A couple quick questions about readied actions

[thecrimsondawn]

So if you declare you are readying an action for X, then your initiative order changes. If that event does not come to pass, when can you decide you are no longer readying said action? I would assume at will would be the answer, but that would make it the same as holding an action. Im a little confused about this, so I wanted to clear it up.
Also, vs various actions - If I was to ready vs approach, if the target I am readied for uses a move action to move next to me, his turn is interrupted, and my turn begins if I understand this properly. However, if I was to ready vs say - a charge attack, that movement and attack is part of the same action. Would that go off first, or would my turn that I have readied take priority?

Thanks in advance.

[Gallowglass]

So if you declare you are readying an action for X, then your initiative order changes. If that event does not come to pass, when can you decide you are no longer readying said action? I would assume at will would be the answer, but that would make it the same as holding an action. Im a little confused about this, so I wanted to clear it up.
Also, vs various actions - If I was to ready vs approach, if the target I am readied for uses a move action to move next to me, his turn is interrupted, and my turn begins if I understand this properly. However, if I was to ready vs say - a charge attack, that movement and attack is part of the same action. Would that go off first, or would my turn that I have readied take priority?

Thanks in advance.

When you are readying the action you are consuming the action.
On initiative 18 "I move to X,Y then consume my standard action to ready an attack if anyone comes within my threatened area."
On initiative 13 "The bugbear moves here which is within your threatened area..."
On initiative 13 "Okay, I attack the bugbear. I do 20 pts of damage."

Your initiative is now 13, right before the bugbear also on 13.

versus

On initiative 18 "I move to X,Y then consume my standard action to ready an attack if anyone comes within my threatened area."
the rest of the round. "No one moves into your threatened area."
On initiative 18 of round 2 "I am now stating my next round's action."

[Beheld]

Here are the 3.5 rules. If the Pathfinder rules differ in any way, they are almost certainly one more example of incompetent Pathfinder changes:


Readying an Action
You can ready a standard action, a move action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, any time before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.

You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don’t otherwise move any distance during the round.

So your initiative only changes if the readied action occurs. If it does not occur, you act again on your regular initiative, and can thus take normal actions at that time.

[Tuvarkz]

PF readied actions don't change initiative order. You keep your normal initiative the next round. Otoh, delaying your turn does change initiative.

[thecrimsondawn]

PF readied actions don't change initiative order. You keep your normal initiative the next round. Otoh, delaying your turn does change initiative.

Woah, what? Can I get a source for some RAW on this please? We have been playing this all wrong this whole time if that is true!

Edit: RAW on the readied actions, not delaying your action.

[Tuvarkz]

Woah, what? Can I get a source for some RAW on this please? We have been playing this all wrong this whole time if that is true!

Edit: RAW on the readied actions, not delaying your action.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Ready
Actually, it's the same as 3.5, like Beheld quoted. My bad, my first PF GM explained it to me like that, and never bothered looking up the specific ruling.

[thecrimsondawn]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Ready
Actually, it's the same as 3.5, like Beheld quoted. My bad, my first PF GM explained it to me like that, and never bothered looking up the specific ruling.

Thanks for that
So let me clear this up according to this.

If I declare a ready action and said event takes place that causes my action to happen, then my initiative changes since I acted during that moment and not my original.
If I ready an action and said even does NOT happen, then my initiative stays the same.
If I ready an action and that turn ends, but before my next round starts, and the action I am readied for takes place, then my initiative rises to the top of that list (since I skipped a whole turn more or less, much like delaying an action).

Are all of these correct?