Very, very strange rule change in Pathfinder?

[SangoProduction]

So...In 3.5, readying an action just took the action you're going to ready. In Pathfinder, it takes a standard action, as I was told in my pathfinder game (and confirmed). Why did this happen? Was kiting in 3.5 too OP?

[tyckspoon]

You've either been playing with a houserule for quite some time or misread the 3.5 rules; readying is a standard action in 3.5 as well. You could ready a 'lesser' (ie, a move or Swift) action if you wanted, but the actual action of Readying has always been a Standard.

[SangoProduction]

You've either been playing with a houserule for quite some time or misread the 3.5 rules; readying is a standard action in 3.5 as well. You could ready a 'lesser' (ie, a move or Swift) action if you wanted, but the actual action of Readying has always been a Standard.

Ah, its action is under Ready header, instead of the Readying an Action header. My bad. Well, nvm. That's just a strange rule then.

[Ignimortis]

Then how does it work? If you use up a standard action to ready a standard action, I assume it's the same action, not two separate ones, but if you use a standard action to ready a move action or a swift action, do you retain your "normal" move/swift actions, in essence "trading in" your standard for another of those "lesser" actions? Or are you unable to ready an action to make a standard action unless you can make 2+ standard actions per turn?

[Mendicant]

You retain your normal actions, which are taken on your original initiative count in the same turn you readied the action. Then, if the triggering event happens, you take whatever action you readied and reset your initiative.

[Necroticplague]

If you use up a standard action to ready a standard action, I assume it's the same action, not two separate ones, but if you use a standard action to ready a move action or a swift action, do you retain your "normal" move/swift actions, in essence "trading in" your standard for another of those "lesser" actions?

Yes, that's exactly how that works.

[noob]

So the ruby knight power of spending a standard action and turn attempts for getting an extra swift was already possible without that power and without spending turns attempts?

[Psyren]

So the ruby knight power of spending a standard action and turn attempts for getting an extra swift was already possible without that power and without spending turns attempts?

Not quite. Readied actions can only happen when it's not your turn. So if you want two Swifts in the same turn, Readying a Swift won't help you.


Ready

The ready action lets you prepare to take an action later, after your turn is over but before your next one has begun. Readying is a standard action. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity (though the action that you ready might do so).

Why this matters: if you wanted to, say, get two swifts and a move action, you would not be able to get both swifts before your move. You would need to ready the first swift, use the second one, use your move action and then end your turn, at which point whatever triggering condition you set on the first swift would be eligible to fire. If you tried to get them both before using your move, you would have to end your turn to get the second one, and thus waste your move action.

[Mendicant]

Plus, readied actions generally come with at least a small risk of not firing, and they also shuffle you around in the initiative count, which isn't necessarily great either.

[Calthropstu]

Plus, readied actions generally come with at least a small risk of not firing, and they also shuffle you around in the initiative count, which isn't necessarily great either.

I ready a swift action to trigger at the time anyone other than me performs any form of action.
If that doesn't trigger, congrats you get another free turn.

[Psyren]

I ready a swift action to trigger at the time anyone other than me performs any form of action.
If that doesn't trigger, congrats you get another free turn.

You have to specify what you're doing. You can't just "ready a swift action." It has to be "I'll change my stance" or "I'll reallocate my essentia" or "I'll cast a quickened spell."

[Mendicant]

I ready a swift action to trigger at the time anyone other than me performs any form of action.
If that doesn't trigger, congrats you get another free turn.

Sure, per RAW you can absolutely phrase your "readied" action's trigger to be something that lets you get a bonus swift that functionally happens during your normal turn. If that actually flies with your table, though, then you probably could have just asked. I suspect it's a real narrow cross-section of tables that is ok with two swifts per round, but only if you get them with cheese.