readying an action

[dorisfrog]

for dungeons & dragons third edition
when you ready an action can you also move and attack as a readying action is a standard action ?
cheers

[Person_Man]

Strait from the SRD:

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).


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.

You can move, and then ready an attack. But you cannot move and attack as your readied action.

[Ikkitosen]

You can move, and then ready an attack. But you cannot move and attack as your readied action.

Note that a readied action can include a 5' step, but presumably only if you qualify to take one (i.e. you take no other movement in the round).

[Gerrtt]

You can ready an action to charge (which is an attack that involves moving), and that's about as close as you get to doing both.

[Jack Mann]

Partial charge only.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

You can ready an action to charge (which is an attack that involves moving), and that's about as close as you get to doing both.

You can only ready a charge if you are restricted to a single standard or move action on your turn.

If you are able to take only a standard action or a move action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed). You can’t use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action or move action on your turn.

[Jack Mann]

Ah, good point.

[TheOOB]

You could move and attack with a ready action via the spring attack feat, which specifically allows you to move up to your speed during an attack action.

[Jack Mann]

But not as an attack action. You still have to have movement from somewhere. If you're not using your move action, how are you moving? If you are using your move action, you can't ready the attack.

[adanedhel9]

Just to clarify JackMan's point:

Spring Attack doesn't give you any extra movement, nor does it give you any extra actions. I just lets you rearrange your normal movement.

[TheOOB]

Unless there is an FAQ or Errata about spring attack that i don't know about (it's very possible) I'd contend that spring attack does grant extra movement.

From the SRD

When using the attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed.

The attack action is a standard action, and no where does it mention you having to take a move action to get the movement from this feat.

[melchizedek]

But you do have to take a move action to move at all. Just because the text for spring attack doesn't say that you need to take a move action to move doesn't make it less true.

[Aximili]

The wording is ambiguous. It talks about moving both before and after the attack, but it doesn't explicitly say wheter that movement is a part of your attack action.

[TheOOB]

But you do have to take a move action to move at all. Just because the text for spring attack doesn't say that you need to take a move action to move doesn't make it less true.

If you require a move action to move then how can you take a charge action?

Spring attack makes no reference to move actions, or the "move" action, it only mentions the attack action, which is a standard action that grants you a single attack. The D&D rules are usually pretty clear as to what type of action is required to use a feat/spell/class ability, if the feat doesn't say it requires a move action in addition to the standard actions it says it does require, it doesn't require it. Heck spring attack isn't even an action, it's a benefit that can be added to a specific action.

It should also be noted that the Mobile Spellcasting feat(the spellcasting counterpart to Spring Attack) from complete adventurer, is very clear that you move and cast as a single standard action. While it offers no proof in and of itself, the fact that in a later book WotC released a feat an extreamly similar feat though much more clearly defined seems to indicate that they ment for spring attack to work that way as well.

[Matthew]

Veh? You cannot use Spring Attack in this way. You can Ready a Move Action or a Standard Action, but not a Spring Attack. If your Action is to move, no attack, if your Action is to Attack, no move. Spring Attack does not grant extra movement:

SPRING ATTACK [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: When using the attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender you attack, though it might provoke attacks of opportunity from other creatures, if appropriate. You can’t use this feat if you are wearing heavy armor.
You must move at least 5 feet both before and after you make your attack in order to utilize the benefits of Spring Attack.
Special: A fighter may select Spring Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Since you need to move at least 5' before and after the Attack Action in order to use Spring Attack this Feat either means nothing or you have to employ the Standard Action in combination with a Move Action of some sort.
Mobile Spell casting is worded *very* differently. The appropriate analogue here is Shot on the Run, which is worded the same way and given that both are copy pastes from the 3.0 PHB, it's not too surprising to find them worded in this way.

[Aximili]

Technically, it doesn't say "When combining (or using) an attack action with a move action", it says: "When unsing an attack action...".

I agree that their intention is to say you have to spend a move action in adition, but the wording can easily be read in anoher way.

[Jasdoif]

Technically, it doesn't say "When combining (or using) an attack action with a move action", it says: "When unsing an attack action...".

It technically does say that you have to move 5 feet both before and after the attack action in order to use it.

If you can do that without using a move action, you can certainly use spring attack as a readied action.

[Aximili]

It technically does say that you have to move 5 feet both before and after the attack action in order to use it.

It says you can move both before and after the attack, not the attack action. Normally you perform an attack during an attack action.
According to the text in Spring attack, you can move both before and after the attack when using an attack action. This might be a matter of opinion... but, IMO, it's ambiguous, as it can imply you get to move during the attack action (both before and after the attack).

[Jasdoif]

Hmm...looking over it again, it is fairly ambiguous, the way it's worded. The FAQ doesn't address the basic use of the feat, either.

That being the case, I have to agree with you that as written, Spring Attack lets you move as part of the attack action. Since the attack action is a standard action, it is thus a valid readied action.

[Matthew]

Actually a strict reading of this Feat implies that it is useless:

"You must move at least 5 feet both before and after you make your attack in order to utilize the benefits of Spring Attack."

Since you cannot ordinarily do this you can never make use of the benefits of Spring Attack, which makes it a chicken and the egg situation.

[Funkyodor]

So, about spring attack. I interpret it as breaking up your move action so that you can partial move in, attack, then remainder move away without the AoO. It's great if there's someone else to keep your target occupied, but kinda pointless otherwise.
With this pretense, I feel that readying a spring attack is not possible. Readying a partial charge is though.
Another question. If you ready an action and do not move, could you take a 5' step with your readied action?

[Ikkitosen]

So, about spring attack. I interpret it as breaking up your move action so that you can partial move in, attack, then remainder move away without the AoO. It's great if there's someone else to keep your target occupied, but kinda pointless otherwise.
With this pretense, I feel that readying a spring attack is not possible. Readying a partial charge is though.
Another question. If you ready an action and do not move, could you take a 5' step with your readied action?

Spring Attack: Use a MA and SA to move-attack-move.

Partial Charge: No readying, in fact no using unless you're somehow restriced in your action (Slowed, are a zombie - which qualifies you, Funkyodor ;)).

5' step - yes, as long as you take no other movement in the round.

[serow]

This isn't about Spring Attack!

If a ranger readies a shot against a spellcaster, and the spellcaster casts a quickened spell followed by a standard action spell, does the ranger get both shots, or just the first, or just the second?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Only the first.

[Ikkitosen]

What did the ranger state as his or her triggering condition?

"When my target casts a spell" would triiger on the quickened spell, doing damage but not interrupting the spell, and since you've taken your readied action then of course you don't get to take it again when the caster starts a regular spell.

"When my target casts a spell that I can disrupt" would trigger on the second spell, and would have a chance to ruin said spell.

[Dausuul]

"When my target casts a spell" would triiger on the quickened spell, doing damage but not interrupting the spell, and since you've taken your readied action then of course you don't get to take it again when the caster starts a regular spell.

Why wouldn't the attack interrupt the quickened spell?

[Epiphanis]

The attack would interrupt the quickened spell. Quickened spells don't provoke AoOs, but they can be disrupted by readied attacks.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Yes, quickened spells can be both disrupted and countered.

[Ikkitosen]

Hum, I didn't think you could disrupt a Quickened spell. My bad I guess.