Standing up from crouching a free or ME action?

[drnuncheon]

So arrow slits give you +4 AC? Or is there more that's being left out?

From PHB 152:

Varying Degrees of Cover: In some cases, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. For instance, a character peering around a corner or hrough an arrow slit has even better cover than a character standing behind a low wall or an obstacle. In such situations, the DM can double the normal cover bonuses to AC (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with this improved cover effectively has improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save applies. Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on Hide checks.

There's also a note that 'soft' cover, like an opponent, doesn't help your Reflex saves.

J

 

[Dimwhit]

quote:
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Originally posted by Dimwhit
What?!?! I'd be interested to hear the rational behing that one.
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Simplicity.

If you have a problem with it - join the growing line of people who want to kick Andy in the head.

- Ma'at

I was never under the impression that it was complicated to begin with. I thought it was rather nice how they did it. Sometimes simplicity is the worst reason to make a change. Too much simplicity can ruin an otherwise fine game mechanic. Such as this one.

 

[TabulaRasa]

This is incorrect. A spellcaster casting a summon monster spell is under this limitation, but a sorcerer casting metamagic only needs to use the equivalent of a melee full attack action to cast and still have his 5-foot step.

Can you please give a quote on this. I cant find it anywhere. And I' am having a ongoing discussion about that. It would bee nice to have a quote to back that up.

/Tabula

 

[Jai Kel]

Yeah! I like it.

My group was always getting tied up in the particulars of finding cover. Now they can simply "duck behind the table", or "flatten against the column" instead of starting off tangential debates about exactly how much cover they have...

There's only two kinds of cover in 3.5: "cover" and "total cover". Cover gives a +4 bonus and total cover means you can't be targeted. Gone are the days of 1/4 cover, or 9/10 cover, or whatever.

So in the situation above, I'd give the sorcerer his +4 cover bonus and allow him to cast. If he wanted to drop prone behind the wall, then he has total cover but he can't cast.

Since "crouching" isn't covered in the rules I just assume that a character always crouches, leans, stands sideways, or does whatever else is necessary to get the most benefit out of this cover. It all results in the same +4 cover bonus (or total cover).

Note that when a sorcerer uses a meta-magic feat on a spell that normally takes a standard action, the spell becomes a full round action. That means that the spell starts on his turn on round 1, and is completed *just before* his turn on round 2. Whatever that sorcerer does, he'll be a target from the end of his action on the first round until the start of his action on the second round.

-z

 

[drnuncheon]

Can you please give a quote on this. I cant find it anywhere. And I' am having a ongoing discussion about that. It would bee nice to have a quote to back that up.

3.5 PHB, p 88: "If the spell's normal casting time is 1 action, casting a metamagic version is a full-round action for a sorcerer or bard. (This isn't the same as a 1-round casting time, as described under Cast a Spell, page 143)"

For 3.0, I believe it's clarified in the FAQ.

J

 

[Hypersmurf]

For 3.0, I believe it's clarified in the FAQ.

It's quite clear in the PHB. It's just that nobody ever realises how clear it is the first dozen times they read it

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

It's quite clear in the PHB. It's just that nobody ever realises how clear it is the first dozen times they read it

-Hyp.

Depends. Some people like to ask questions that are explicitely answered on the first 10 pages of the old PHB.