How many free actions can you have a turn?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I'm trying to figure out how many free actions you are allowed to take a turn, but the SRD isn't very helpful. Does anyone know?

[MisterSaturnine]

I may be wrong, but I remember hearing you can take as many free actions as you like (during your turn) in some discussion about a gnome quickrazor.

[Melamoto]

Correct, although you can only have 1 quickened action per round, and a lot of actions that were free have been made into swift actions by other books.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I do remember vaguely the DMG saying something about the DM setting limits on free actions, but that's about it.

[hamishspence]

as many as the DM thinks appropiate.

Deities get to perform certain standard actions depending on their portfolio, as free actions, but, can only do so a number of times equal to their divine rank, per round. Suggesting that free actions should have "common-sense limitations"

You might rule laws of physics limit things.

[kamikasei]

It's entirely and deliberately at the DM's discretion. You can continue taking free actions up until he feels it's turning into abuse.

[Eloel]

as many as the DM thinks appropiate.

Deities get to perform certain standard actions depending on their portfolio, as free actions, but, can only do so a number of times equal to their divine rank, per round. Suggesting that free actions should have "common-sense limitations"

You might rule laws of physics limit things.
Like, talking is a free action, unless you're giving a speech or smt, you need to limit it to 6 seconds.

[Sinfire Titan]

I usually allow 5+Dex mod (min 5) free actions for things like Quick Draw and talking (limits speeches, and lets players know when they can take actions).

[RTGoodman]

You can use as many free actions a turn as you want, WITHIN REASON. It's up to you and your DM to decide what the "reasonable limits" on free actions are.


Free Action

Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free.


EDIT: Holy ninjas, batman! That's like, 6d6 Sudden Strike damage!

[lesser_minion]

A free action is anything that the system doesn't consider to take any time, effort or concentration worth noting. That means that they are unlimited, but the DM can impose limits if he feels they are being abused.

Basically, you're free to shout "The Prisoners are Escaping!", but not to recite your clan's entire war history.

Ninjas are no danger when there are this many of them...

[Glimbur]

I hope you're not asking so you can fast mount/dismount a string of horses.

Yeah, the only rule I have ever seen is "DM's Discretion".

[Curmudgeon]

It's entirely up to the DM. Certainly the limit is at least as many as it takes to draw all the daggers you can throw if you've got the Quick Draw feat, plus two (so you can start out empty-handed, do all your attacks, and fill both hands to prepare for attacks of opportunity).

4 primary hand attacks from BAB 16+
4 off-hand attacks from Two-Weapon Fighting ... Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting
1 extra from Rapid Shot
1 extra from Haste
2 more to fill your hands to prepare for AoOs
---
12 or more, just to enable the attacks the rules require for thrown weapons. And maybe you'd like to say a few words like "Aim for the Cleric!" to help out your teammates, too; that requires another free action.

There's no good reason to put a strict numerical limit on free actions, and plenty of rules reasons to not do so.

[Origomar]

I find it funny how speech is a free action, you could have written a 10 minute speech and it be a free action :)

[Thajocoth]

Edition wasn't specified so:

In 4th, as many as you want. whenever you want. (Doesn't even have to be your own turn.)

[Sinfire Titan]

I find it funny how speech is a free action, you could have written a 10 minute speech and it be a free action :)

Hence the reason I put a cap on it. One 15-30 word sentence takes a Free action, and can be done as part of another action. Any more than that is cutting into the next turn.

Telepathy, however, is instantaneous. You could convey the entire Gone with the Wind and War and Peace novels in a matter of seconds through mental telepathy. Then complain about how long those two are. It would just take a few seconds for the recipient to comprehend all of that, so there would be a lag.

[BobVosh]

I find it funny how speech is a free action, you could have written a 10 minute speech and it be a free action :)

Im pretty sure the text on that had a word limit of like 8 words per round.

I was going to check, but I only know how to find it in my PHB, not on the srd.

[quick_comment]

Hence the reason I put a cap on it. One 15-30 word sentence takes a Free action, and can be done as part of another action. Any more than that is cutting into the next turn.

Telepathy, however, is instantaneous. You could convey the entire Gone with the Wind and War and Peace novels in a matter of seconds through mental telepathy. Then complain about how long those two are. It would just take a few seconds for the recipient to comprehend all of that, so there would be a lag.

There is actually a spell that deals nonlethal damage and dazing by overwhelming the victim with a burst of knowledge, beamed in by telepathy.

[Curmudgeon]

Telepathy, however, is instantaneous. You could convey the entire Gone with the Wind and War and Peace novels in a matter of seconds through mental telepathy. Then complain about how long those two are. It would just take a few seconds for the recipient to comprehend all of that, so there would be a lag. You're making that up. Brains can't move information along very fast, because neurons to process that information only fire at a certain (fairly slow) rate.

There's nothing in the dictionary definition of telepathy (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/telepathy), and also nothing in the D&D rules, to suggest telepathic communication works substantially faster than speech; telepathy is never defined in D&D. Rary's Telepathic Bond merely states:
The creatures can communicate telepathically through the bond regardless of language. The DMG just uses the term in passing, also without definition:
PSIONICS

Telepathy, mental combat and psychic powers—psionics is a catchall word that describes special mental abilities possessed by various creatures. These are spell-like abilities that a creature generates from the power of its mind alone—no other outside magical force or ritual is needed. I've met plenty of people whose brains process information at slower than normal speaking rate, and not many whose brains operate substantially faster.

I call shenanigans.

[Sinfire Titan]

You're making that up. Brains can't move information along very fast, because neurons to process that information only fire at a certain (fairly slow) rate.

There's nothing in the dictionary definition of telepathy (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/telepathy), and also nothing in the D&D rules, to suggest telepathic communication works substantially faster than speech; telepathy is never defined in D&D. Rary's Telepathic Bond merely states: The DMG just uses the term in passing, also without definition: I've met plenty of people whose brains process information at slower than normal speaking rate, and not many whose brains operate substantially faster.

I call shenanigans.

I know the rules don't support it, but I always viewed Telepathy as being "Hey, I'm thinking of this!" and then sending the general thought to the person you want to hear it. They then get the same exact thought in their head.


Of course, I'm basing this off of Negima, not authentic versions of telepathy. Specifically, Nodoka's artifact for those interested. She uses the "Think about Pink Elephants" trick, then the book writes the thoughts down instantly.


That, and I'm normally the DM of my groups.

[RangerOfFortune]

There's the old "rail gun" trick:

Passing an item between characters in adjacent squares is a free action

Get a line of 100 or so people, shoulder to shoulder, and have them pass an arrow down the line.

The arrow moves a significant distance in a negligible amount of time. Using the classic formula, the velocity of the arrow would be astronoimicly fast.

= Railgun
:smallwink: RoF

[Zeful]

There's the old "rail gun" trick:

Passing an item between characters in adjacent squares is a free action

Get a line of 100 or so people, shoulder to shoulder, and have them pass an arrow down the line.

The arrow moves a significant distance in a negligible amount of time. Using the classic formula, the velocity of the arrow would be astronoimicly fast.

= Railgun
:smallwink: RoF

No it doesn't, the arrow does 1d6 damage with a range increment of 10ft. That's how throwing improvised weapons works, no matter how you get it delivered to you. The chuck E cheese runner could do thousands of d6 damage because there are no rules governing running that fast.


I know the rules don't support it, but I always viewed Telepathy as being "Hey, I'm thinking of this!" and then sending the general thought to the person you want to hear it. They then get the same exact thought in their head. Think the following line: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. How long did it take you do so? Now remember thinking that line. How long did that take. That's how I view telepathy working.


Of course, I'm basing this off of Negima, not authentic versions of telepathy. Specifically, Nodoka's artifact for those interested. She uses the "Think about Pink Elephants" trick, then the book writes the thoughts down instantly. Except Nodoka's artifact is a book, not a human mind, and simply doesn't count.

[RangerOfFortune]

Oh, the "railgun" gets shut down so hard in so many ways. It's more of a "one hand clapping" thing, to emphasize the lack of definition in the term "free action". And its kinda fun to think about.

As for the telepathy, it all depends on how you look at it. Some interpretations (most recently, Zeful's) are that is simply "talking without talking."

Other interpreations offer a more complex solution, where the knowledge that one wishes to convey is instantly "planted" in the receiver's mind. This means the parties involved can have an entire experience in the blink of an eye. Entire conversations or the knowledge of an entire book are only limited by the speed at which neurons fire.

I prefer the latter theory, but it is more intricate and requires a little more suspension of disbelief.

-RoF

[valadil]

The limit I've heard is 7 free actions per turn. No idea where that number originates but it seems to work.

[Deth Muncher]

It's more of a "one hand clapping" thing, to emphasize the lack of definition in the term "free action".

On nothing related to anything, I can, in fact, clap with one hand.

[Thajocoth]

On nothing related to anything, I can, in fact, clap with one hand.

Yes, but is it a free action to do so? That's the REAL question...

[Pandaren]

I believe it says somewhere that you can take as many free actions as you want, but only one free action of any one. As in, you can only use a talk action once per turn, or fast dismount once per turn.

["Quote"]

Can't find the quote, it dissappered.

A human brain is not capable of working that quickly, at least not consciously, while many subconscious thoughts may pass through your mind at any moment, shoving a book into your mind would not work. Can you understand a jumble of words coming at you in less than a millisecond? I thought not.


Even if this "conversation" was possible, it would occur so quickly, you would be unable to remember it.

[Zeful]

I believe it says somewhere that you can take as many free actions as you want, but only one free action of any one. As in, you can only use a talk action once per turn, or fast dismount once per turn. Nope, the only limit to free actions a round is the DM telling you that you've ran out


Can't find the quote, it dissappered. Here is the thing I believe you are reffering to.

Telepathy, however, is instantaneous. You could convey the entire Gone with the Wind and War and Peace novels in a matter of seconds through mental telepathy. Then complain about how long those two are. It would just take a few seconds for the recipient to comprehend all of that, so there would be a lag.



A human brain is not capable of working that quickly, at least not consciously, while many subconscious thoughts may pass through your mind at any moment, shoving a book into your mind would not work. Can you understand a jumble of words coming at you in less than a millisecond? I thought not. You could if the information was properly contextualized so you could recall it. But you couldn't use it without remembering it as if you experianced it, which no sane person would, because they don't try to dig up memories of books they've never read.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I ask because Riffington maintains that a monk will easily best a barbarian in ranged combat due to Deflect Arrows. His reasoning being that the monk can deflect arrows from the barbarian when one of his hands is empty.

For example, if the barbarian readies an action to shoot the monk when the monk's hands are full, the monk can drop his bow as a free action, draw a potion as a free action, drink potion as a standard, drop the potion, and pick up the bow again.

(He is assuming access to a potion belt)

I don't think he should count on this, as a DM might rule against doing this, either on the free action part or on the potion belt part.

[lesser_minion]

If swapping a weapon between hands is equivalent to drawing a weapon, how did they come up with the idea that passing an object to someone else is free?

An interesting argument. Basically, in a situation designed to invalidate every perk of the barbarian class but not every perk given to the monk, guess who wins.

But Deflect Arrows is really yet another reason why ranged combat is considered suboptimal.

Also, any attempt to actively use the bow would trigger the readied action. And one-handed crossbow use takes a penalty.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

An interesting argument. Basically, in a situation designed to invalidate every perk of the barbarian class but not every perk given to the monk, guess who wins.


Actually...
One of the barb's attack deals the same damage (factoring in miss percentage) as both of the monk's attacks, and the monk only has enough money for 4 healing potions. This heals 20 HP which is exactly the difference between a raging barbarian and the monk. So they end up roughly equal.

[#Raptor]

Correct, although you can only have 1 quickened action per round, and a lot of actions that were free have been made into swift actions by other books.

Epic casters with the Multispell feat can cast more than 1 quickend spell per round.