Altair_the_Vexed
2009-09-11, 02:57 AM
By the RAW, one can take two move actions, one move and a standard action, or a full round action in one round. All actions happen on your initiative, unless you Ready or Delay your action.
I've never been entirely happy with "All actions happen on your initiative".
This idea first came up after we played a bunch of 1st Ed AD&D with its segments of time in the round, and because some of my players have a terrible time thinking of what to do in combat, and would rather wait and see what happens.
Here's the idea: You may Delay (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/dnd35/soveliorsage/initiativeActions.html) in the middle of your turn (i.e. between your first and second actions). You may delay both your first and second action. You can still delay at the start of your turn, taking up to a full round action later in the round. The rest of the rule works as normal (your initiative changes and you can't interrupt anyone with your delayed action).
Ready stays the same - you must spend a standard action and you can interrupt the action that triggers you. It is already implied in this rule that you can take a move action before you ready another action.
We've been using this system in practice for a while in my games, only recently formalising it. No-one has abused it - it's mainly for those uncertain times in the initiative when you really need to one thing now, but are left with an action to take that really needs to be chosen after things pan out in the rest of the round.
Can you see any reason why this is a bad idea?
I've never been entirely happy with "All actions happen on your initiative".
This idea first came up after we played a bunch of 1st Ed AD&D with its segments of time in the round, and because some of my players have a terrible time thinking of what to do in combat, and would rather wait and see what happens.
Here's the idea: You may Delay (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/dnd35/soveliorsage/initiativeActions.html) in the middle of your turn (i.e. between your first and second actions). You may delay both your first and second action. You can still delay at the start of your turn, taking up to a full round action later in the round. The rest of the rule works as normal (your initiative changes and you can't interrupt anyone with your delayed action).
Ready stays the same - you must spend a standard action and you can interrupt the action that triggers you. It is already implied in this rule that you can take a move action before you ready another action.
We've been using this system in practice for a while in my games, only recently formalising it. No-one has abused it - it's mainly for those uncertain times in the initiative when you really need to one thing now, but are left with an action to take that really needs to be chosen after things pan out in the rest of the round.
Can you see any reason why this is a bad idea?