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2019-06-19, 05:44 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2018
Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
In a recent session we weren't sure what a character in their first round, before they had their first action, can do. No opportunity attacks, right? What about other opportunity actions? What about immediate reactions? What about immediate interrupts? I found preciously little about that in the PHB - in the first at least.
"Becoming conscious of racism does not mean you are a racist."
― Auliq Ice
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2019-06-19, 08:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Location
- Boston, MA
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Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
Huh. I would have thought that's right, but I can't find evidence.
The only restriction I see is that anyone surprised can't take actions in a surprise round -- after that, it's business as usual. In fact the entry on surprise rounds seems to be saying that you can take immediates and opportunity actions before your turn comes up; there's no "flatfooted" as in 3rd-ed. And it also says the surprised condition ends at the end of the surprise round, meaning even a surprised creature can OA and take immediates as soon as the new round starts.
I can't find anything on special conditions for Round 1.
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2019-06-20, 05:53 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- GMT -5
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Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
That would be because there are none. The reward for winning initiative is getting to take your standard actions and such first, not negating enemy defensive measures. That is a surprise round.
I've actually used this on my battlemind to use Lightning Rush on turn 0. The party included a Cipher, so they got to move when they lost initiative and I Lightning Rushed an OA they provoked.
In another fight that was even funnier, another battlemind was speed of thoughting, provoked an OA, I Lightning Rushed, slid them into ranger of the cleric who Mighty Hewed the OA, and in range of the Talaric Strategist who Anticipation Tacticsed. And that was how 3 immediate interrupts were used and a monster was killed in response to the party rolling initiative.I follow a general rule: better to ask and be told no than not to ask at all.
Shadeblight by KennyPyro
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2019-06-20, 12:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
Immediate and Opportunity actions are actions.
While surprised, you cannot take actions until you are no longer surprised.
You can no more do an Opportunity Action when surprised than you can while unconscious.Last edited by Yakk; 2019-06-20 at 12:48 PM.
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2019-06-20, 02:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2015
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
I agree with this, but my understanding of the question is that it involved the first full round of combat, not surprise rounds.
On that point, I agree with Keledrath. There are no restrictions on taking opportunity actions or immediate actions during the first round of combat before your initiative.
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2019-06-20, 09:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2018
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
Which would be right, that was the intent of my original question. I was under the mistaken belief that not only surprise rounds were subject to restrictions, but the first regular round of combat also.
I wasn't up to speed on the restrictions on the surprise round anymore as well, so, everybody, your answers were a big help!Last edited by Iksilak; 2019-06-20 at 09:18 PM.
"Becoming conscious of racism does not mean you are a racist."
― Auliq Ice
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2019-06-21, 12:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
- Location
- Boston, MA
- Gender
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
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2019-07-15, 04:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
Cheers
Scrivener of Doom
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2019-07-15, 09:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- Davis, California
- Gender
Re: Battle: Characters that haven't acted yet - what can they do?
The flat-footed condition got moved into a class feature for Rogues. First Strike gives Rogues combat advantage against creatures that haven't acted yet, just like flat-footed did in 3.5. As everyone else has said, there's no other differences in 4e after the first round starts.