flask of oil to be thrown as a splash weapon. In this case you are stuffing a wick in its bottle and lighting it, which is not the intended use of a flask of oil. However alchemists fire, acid and holy water are all "ready to go" and require no prep.

Hope that helps.

 

[Len]

The confusion comes from table 8-2, I think, which lists "Prepare to throw a splash weapon" as a full-round action. There's nothing there to say that only applies to oil flasks. But "prepare" seems to mean "only for oil flasks etc. that need to be prepared before they're thrown".

Note that if it always took a full round to prepare a splash weapon, an oil flask would take two rounds to prepare, because it works like alchemist's fire but with an additional full round to prepare the fuse. That sure doesn't seem right.