Each round, your character gets one Standard Action, one Move Action, and one Opportunity Action.
You may sacrifice your Standard Action to get an additional Move Action.
You may sacrifice your Standard Action or your Opportunity Action to get a Swift Action.
Examples of each action type at work:
Standard :
- make a normal attack
- cast a normal (combat) spell
- charge
- drink a potion
- lots more, I'm sure!
Move :
Move actions really are supposed to be fairly restrictive, and hard to trade away for anything other than movement. Hopefully, along with the elimination of the full attack system, this will encourage a game where combat is quite dynamic.
- move up to your speed
- "shift" one hex without provoking opportunity attacks
- stand up from prone
- reload a light crossbow
Move actions really are supposed to be fairly restrictive, and hard to trade away for anything other than movement. Hopefully, along with the elimination of the full attack system, this will encourage a game where combat is quite dynamic.
Opportunity :
- make an opportunity attack against an opponent who provokes one
- cast a defensive-reactive type spell
- use a number of defensive-reactive abilities, similar to Tome of Battle Counters
Swift :
- draw or retrieve an item or weapon
- make an extra attack using a special ability that represents attacking faster than normal
- cast a spell that is supposed to be extra quick
- change your active stance (if any)
- change your active spell seed (if any)
- change your active aura (if any)
- lots more
Free : I don't have any examples in mind at the moment of things that should be free actions, but I'm sure it will come up. In the meantime, one important thing I really need to decide is whether anything designated as a "free action" should be usable only on your turn, a la 3.5e, or whether it should be usable at any time a la 4e.
Note: No full-round actions. I won't miss the iterative attack system. I will have to figure out what to do with some other full-round actions, however.
Note that a few select special abilities will probably be able to change this fundamental action economy in some significant if specific ways:
- The Mobility feat will allow you, when you move normally, to also perform a fairly mundane task that would normally require a Swift action, such as drawing a weapon or switching your active stance or aura.
- There will probably be some special ability (perhaps not available at low levels) similar to 3e Combat Reflexes, which gives a character a second Opportunity Action each round, which can only be used to make an opportunity attack.
While I'm open to feedback in general, the main question I want to ask the community is this: should Opportunity Actions be considered part of the turn before they are taken, or part of the turn after they are taken? That is, when I start my turn, should I:
(A) definitely have the ability to use a Swift Action (in addition to Standard + Move), but if I do use a Swift Action, I won't be able to use any Opportunity Actions until a full round passes; or
(B) only have access to a Swift Action if I haven't recently taken any Opportunity Actions (or if I give up my Standard)? Then, as soon as my turn ends, I'm automatically able to make any Opportunity Action that comes knocking?
I'm leaning towards (B), but I can see arguments both ways. I hope I explained the dilemma clearly; my brain is definitely in the process of shutting down for the night.