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Total Defense? What else can you do?
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<blockquote data-quote="Artoomis" data-source="post: 100538" data-attributes="member: 111"><p>This is a topic I've been looking at a bit lately for my Guide to Ambiguous Rules.</p><p></p><p>A few considerations:</p><p></p><p>1. Within the context of "A combatant doesn't attack or perform any other activity other than moving at base speed" what does "any "other activity" mean? I assume it means anything not a free action, at the least. The harshest interpretion would have you prohibited even from free actions and taking any AoOs you might otherwise be entitled to take.</p><p></p><p>2. Since Total Defense is a Standard Action, only one move should be allowed (also it says "move at base speed" which implies only your base speed, not a double move). Further, this move is not the move associated with Total Defense, but is the normal move you take in addition to your standard action.</p><p></p><p>3. From the SRD: "Move-Equivalent Action: Move-equivalent actions take the place of movement in a standard action or take the place of an entire partial action. The combatant can normally also take a 5 foot step." This would seem to imply you cannot take a Move-Equivalent action - though I think the PHB guidance may allow a Move-Equivalent action instead any move). In either case, since the Total Defense action states you can only MOVE, you would think that it means MOVE and not move-equivalent action.</p><p></p><p>4. I think you can take free actions and take advantage of AoO opportunities (as that is like a free action in that it does not count against any of your actions). I would be a littel more limiting in what free actions are allowed, heavy DM discretion is called for here.</p><p></p><p>Whether or not you can Tumble or Hide depends on how you think of those actions. </p><p></p><p>Tumble is part of a move and is a defensive manuever, so it sort of fits well and probably should be allowed.</p><p></p><p>I don't see how you can be actively defending yourself extra well and also hide. It seems couter-intuitive to me. However, the Hide skill seems to indicate you can always try unless you are being observed. So, if you are not being observed (or you succeed in a Bluff check I suppose you could try. Since you are using Total Defense, which I see as being quite active in your defense, you would get the standard -5 penalty to your Hide check, at the least.</p><p></p><p>edit: It appears that the Bluff check is a free action. It seems to me to be another action you are trying to do while using Total Defense, so you'd have to consider whether it is even allowed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Artoomis, post: 100538, member: 111"] This is a topic I've been looking at a bit lately for my Guide to Ambiguous Rules. A few considerations: 1. Within the context of "A combatant doesn't attack or perform any other activity other than moving at base speed" what does "any "other activity" mean? I assume it means anything not a free action, at the least. The harshest interpretion would have you prohibited even from free actions and taking any AoOs you might otherwise be entitled to take. 2. Since Total Defense is a Standard Action, only one move should be allowed (also it says "move at base speed" which implies only your base speed, not a double move). Further, this move is not the move associated with Total Defense, but is the normal move you take in addition to your standard action. 3. From the SRD: "Move-Equivalent Action: Move-equivalent actions take the place of movement in a standard action or take the place of an entire partial action. The combatant can normally also take a 5 foot step." This would seem to imply you cannot take a Move-Equivalent action - though I think the PHB guidance may allow a Move-Equivalent action instead any move). In either case, since the Total Defense action states you can only MOVE, you would think that it means MOVE and not move-equivalent action. 4. I think you can take free actions and take advantage of AoO opportunities (as that is like a free action in that it does not count against any of your actions). I would be a littel more limiting in what free actions are allowed, heavy DM discretion is called for here. Whether or not you can Tumble or Hide depends on how you think of those actions. Tumble is part of a move and is a defensive manuever, so it sort of fits well and probably should be allowed. I don't see how you can be actively defending yourself extra well and also hide. It seems couter-intuitive to me. However, the Hide skill seems to indicate you can always try unless you are being observed. So, if you are not being observed (or you succeed in a Bluff check I suppose you could try. Since you are using Total Defense, which I see as being quite active in your defense, you would get the standard -5 penalty to your Hide check, at the least. edit: It appears that the Bluff check is a free action. It seems to me to be another action you are trying to do while using Total Defense, so you'd have to consider whether it is even allowed. [/QUOTE]
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