[3.5] Can you combine Nerveskitter and a Belt of Battle?

[feyanor]

Ok,
I've heard a few ppl describing their first round of combat as winning initiative using(among other things) nerveskitter and then using a belt of battle in their first turn.


Nerveskitter is an immediate Action, which according to Wotc(http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_immediateaction&alpha=)
uses the swift action for the players next turn.

A Belt of Battle uses a swift(mental) Action.

So am I wrong in assuming you can't use a Belt of Battle in your first round of combat, if you used Nerveskitter to raise your initiative?


Thanks in advance.

[Malachei]

Yes, I'd say so by RAW. You could argue that you can take a longer time to activate a magic item than it actually needs to, but I'd not know any RAW basis for this, and with swift actions being more valuable than move actions, for instance, I'd actually consider trading action types a sensitive issue.

[feyanor]

Ok, just as a clarification.

You think it could be done if you allowed the player to use the belt of battle as either a move or standard action instead of the usual swift action?

[Malachei]

Ok, just as a clarification.

You think it could be done if you allowed the player to use the belt of battle as either a move or standard action instead of the usual swift action?

Yes, but I'd not know a RAW basis for this. It would be a houserule. As Belt of Battle is a really strong item with a significant impact on the action economy, and Nerveskitter is (for a 1st level spell) a pretty good investment which also affects the action economy, I'd not allow it.

[A_S]

As far as I know, there's no RAW way to get additional swift actions except for Ruby Knight Vindicator's class feature. So, no, you can't combine them. I would view it as a reasonable house rule to allow a standard action to be dropped for a swift, but it would definitely be a house rule.

[feyanor]

Question answered perfectly !

Thanks a lot =)!

[Trasilor]

Ok,
I've heard a few ppl describing their first round of combat as winning initiative using(among other things) nerveskitter and then using a belt of battle in their first turn.


Nerveskitter is an immediate Action, which according to Wotc(http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_immediateaction&alpha=)
uses the swift action for the players next turn.

A Belt of Battle uses a swift(mental) Action.

So am I wrong in assuming you can't use a Belt of Battle in your first round of combat, if you used Nerveskitter to raise your initiative?


Thanks in advance.

Wait a second....isn't Nerveskitter a broken spell (as it doesn't work as written)? Correct me if I am wrong, but it requires using a spell during the initiative phase of combat when all participants are flat-footed. Per RAW, you cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed. How does one cast this spell?

To answer your Nerveskitter / Belt of Battle question, that is correct. You cannot use an Immediate action and a Swift action in the same round.

[Big Fau]

Wait a second....isn't Nerveskitter a broken spell (as it doesn't work as written)? Correct me if I am wrong, but it requires using a spell during the initiative phase of combat when all participants are flat-footed. Per RAW, you cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed. How does one cast this spell?

To answer your Nerveskitter / Belt of Battle question, that is correct. You cannot use an Immediate action and a Swift action in the same round.

Nerveskitter has a special exception listed in the text,

[Flickerdart]

Wait a second....isn't Nerveskitter a broken spell (as it doesn't work as written)? Correct me if I am wrong, but it requires using a spell during the initiative phase of combat when all participants are flat-footed. Per RAW, you cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed. How does one cast this spell?
Specific beats general. Nerveskitter specifies that it is cast before initiative is rolled, so that's when it's cast, even though you normally couldn't cast at that time.

[feyanor]

It was errata'ed in the Spell Compendium errata to be useable while being flat footed.

[Malachei]

Wait a second....isn't Nerveskitter a broken spell (as it doesn't work as written)? Correct me if I am wrong, but it requires using a spell during the initiative phase of combat when all participants are flat-footed. Per RAW, you cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed. How does one cast this spell?

To answer your Nerveskitter / Belt of Battle question, that is correct. You cannot use an Immediate action and a Swift action in the same round.

From the Spell Compendium errata:


Page 146 – Nerveskitter [Omission]
The spell is missing some explanatory text the spell description. Insert this sentence after the first. “Unlike other immediate actions, you can cast this spell while flat-footed.”