Post by Zyraen on May 9, 2021 22:14:01 GMT 8
In great detail, to cover multiple possibilities
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Delay
- Resolve all start of turn effects which are negative, such as ongoing damage.
- Then decide to delay at the start of your turn. You do not get to change your role, and you are placed into delay. ( note until you come out of delay, your initiative does not actually change. See below)
- If you are stunned or unconscious at the start of your turn, you cannot delay.
- When you delay, all positive effects that would have ended at the end of your turn, end. All negative effects (if any that last until end of your turn), persist. You cannot make any saving throws to end a negative effect when you delay.
- After a creature takes it turn, you may come out of delay and take your turn. Your initiative is then set to immediately after the creature
- Delay does not require an interrupt, and thus even a dazed creature can delay. Being dazed, dominated, or even reduced to 0 HP does not end your delay.
- However, if for whatever reason (such as being knocked unconscious) you are still "in delay" when your initiative comes back up, that becomes your new actual turn and you suffer negative effects as usual (such as ongoing damage, death saving throws, etc)
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Ready
- Ready requires a standard action and an interrupt. You can ready a swift or move action, but it still uses up your standard action to put it into ready. ( like delay, until you actually take your ready action, your initiative does not actually change. see below ).
- You can use your swift action and move action before readying your standard, such as getting into position and buffing, for example. You can also take your turn as usual, then at the end of your turn spend 2 WP for Resurgence and an extra standard action, and ready that new standard action.
- When you ready an action, all positive effects that would have ended at the end of your turn, end. All negative effects (if any that last until end of your next turn), persist. You may not make a saving throw to end a negative effect when you ready an action.
- If you ready an action that would provoke an OA, it only provokes when the action is actually taken.
- If you ready an ability that would be expended, it is only used up when the action is actually taken.
- Readying an action requires declaring two parts : (i) an observable trigger must be declared, and (ii) the action to take must be declared.
(i) If a trigger cannot realistically be observed, it is not a valid trigger, or must be translated into an action that implies it is met. Example, Aglon declares that he takes (an action) when the kobold sorcerer's turn starts. Aglon does not know when the kobold sorcerer starts its turn, is it not observable, so the trigger becomes when the kobold sorcerer takes an action, that is his trigger to act. This may result in the kobold sorcerer actually attacking first, before Aglon takes his readied action. Also, if the kobold sorcerer is attacked and uses an interrupt to take an action (such as protecting himself with a spell), that is also the trigger for Aglon's action. However, if the said kobold sorcerer is his party member Zegs, Zegs can make it easy for his friend to tell when he starts his turn. This can be done by Zegs announcing so Aglon can hear "I'm starting my turn!" (not the most realistic thing to say, but this is an example), and Aglon can use that to take his readied action. However, Zegs may also decide not to declare so, perhaps he is hiding and making a loud noise like that would give his position away and end his stealth. To avoid ambiguity, triggers should always be observable.
(ii) The action to be taken must be declared in advance, and must be usable with standard action (or less). This includes specifying which ability it is, be it a common attack, common move, signature attack or signature move, etc. In addition, the target must also be specified. You can specify a target that is not yet visible, such as "when an enemy becomes visible"
- Once they are declared, both the trigger and the action cannot be changed.
- Note that enemies are not aware of the trigger, but (if the character is observable) can tell that the creature is readying to take some action. A creature readying a melee attack would have his weapon ready for the blow, while a creature readying an area-of-effect spell would be poised to complete and launch it.
- Note that the game does not use facing, and there is no need to specify it. However, for more specific triggers the GM may limit the observable area to a certain part of the battlemap, such as the door in front of the party. Also, the action can be specific, such as when (trigger), make an (specified) attack at a specific space.
- When you're readying an action, if your interrupt is used up (such as to use an ability to protect yourself) or lost (such as from being dazed, knocked unconscious, etc), the action that was readied is automatically lost.
- If you ready an action but lose the action (such as above) or the trigger is never met (or you choose not to take the action when it is met), when your initiative comes back up you take your new turn as usual.
- When the trigger is met, immediately after it is met, you may take your readied action. So if you readied an action that when an enemy moves adjacent to you, you slash him, then if you are charged and the creature moves adjacent to you, you attack once the movement is completed, before he gets to make his attack. But if you readied your slash for when an enemy attacks you, then the creature gets to attack you first, before you take your readied action.
- Another example, if Aglon readies a melee attack against an enemy when Berthold (by charging in) provides him flanking, then once Berthold is in position (his positioning being the trigger), Aglon makes his attack first, before Berthold. But if Aglon specifies that he readies his melee attack against an enemy when Berthold attacks the same enemy, then Berthold attacks first (the attack being the trigger), and Aglon attacks immediately after that.
- After your readied action has been taken, your initiative is then set to immediately before the triggering creature.
- Note that even if your triggering condition is met, you can choose not to take the action. However, you cannot change the trigger, and have to wait for the trigger to be met at a separate time before you can take the action (otherwise you don't take the readied action and it is effectively lost when your initiative comes back up)
- Occasionally, multiple characters may declare the same trigger. In such a case, the character with the highest initiative resolves his readied action first (or chooses not to take it), followed by the next highest, etc etc. If players are new to the game (or to readying) and want their characters to attack in a specific order, they should specify that their trigger is to attack after a specific party member has done so.
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Party Readying and Surprise
- Sometimes characters may ready an action, such that four members of the party ready to attack creatures beyond, while a fifth party member opens the door (as an example). In this case, effectively the party has surprise on whatever is beyond, but the one who opens the door has used his surprise action to open the door, and cannot attack.
- In any case, this is resolved by rolling initiative, where the initiative of the character - say, Aglon - opening the door is of great significance. All characters that go before Aglon in initiative trigger their ready action so that their initiative is immediately before Aglon's (if in doubt, it is the same numerical value in initiative). Those characters that have an initiative lower than Aglon's do not have to use their interrupt - essentially they are preparing to attack when the door opens, and then they attack.
- At the same time, (in this example) the creatures beyond the door also obey the rules of surprise, and are permitted perception checks (or conversely, the party makes a group stealth check against their perception) to not be surprised. They too roll initiative as normal, and those that are not surprised may also act in surprise round. Those who go before Aglon become aware someone is about to open the door, and can ready their actions accordingly, or can take their action now to move away.
- In any case, this may have a greater than apparent impact on the combat, in that essentially no member of the party has an initiative higher than Aglon's. So if Aglon rolled exceptionally low, it may mean some/all of the enemies get to go first in the first (non-surprise) round of combat.
- Of course, the same tactics can be used against the party. Locked doors or doors that have to be lockpicked open (or smashed) are also likely to generate enough noise so no meaningful surprise is had
- Since this is considered surprise round, if no creatures are surprised (all the creatures beyond the door are aware the PCs are present), there is no surprise round.
- This is quite a separate issue, but such tactics may also result in accidentally killing otherwise friendly/harmless creatures beyond the door, especially if the room beyond is dark and it is hard to make out what the creatures are, apart from the fact they are creatures. Even if the characters decide not to open fire, if the (otherwise friendly) creatures see the characters are about to attack, they might attack in self-defense!
=====
Delay
- Resolve all start of turn effects which are negative, such as ongoing damage.
- Then decide to delay at the start of your turn. You do not get to change your role, and you are placed into delay. ( note until you come out of delay, your initiative does not actually change. See below)
- If you are stunned or unconscious at the start of your turn, you cannot delay.
- When you delay, all positive effects that would have ended at the end of your turn, end. All negative effects (if any that last until end of your turn), persist. You cannot make any saving throws to end a negative effect when you delay.
- After a creature takes it turn, you may come out of delay and take your turn. Your initiative is then set to immediately after the creature
- Delay does not require an interrupt, and thus even a dazed creature can delay. Being dazed, dominated, or even reduced to 0 HP does not end your delay.
- However, if for whatever reason (such as being knocked unconscious) you are still "in delay" when your initiative comes back up, that becomes your new actual turn and you suffer negative effects as usual (such as ongoing damage, death saving throws, etc)
=====
Ready
- Ready requires a standard action and an interrupt. You can ready a swift or move action, but it still uses up your standard action to put it into ready. ( like delay, until you actually take your ready action, your initiative does not actually change. see below ).
- You can use your swift action and move action before readying your standard, such as getting into position and buffing, for example. You can also take your turn as usual, then at the end of your turn spend 2 WP for Resurgence and an extra standard action, and ready that new standard action.
- When you ready an action, all positive effects that would have ended at the end of your turn, end. All negative effects (if any that last until end of your next turn), persist. You may not make a saving throw to end a negative effect when you ready an action.
- If you ready an action that would provoke an OA, it only provokes when the action is actually taken.
- If you ready an ability that would be expended, it is only used up when the action is actually taken.
- Readying an action requires declaring two parts : (i) an observable trigger must be declared, and (ii) the action to take must be declared.
(i) If a trigger cannot realistically be observed, it is not a valid trigger, or must be translated into an action that implies it is met. Example, Aglon declares that he takes (an action) when the kobold sorcerer's turn starts. Aglon does not know when the kobold sorcerer starts its turn, is it not observable, so the trigger becomes when the kobold sorcerer takes an action, that is his trigger to act. This may result in the kobold sorcerer actually attacking first, before Aglon takes his readied action. Also, if the kobold sorcerer is attacked and uses an interrupt to take an action (such as protecting himself with a spell), that is also the trigger for Aglon's action. However, if the said kobold sorcerer is his party member Zegs, Zegs can make it easy for his friend to tell when he starts his turn. This can be done by Zegs announcing so Aglon can hear "I'm starting my turn!" (not the most realistic thing to say, but this is an example), and Aglon can use that to take his readied action. However, Zegs may also decide not to declare so, perhaps he is hiding and making a loud noise like that would give his position away and end his stealth. To avoid ambiguity, triggers should always be observable.
(ii) The action to be taken must be declared in advance, and must be usable with standard action (or less). This includes specifying which ability it is, be it a common attack, common move, signature attack or signature move, etc. In addition, the target must also be specified. You can specify a target that is not yet visible, such as "when an enemy becomes visible"
- Once they are declared, both the trigger and the action cannot be changed.
- Note that enemies are not aware of the trigger, but (if the character is observable) can tell that the creature is readying to take some action. A creature readying a melee attack would have his weapon ready for the blow, while a creature readying an area-of-effect spell would be poised to complete and launch it.
- Note that the game does not use facing, and there is no need to specify it. However, for more specific triggers the GM may limit the observable area to a certain part of the battlemap, such as the door in front of the party. Also, the action can be specific, such as when (trigger), make an (specified) attack at a specific space.
- When you're readying an action, if your interrupt is used up (such as to use an ability to protect yourself) or lost (such as from being dazed, knocked unconscious, etc), the action that was readied is automatically lost.
- If you ready an action but lose the action (such as above) or the trigger is never met (or you choose not to take the action when it is met), when your initiative comes back up you take your new turn as usual.
- When the trigger is met, immediately after it is met, you may take your readied action. So if you readied an action that when an enemy moves adjacent to you, you slash him, then if you are charged and the creature moves adjacent to you, you attack once the movement is completed, before he gets to make his attack. But if you readied your slash for when an enemy attacks you, then the creature gets to attack you first, before you take your readied action.
- Another example, if Aglon readies a melee attack against an enemy when Berthold (by charging in) provides him flanking, then once Berthold is in position (his positioning being the trigger), Aglon makes his attack first, before Berthold. But if Aglon specifies that he readies his melee attack against an enemy when Berthold attacks the same enemy, then Berthold attacks first (the attack being the trigger), and Aglon attacks immediately after that.
- After your readied action has been taken, your initiative is then set to immediately before the triggering creature.
- Note that even if your triggering condition is met, you can choose not to take the action. However, you cannot change the trigger, and have to wait for the trigger to be met at a separate time before you can take the action (otherwise you don't take the readied action and it is effectively lost when your initiative comes back up)
- Occasionally, multiple characters may declare the same trigger. In such a case, the character with the highest initiative resolves his readied action first (or chooses not to take it), followed by the next highest, etc etc. If players are new to the game (or to readying) and want their characters to attack in a specific order, they should specify that their trigger is to attack after a specific party member has done so.
=====
Party Readying and Surprise
- Sometimes characters may ready an action, such that four members of the party ready to attack creatures beyond, while a fifth party member opens the door (as an example). In this case, effectively the party has surprise on whatever is beyond, but the one who opens the door has used his surprise action to open the door, and cannot attack.
- In any case, this is resolved by rolling initiative, where the initiative of the character - say, Aglon - opening the door is of great significance. All characters that go before Aglon in initiative trigger their ready action so that their initiative is immediately before Aglon's (if in doubt, it is the same numerical value in initiative). Those characters that have an initiative lower than Aglon's do not have to use their interrupt - essentially they are preparing to attack when the door opens, and then they attack.
- At the same time, (in this example) the creatures beyond the door also obey the rules of surprise, and are permitted perception checks (or conversely, the party makes a group stealth check against their perception) to not be surprised. They too roll initiative as normal, and those that are not surprised may also act in surprise round. Those who go before Aglon become aware someone is about to open the door, and can ready their actions accordingly, or can take their action now to move away.
- In any case, this may have a greater than apparent impact on the combat, in that essentially no member of the party has an initiative higher than Aglon's. So if Aglon rolled exceptionally low, it may mean some/all of the enemies get to go first in the first (non-surprise) round of combat.
- Of course, the same tactics can be used against the party. Locked doors or doors that have to be lockpicked open (or smashed) are also likely to generate enough noise so no meaningful surprise is had
- Since this is considered surprise round, if no creatures are surprised (all the creatures beyond the door are aware the PCs are present), there is no surprise round.
- This is quite a separate issue, but such tactics may also result in accidentally killing otherwise friendly/harmless creatures beyond the door, especially if the room beyond is dark and it is hard to make out what the creatures are, apart from the fact they are creatures. Even if the characters decide not to open fire, if the (otherwise friendly) creatures see the characters are about to attack, they might attack in self-defense!