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View Full Version : [3.5] Activating magic items.



Kansaschaser
2011-02-02, 11:29 PM
If a magic item says that it takes a swift action to activate, can you spend a move action instead? Or how about a standard action?

Example: Since you are limited to one swift or immediate action per round, if I have already cast a swift action spell and I still want to activate a swift action magic item, can I use a move action instead?

holywhippet
2011-02-02, 11:34 PM
Barring DM fiat, I'd say no chance. The rules specifically say you can only take one swift action per turn regardless of what else you do.

A DM might allow it if one swift action is from an item and another is from a spell since the former would just be a command word most likely but by RAW it's not possible.

Marnath
2011-02-03, 12:57 AM
I could be wrong, but I think the rule is you could spend your standard action to do another swift/free action in a round?

senrath
2011-02-03, 01:18 AM
Nope. You get 1 swift action per round, period, that's it. Unless you're a Ruby Knight Vindicator, of course.

Thurbane
2011-02-03, 01:20 AM
I could be wrong, but I think the rule is you could spend your standard action to do another swift/free action in a round?
I'm pretty sure in all the FAQ and Q&A I've seen, it's the reverse - you cannot "slow down" a swift or immediate action to be move or standard, unless an ability specifically says you can.

Goonthegoof
2011-02-03, 01:40 AM
Ack, this is one area where 4E got it right. You get a standard action, a move action and a quick (read: swift) action in a round. Quick takes less time than move which takes less time than standard, so they let you convert an action into a quicker one if you want. So yeah, RAW what you're asking didn't become legal until fourth edition, but for 3.5 just ask your dm and if (s)he's reasonable it should be fine as it makes perfect sense.