Action Sillyness?

[shadow_archmagi]

1So, it occured to me that speaking to an opponent (25 words) is a free action.
2Casting a spell with a somatic component is a standard action.
3Activating a magic item with a command phrase can be a move action, right?

So my cleric can be saying

1. "IT IS A PARALYZINGLY SURPRISING OCCURRENCE TO DISCOVER THAT MY LINEAGE CONTAINS SUCH A SCOUNDREL AS YOU. DESIST IN YOUR VIOLENCE!"

2. "Oh thor please smite this jerk with fire or something?"

3. "FLY MY MAGIC PANTS FLY"

All in six seconds?

[dsmiles]

Huh.

Never thought about it that way.

[Claudius Maximus]

Activating a command word item is a standard action, not a move action.

[Person_Man]

There is a long tradition of talking as a free action in roleplaying games, comics, and fantasy/sci-fi in general. It allows plot and characterization without effecting crunch. Trust me, it's a good thing.

[drengnikrafe]

By rushing my words, I was able to say all of them within 6 seconds. It was a little bit uncomfortable, but possible.

For other action sillyness, see the Commoner Railgun, but rather than a stick, make it a note, and rather than having just a few thousand, have an infinite number (somehow). Send messages faster than light speed.

[lsfreak]

There is one exception to 'Talking Is a Free Action' being good, and that's when you get into word-activated Contigencies. You can speak as a free action, even when it's not your turn, and can technically do it flat-footed as well. So, as soon as anything happens, yell 'Stop! Hammertime!' as a free action, out-of-turn, while flat-footed, and give yourself Time Stop.

EDIT: Of course, I'm not saying this isn't something that shouldn't be Rule 0'ed, just like command-word items are arbitrarily standard actions.