Combat Actions

Types of Actions

Actions are divided into several varieties - Passive Actions, Reactions, Free Actions, Move Actions, Standard Actions, Full Round Actions and Multi-Round Actions. There are also Legendary Actions which great heroes, villains and monsters get.

Passive Actions

These are actions the character is able to take at any time and usually without thinking about it. This includes simply breathing and thinking.

Most of the time, talking is considered a Passive Action, though if Surprised or Ambushed, a character may not be able to talk.

Passive actions may always be taken, so long as the character is not specifically stopped from them.

Reactions

Reactions can be taken at any time - including during an enemy's turn. These are usually minor or inconsequential but can sometimes be life-saving. Some may cost an action or attack - for instance, a Defensive Disarm means the character must use up one attack this round or spend a Standard Action on an Attack next round to pay for it.

Reactions may not be taken against something if the character is Surprised, Ambushed or Unaware in relation to it. If the character is Flatfooted against a specific attack, they may not use Reactions to oppose it.

Opportunity Actions

Opportunity Actions are a specific form of Reaction that use an Opportunity Action. They are effectively Reactions that are finite in number. These include things such as Attacks of Opportunity and Quaffing Potions.

Free Actions

Free Actions are minor actions performed during the character’s turn. As characters act may take action at any point on their initiative when they are capable to act, numerous Free actions may be taken throughout the round. A Kobold can turn around at the Very Fast phase and grab a potion, use it later in the round and then drop the bottle at the end of the round.

These are generally things almost automatically done – a character fleeing does not need to stop and spend a Move or Standard action to open a door for instance, though they may need to spend one if the door is locked or they intend to knock it down.

Move Actions

Move Actions are actions that, though simple, are time consuming. For example, moving across a room, sorting through one’s pack or chugging a potion for instance all take time to perform, even if they do not require necessarily intense actions to do so.

Many minor movement actions (drinking potions or taking an accessible item) may be done as Opportunity Actions, but doing so will provoke an Attack of Opportunity - these are listed in their Opportunity Action variants.

Standard Actions

Standard Actions are actions that require the character’s focus and skill to perform – striking a foe, untying a knot, blocking an attack. They may be quick, but they require the character’s full attention.

A Standard Action may always be spent in place of a Move Action.

Some Standard Actions allow a character to gain Attacks - these can then be spent on specific forms of attacks.

Full Round Actions

Full Round Actions (sometimes simply called Full Actions) are both time-consuming and require the character’s attention – such as casting a spell.

A Full Round Action requires both a Move Action and a Standard Action to perform. As Standard Actions may be swapped for Move Action, a Character who has more Standard Actions may spend these in their place. As such, a Full Round Action can be split over two rounds, where-in the character spends one Standard Action per round to accomplish it, allowing them to use Move Actions on other tasks, so long as they do not distract from the main task.

Multi Round Actions

Multi-Round Actions, meanwhile, are Full Round actions that take considerable amounts of time compared to simpler actions, such as picking a lock. Most long term actions, such as giving a performance or cracking a safe are effectively Multi Round Actions, but being that they generally occur out of combat, they are usually not designated as such.

A Multi-Round Action takes, at minimum a Full Round Action followed by a number of Standard Actions, meaning that a Character may be able to take other Move actions that do not interfere with the Action.

Legendary Actions

Legendary Actions are special abilities that significantly powerful creatures and monsters get to increase the number of actions they get within a round. Typically, they receive 1 per round and their information sheet will list what this can be spent on.

A Legendary Action may always be spent in place of a Standard Action or a Move Action, though it cannot be used to gain more Movement in a round than the character normally possesses.

A Legendary Action cannot be used to on the same Legendary Ability if the Character used the Ability within one round, with the exception of using the Legendary Action as a Standard or Move Action.

Unfulfilled Action

Some actions require an action to be spent at the earliest possible convenience - this round if able, the next round if not.

For example, using a Defensive Disarm reaction requires the character to spend an Attack this round or the next round to perform it. In this case, the character could 'pay' for the action by one of the following:

• Having spent a Standard Action on Attacks this round already and having Attacks remaining that can be spent on this.
• Having a Standard Action remaining for use later in the round that could be spent on Attacking and then spending one Attack on this.
• If the character has already spent all Standard Actions or does not have enough Attacks left this round, they must spend a Standard Action next round on Attacking and then pay for any using Attacks from that round.

If a character would not be able to pay for all such actions within this and the next round, they cannot perform the actions at all. For instance, a Fighter with 3 attacks has already used 2 attacks this round and decides to make 2 Block attempts. Because they have an attack remaining this round, they may block once, but next round they would need to spend a Standard Action and one attack to pay for it.

If, however, a character becomes unable to pay for the action, they immediately become Stunned for one round, with no save or allowance for immunity.