Full-Round Action
A full-round action consumes all your effort during a round. The only movement you can take during a full-round action is a 5-foot step before, during, or after the action. You can also perform free actions (see below). Some full-round actions do not allow you to take a 5-foot step. Some full-round actions can be taken as standard actions, but only in situations when you are limited to performing only a standard action during your round; the descriptions of specific actions, below, detail which actions allow this option. A full-round action requires an entire round to complete. Thus, it can’t be coupled with a standard or a move action, though if it does not involve moving any distance, you can take a 5-foot step.
Full Attack
If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough, because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon or for some special reason you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks. You do not need to specify the targets of your attacks ahead of time. You can see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones. The only movement you can take during a full attack is a 5-foot step. You may take the step before, after, or between your attacks.
If you get multiple attacks because your base attack bonus is high enough, you must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest. If you are using two weapons, you can strike with either weapon first. If you are using a double weapon, you can strike with either part of the weapon first.
Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack
After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action. This applies only to characters that get “multiple” attacks, not those using a weapon in either hand or between bow shots, hurled dagger, etc.
Combat Move and Attack
A character may opt to move up to half their combat speed in order to gain an attack. This action must be declared at the start of the round and then permits the character to attack on segment six (6). Regardless of how quickly a character moves the attack following the movement begins on segment six (6) and proceeds as if that is the beginning of his melee round based on weapon speed. The character may than make a single attack so long as the speed of their current weapon permits. This movement will provoke an Attack of Opportunity if the attacker moves into any side or forward hex and this method of attack forfeits any weapon speed bonus gained in Initiative. For example, Zucher the Privateer uses two short swords in combat and opts to make a combat run of three squares in order to aid his companion Teral battle an Ork. Zucher then moves the three hexes and waits until segment nine (9) to attack, because his short sword has a weapon speed of three (3). As he arrives in the square adjacent to his target, the Ork will gain an immediate Attack of Opportunity against him. If Zucher had been wielding a two-handed sword with a weapon speed of 7 then he would not have been able to attack in that round.
Cleave
The extra attack granted by the Cleave Skill (See Knight and Paladin) can be taken whenever they apply. This is an exception to the normal limit to the number of attacks you can take when not using a full attack action.
Run
You can run as a full-round action. (If you do, you do not also get a 5-foot step.) When you run, you can move up to four times your speed in a straight line (or three times your speed if you’re in heavy armour). You lose any Dexterity bonus to AC unless you have the Flee skill. You can run for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score, but after that you must make a Constitution check to continue running. You must check again each round in which you continue to run, and the check increases by 1 for each check you have made. When you fail this check, you must stop running. A character that has run to his limit must rest for 1 Turn (10 rounds) before running again. During a rest period, a character can move no faster than a normal move action. You can’t run across difficult terrain or if you can’t see where you’re going.
Move 5 Feet through Difficult Terrain
In some situations, your movement may be so hampered that you don’t have sufficient speed even to move 5 feet (a single square). In such a case, you may spend a full-round action to move 5 feet (1 square) in any direction, even diagonally. Even though this looks like a 5-foot step, it’s not, and thus it provokes attacks of opportunity normally.
Withdraw
Withdrawing from melee combat is a full-round action. When you withdraw, you can move up to double your speed. The square you start out in is not considered threatened by any opponent you can see, and therefore visible enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against you when you move from that square. (Invisible enemies still get attacks of opportunity against you, and you can’t withdraw from combat if you’re blinded.) You can’t take a 5-foot step during the same round in which you withdraw. If, during the process of withdrawing, you move out of a threatened square (other than the one you started in), enemies get attacks of opportunity as normal. You may not withdraw using a form of movement for which you don’t have a listed speed. Note that despite the name of this action, you don’t actually have to leave combat entirely.
Free Actions Table | |
Action | Attack of Opportunity1 |
Cease concentration on a spell | No |
Drop an item | No |
Drop to the floor | No |
Prepare spell components to cast2 | No |
Speak | No |
1. Regardless of the action, if you move out of a threatened square, you usually provoke an attack of opportunity. This column indicates whether the action itself, not moving, provokes an attack of opportunity.
2. Unless the component is extremely large or awkward. |
Restricted Withdraw
If you are limited to taking only a standard action each round you can withdraw as a standard action. In this case, you may move up to your speed (rather than up to double your speed).